On February 26 at 5:00 p.m., the doors of the Riverside Convention Center opened for a special preview event marking the center’s grand reopening. As guests entered the glass doors beneath the archway facing Fifth Street in Riverside, the setting sun lit up the handcrafted blown- and sculpted-glass lighting fixture on display in the 66-foot entrance tower above.
More than 1,000 guests attended the evening’s welcome ceremony, enjoying the many vegetarian and vegan entrees options included among the hors d'oeuvres. Then, they took self-guided tours of the convention center, which was closed in July 2012 for $43 million in renovations.
During the ceremony, special mention was made of the role Loma Linda University Health is playing to help select menu items created with seasonal specialties and healthful ingredients, consistent with LLUH standards of excellence and nutrition. The specialized menu will complement a menu created by the center’s new executive chef, Brad Martin.
LLUH nutritional experts are working closely with the convention center’s culinary staff to supervise their knowledge and techniques for proper preparation of vegan and vegetarian meals recommended for inclusion on the specialized menu.
“We’re privileged,” says LLUH chief wholeness officer Daniel Fontoura, “to share our experience with vegetarian cuisine and our message of healthy living to the 250,000 guests of Riverside Convention Center each year.”
In addition to developing the menu and staff training, LLUH is involved in other aspects of food service at the Convention Center including conducting a nutritional assessment of all food items on the menu. Students from LLU’s nutrition and dietetics programs will take part in internship opportunities to meet the requirements of their practicum to complete their advanced degrees.
“We are pleased to have this unique opportunity,” says Ted Weggeland president and CEO, Raincross Hospitality Corporation, “to cooperate with such a well-respected organization as Loma Linda University Health to promote important principles of nutrition, while providing our valued guests with the best opportunities for healthful eating. The Riverside Convention Center is committed to representing the promise of healthy living in a socially responsible community.” Raincross Hospitality Corporation is managing the Convention Center.