Forbes: Locally Sourced Ingredients Are Foundation Of Salad-Centric Culinary Program

By Aly Walansky; April 19th 2025

With Earth Month well underway and Earth Day quickly approaching, many are trying to find unique ways to have a healthier and more sustainable relationship with the food they are eating. This is being increasingly reflected in travel and hospitality, as menus are reflecting what guests are seeking – eco-friendly and locally sourced ingredients in their dishes and beverages.

A great example of this is Loews Hotels & Co, who this month launched the Freshly Rooted by Loews program. Well timed for sustainability focus of Earth Day, this program features locally sourced, seasonal ingredients via salads designed to reflect their region at select locations.

We’re at a time that people are focusing on sustainable travel more than ever, and this is very much seen in seeking more sustainable food and cocktail choices. A recent program from this hotel group focused on adding regional flavors and artisanal ingredients to their beverage program, and so the salads featuring each destination’s local harvest is a next step that makes sense. "Freshly Rooted by Loews Hotels is our new culinary initiative showcasing locally sourced, seasonal ingredients through vibrant, handcrafted salads available at our properties nationwide," said Chef Olivier Gaupin, Corporate Executive Chef at Loews Hotels & Co.

Some regional salad offerings as part of this program includes Loews Arlington Hotel’s Beet & Citrus Salad, which is made with local goat cheese, chicory, greens, grapes, and hazelnuts sourced from local Texas farms or at Loews Miami Beach Hotel, a Local Burrata Salad, which includes locally sourced burrata from Capri Organic Dairy, fresh heirloom tomatoes from Tomato Thyme, cucumbers from J&J Family Farms, and artisan bread crisps from Miami bread purveyor, Zak the Baker.

As Loews Chicago Hotel, there’s a Little Gem Salad that uses ingredients sourced from Loop Farms including little gem lettuce, Wisconsin goat gouda, grapes, ruby red grapefruit, avocado, almond, Michigan gala apples, and topped with a smoked heaven honey buttermilk gouda dressing.

At Loews Coronado Bay Resort, the California Nicoise Salad is made with locally sourced ingredients. This includes ahi tuna from Catalina Offshore Products, organic greens from J.R. Organics, tomatoes from Wong Farms, pastured eggs from Eben-Haezer Egg Ranch, and thyme grown right at home – as in the garden at Loews Coronado Bay Resort. And finally at the Loews Kansas City Hotel, the Stillwell Salad is made using locally harvested greens, California Mo beets, radishes and peas from Juniper Hills Farms, and topped wtih an avocado-ginger vinaigrette, and crisped quinoa.

"It builds upon Loews Hotels’ long standing commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing, deepening our relationships with trusted local purveyors like Closed Loop Farms (Loews Chicago Hotel), Imagine Farms and Tiny Farm (Loews Coral Gables Hotel), and Creekstone Farms (Loews Kansas City Hotel) to bring fresh, regional flavors to our guests," said Gaupin.

Sustainability is already a big part of the brand's dining experience, but this expands on it. "Freshly Rooted evolved naturally from our relationships with local farmers and focus on sustainability, reinforcing our dedication to ingredients that are certified humane, fully traceable, and free from antibiotics, hormones, steroids, and artificial additives. This initiative supports local communities, promotes environmental responsibility, and delivers culinary experiences that are deeply rooted in each destination," said Gaupin.

Freshly Rooted is intended to be more than a seasonal spotlight, but more of a long-term initiative. "While the launch aligned well with Earth Month, this is not a temporary campaign. It’s a lasting commitment to bringing local, responsibly sourced ingredients to the forefront of our food and beverage experiences whether you’re dining in Coronado, California or Arlington, Texas," said Gaupin.

The program, which is now live at most of the hotel's restaurants and outlets, is planned to be expanded further. "Our plan over the next year is that Freshly Rooted will grow to include banquet and meeting experiences and we will continue to ensure this touches every part of the guest journey, from a casual poolside lunch to a large-scale corporate event," said Gaupin.

Gaupin is operating under the belief that sustainability isn’t a trend; it’s a core value. "Freshly Rooted reflects our ongoing mission to offer natural, healthier food options made with ingredients that are carefully sourced, free from artificial additives, and fully traceable," said Gaupin.

A majority of the Loews hotels are currently participating in Freshly Rooted, and the program is continuing to expand across the portfolio. Each salad at each location was crafted to highlight local ingredients and purveyors that are specific to the region. "We also gave our chefs the creative freedom to bring their own inspiration to the table," said Gaupin, saying there’s no cookie-cutter approach. "It’s all about showcasing what’s fresh, seasonal, and distinctive to each destination through the lens of our property culinary teams," said Gaupin, who said some examples include the burrata delivered daily from Capri Organic Dairy in Miami or sweet peas from Juniper Hills Farm in Lawrence, Kansas. "Each salad is rooted in its region. It’s that mix of local flavor and chef creativity that really brings the program to life."

As the program is built around what’s fresh and available locally, the salads are designed to evolve with the seasons. "Our chefs work closely with regional farms and purveyors to update ingredients based on the local harvest, which means guests can expect new flavors and combinations throughout the year. It allows each property to spotlight the best that their region has to offer," said Gaupin.

For more information about Loews Hotels & Co or to book your upcoming travel, call 1-800-23 LOEWS or visit Loews Hotels online.

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