Media Contact:
Mihai Patru, mihai@bluezones.com
Franchesca Forrer, Franchesca@bluezones.com
760-861-1392
Bread and Flours Bakery to be named the first Blue Zones Project Palm Springs Officially Approved Restaurant
Community Invited to Celebrate with “Breaking Bread” Ceremony and Blue Ribbon Event
Palm Springs, CA — November 17, 2025 — Blue Zones Project Palm Springs is proud to announce that Bread and Flours Bakery has officially earned designation as the first Blue Zones Project Palm Springs Approved Restaurant, recognizing its commitment to promoting healthy eating and community well-being.
To celebrate, community members, local officials, and Blue Zones Project representatives will gather for a Blue Ribbon Celebration on Friday, December 5, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Bread and Flours Bakery in Palm Springs.
The morning kicks off with a symbolic Breaking Bread Ceremony, where City of Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto will join bakery owners Mark Gavigan and Kristin Ryall in “breaking bread” together—sharing a giant, hand-crafted sourdough loaf to honor the bakery’s milestone and its mission to prioritize the quality of their ingredients, production methods, and customer’s well-being and health.
Following the ceremony, guests will enjoy an official Blue Ribbon Cutting marking Bread and Flours’ new designation, along with a Pop-Up Well-Being Station and Bakery Specials featuring:
- A Well-Being Wheel offering free spins with a purchase or social media tag of Bread and Flours and Blue Zones Project Palm Springs — prizes include Blue Zones swag, recipe cards, Bread and Flours special offers, and more.
- NEW Blue Zones-inspired menu specials, including:
- Blue Zones-inspired Lentil Soup
- Blue Zones-inspired Rosemary Sourdough
- Blue Zones-inspired “Ikaria” Hummus with Lemon oil
“Bread and Flours truly embodies the spirit of Palm Springs—creative, conscientious, and community-minded,” said Mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto. “By crafting everything from scratch with fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients, Bread and Flours shows that sustainability, flavor, and nutrition can go hand in hand.”
“Restaurants like Bread and Flours play an essential role in creating environments where making healthy choices becomes the easy choice,” added Mihai Patru, Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Palm Springs. “We’re thrilled to recognize their leadership and partnership in building a community where well-being is baked right in.”
Bread and Flours owners Mark Gavigan and Kristin Ryall agree, noting “We’re honored to partner with Blue Zones Project Palm Springs — their mission to make healthy choices easier perfectly aligns with why we started Bread and Flours in the first place. From the ingredients we source to the way we bake and serve our community, we believe good food should not only taste amazing but also support well-being and connection.”
Event Details:
What: Bread and Flours Blue Ribbon Celebration
When: Friday, December 5th | 10:00–11:00 a.m.
Where: Bread and Flours, 2100 N Palm Canyon Dr Suite 105, Palm Springs
Who: Open to the public
RSVP & More Info: Eventbrite
About Blue Zones in Riverside County
Blue Zones Project® is brought to Riverside County by Blue Zones and leading organizations Riverside University Health System – Public Health, Inland Empire Health Plan Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare, and Eisenhower Health. In collaboration with the County of Riverside and the Cities of Riverside, Banning, Palm Springs, and Coachella, this innovative partnership brings together private and public organizations under a shared vision to support, build, and measurably improve community well-being across the County. Blue Zones Projects have launched in Riverside, Banning, Coachella, and Palm Springs, while Mead Valley begins a policy-focused Blue Zones Activate. Over five years, local leadership and the local Blue Zones Project teams will implement the Blue Zones Life Radius® model to make healthy choices easier throughout the region through permanent and semi-permanent changes to the built environment, food environment, public policies, and social networks. Learn more at bluezonesprojectpalmsprings.com.
About Blue Zones Project
Blue Zones Project® is a community-led well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to a city’s environment, policy, and social networks. Blue Zones Project is based on research by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author who identified five cultures of the world—or blue zones —with the highest concentration of people living to 100 years or older. Blue Zones Project incorporates Buettner’s findings and works with cities to implement policies and programs that will move a community toward optimal health and well-being. Blue Zones launched the first pilot community in 2009 in Albert Lea, MN with groundbreaking results. The model has since been applied to more than 75 communities in the United States, impacting more than 10 million citizens. Participating communities have experienced double-digit drops in obesity and tobacco use and have saved millions of dollars in healthcare costs. For more information, visit bluezones.com.
