Blue Zones Project Scottsdale Calls on Businesses to Join Citywide Well-Being Effort
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Blue Zones Project Scottsdale Calls on Businesses to Join Citywide Well-Being Effort
Area workplaces, restaurants and organizations are invited to help make healthier choices easier and move Scottsdale closer to community-wide certification.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Blue Zones Project Scottsdale is calling on more local workplaces, restaurants and organizations to step into the citywide well-being effort and help make healthier choices part of everyday life across Scottsdale.
The initiative has already reached 60% of its restaurant approval goal and more than 60% of its goal for employees represented through Blue Zones Project Approved™ worksites. Now, the team is looking to build on that momentum by welcoming additional partners in South Scottsdale, the Kierland and Airpark area, and North Scottsdale as the city moves closer to becoming a certified Blue Zones Community®.
“Scottsdale already has tremendous momentum, and the next step is bringing even more businesses into the effort,” says Sarah Kearney, executive director of Blue Zones Project Scottsdale. “Each new partner helps extend the impact into more workplaces, restaurants and daily routines across the city.”
Blue Zones Project Scottsdale is working across 13 strategies focused on people, places and policy. Its approach centers on the Blue Zones Life Radius®, the roughly 20-mile area surrounding homes where people spend approximately 90% of their lives. That includes the offices where they spend their workdays, the restaurants where they gather and the familiar places that quietly shape their daily routines.
Some of the local organizations already leading the effort include Blue Zones Project Approved worksites Scottsdale Community College, VIP Mortgage, HomeSmart, Benefits Commerce Group/Alera Group-Arizona, Scottsdale Arts, HonorHealth Corporate Office, Cigna’s Evernorth campus and AM Nutrition Services, along with approved restaurant partners FnB, Schmooze, Taza Catering & Events, d’Lite Healthy on the Go and ZuZu. These are just a few of the businesses helping make healthier choices more accessible across Scottsdale.
“These businesses are showing what community leadership can look like,” Kearney says. “They are building on what they already do well, making thoughtful changes and using their influence to help employees, customers and the broader community live better.”
Becoming Blue Zones Project Approved can include:
- Healthier Workdays. Employers may create simple opportunities for team members to move more, eat well, reduce stress and strengthen social connections.
- Supportive Workplace Cultures. Organizations can build on existing benefits, policies and wellness efforts to support employee satisfaction, retention, productivity and long-term well-being.
- More Nutritious Menus. Restaurants may add or highlight plant-forward dishes, incorporate wholesome ingredients and make balanced options easier to recognize and order.
- Everyday Environmental Changes. Participating organizations make lasting improvements that gently guide healthier decisions without asking people to overhaul their lives.
- Community Leadership. Approved businesses join a growing network working toward a healthier, more connected Scottsdale.
For employers, approval may involve simple changes such as encouraging movement, creating opportunities for connection or making nutritious food and beverage options easier to find. Restaurants can participate by highlighting plant-forward dishes, incorporating wholesome ingredients and making balanced choices easier to recognize.
These changes support Power 9® habits while helping businesses strengthen workplace culture, improve employee retention and attract new talent. At Blue Zones Project Approved restaurants, the Blue Zones Fork & Knife logo appears on menus to identify Blue Zones-inspired meal options.
The broader goal is to create a network of workplaces, schools, restaurants, grocery stores, civic organizations and faith-based groups that make healthier choices easier throughout Scottsdale.
Participation is free through support from HonorHealth, The Cigna Group and Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona, and the approval process is often more approachable than businesses expect.
“There is no hidden fee, and there is no expectation that a business suddenly becomes something it is not,” Kearney says. “Many restaurants and employers discover they already meet a large portion of the criteria. Approval may come down to a few practical adjustments that build on what is already working.”
The Blue Zones Project Scottsdale team works directly with each organization to identify opportunities and guide it through the approval process. Businesses interested in becoming Blue Zones Project Approved can learn more at bluezonesprojectscottsdale.com. Approved worksites, restaurants, schools, grocery stores and participating organizations can also be found on the website under “Places.”
About Blue Zones Project Scottsdale
Blue Zones Project is a community-led well-being initiative inspired by research from National Geographic Fellow and best-selling author Dan Buettner. Through sustainable changes to the environment, policy and social networks, the project makes healthy choices easier, helping people live longer, better lives. Brought to Scottsdale by Blue Zones, LLC, in collaboration with HonorHealth, The Cigna Group and Goodwill of Central & Northern Arizona, this five-year initiative uses the Blue Zones Life Radius model to build a culture of well-being across the community. For more information, visit bluezonesprojectscottsdale.com.
Blue Zones Project Scottsdale
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Maureen Aldrich Marketing & Engagement Lead
- August 31, 2026
- (602) 410-2780
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