Strategies for engaging the private food sector: Lessons learned from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's Choose Health LA Restaurants program

Changes in consumer behavior have led to a significant increase in dollars spent on foods eaten away from the home.  As a result, public health efforts to foster healthier retail food availability require the development of innovative strategies to engage the private food sector. Few identified best practices exist to help guide public health practitioners in undertaking this work.  The recent establishment of a program creating a voluntary partnership between the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and local restaurants, the Choose Health LA Restaurants program, provides insights into practical ways in which public health professionals can engage the retail food industry. In this presentation, we offer lessons learned from the process of developing Choose Health LA Restaurants. The planning process included multiple rounds of interviews with restaurant owners and industry groups to inform initial program development. Resulting strategies used to engage retail restaurants included: (1) looking for areas of mutual interest between public health and restaurant businesses regarding health promotion; (2) identifying and creating modest goals for engagement; and (3) allowing each party to take the lead in their area of expertise. Employing these strategies during the establishment of Choose Health LA Restaurants resulted in a favorable partnership between private businesses and the Department of Public Health, including restaurant owners demonstrating willingness to participate in improving and expanding the program. The program helps increase the availability of healthier dining options in Los Angeles County, and the lessons learned can inform the development of similar work in other jurisdictions.