Briefly In Business

Wells Fargo holds food bank drive

Wells Fargo is conducting a summer food drive to collect donations for Second Harvest Food Bank. Collection bins will be placed in all 106 Wells Fargo Orange County locations including the bank at 260 Ocean Ave. The drive will be during July because donations typically drop dramatically during summer months.

It is estimated that 21% of Orange County, or 615,000 residents, are at risk of hunger, according to the bank. The majority of people at risk of going hungry each month are children and single parents, seniors and other men and women confronted by financial difficulty or who are physically unable to earn a living.

The most needed items are: high-protein foods, such as canned meat, tuna, peanut butter, lentils, beans and macaroni and cheese; staple dry goods, such as rice, pastas and dry cereals; canned goods, including fruit, juices, vegetables, soup and spaghetti sauce; baby food, formula and cereal; ready-to-eat items, individually-packed products, bottled water; toiletries, such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, razors, tissue, deodorant, soap, Band-aids, shampoo, combs and brushes, and feminine hygiene items.

For more information, visit wellsfargo.com.

Laguna Coffee is tops for group

Laguna Coffee regular Jim Herdman entered his favorite coffee in a challenge that the Sierra Club recently hosted. Out of eight coffees from around the country, the Laguna Coffee Co.’s Estate Costa Rican was declared the winner. The prize: a T-shirt and bragging rights.

Herdman and his wife, Enid, recently went with the Sierra Club on a service trip to Chaco Canyon, a World-Heritage site in New Mexico. The trip’s leader made an interesting request to all participants: Bring the best coffee from your area for a challenge.

Each morning, a different coffee was brewed over the campfire. Coffees from California, Colorado, Indiana and Minnesota were sampled.

“Our Estate Costa Rican is one of our most popular coffees,” Laguna Coffee owner Paul Ackley said in a statement.

To celebrate, Laguna Coffee is offering their premium Estate Costa Rican coffee for $10 a pound in August.

The coffee shop, 1050 S. Coast Hwy., is open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. For more information, visit https://www.LagunaCoffeeCo.com or call (949) 494-6901.

Sapphire at School expands program

Laguna Beach restaurateur Azmin Ghahreman’s Sapphire at School has been selected to provide meals for Sage Hill School in Newport Coast, beginning in August for the 2010-11 school year. Sage Hill joins four other Orange County private schools to offer the Mediterranean-style cuisine.

Ghahreman, owner of Sapphire Laguna restaurant, developed Sapphire at School in 2007, to provide students with a wide variety of healthy, restaurant-quality, globally-influenced cuisine prepared daily by professional chefs.

“Teaching children about food and nutrition has been a passion of mine for many years,” Ghahreman said. “I believe that kids should be given the skills and education they need to make smart, informed decisions about the foods they eat. Every child deserves a healthy start.”

Sapphire at School was selected by Sage Hill School after a search by the school’s Food Service Advisory Committee, which is chaired by Chief Operating Officer Diane Shank and Student Body President Ben Capalidi. The committee of 18 students, four faculty representatives, three parents and a trustee, selected Sapphire at School from five vendors that submitted proposals.

“Our students played a big part in this decision-making process and selected Sapphire at School because it offers a menu with a diverse selection of tasty and healthy food,” Shank said. “The program will help the students develop healthy eating habits that will stay with them throughout their lives.”

The menus and educational curriculum are based on the Mediterranean food pyramid, relying on whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, herbs and spices, accompanied by servings of fish and seafood, poultry and eggs, organic dairy products, lean meats and, in spare amounts, sweets. Each meal and snack is prepared daily by expert chefs, using fresh, local ingredients.

In addition to Sage Hill School, other participating schools in Orange County include St. Anne School in Laguna Niguel, Harbor Day School in Corona del Mar, and St. Margaret’s Episcopal School and Capistrano Valley Schools in San Juan Capistrano. In many of the schools, the program also offers hands-on educational classes that expand students’ knowledge of food and nutrition, and increases their awareness of flavors from around the world.

For more information regarding Sapphire at School, call Catherine Nguyen at Sapphire Laguna, (949) 715-3355.

Relax and buy something pretty

Laguna Sports Massage & Skin Spa is offering two massages, or a facial and a massage for $169 during August. The Jewelry Den is offering a 20% discount off the entire store during August as well. For more information, call (949) 464-2000 or visit lagunasportsmassage.com.