Biz Buzz:
OCC Santa relocates to Welcome Center

       There's a change this Christmas season in where Santa will pay his calls to Old Colorado City.
       Instead of the historic Garvin Cabin in Bancroft Park - the locale for many years - the Jolly Old Elf will be greeting youngsters in the Old Colorado City Associates (OCCA) business group's Welcome Center, 2324 W. Colorado Ave.
       Otherwise, the merchants' seasonal plans are in keeping with their traditions. Santa's arrival will be the first Saturday afternoon after Thanksgiving - Nov. 25 this year, and will be followed that evening by the OCCA's annual Christmas Stroll, featuring musicians and singing groups on the avenue.
       The time range for both events will be the same as in past years:
  • Santa, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Stroll, from 5 to 8 p.m.
           Also unchanged from the past will be the OCCA Santa's schedule: weekends from 11 to 4 except Sunday, Dec. 24, from 11 to 3. Also on weekends, the OCCA plans to have performers on the sidewalks and vendors in the yard in front of the Welcome Center.
           According to Karen Cullen, the OCCA marketing coordinator, Santa's change in venue was prompted by the lines that used to form outside the Bancroft cabin, even in cold weather. At the Welcome Center, there is a lobby where several families can wait their turns and be warm, she pointed out.
          
           3 businesses open in Old Town Plaza
           Three businesses recently opened in the Old Town Plaza commercial center at 2501 W. Colorado Ave. (under the clock tower at the southwest corner of Colorado Avenue and 25th Street in Old Colorado City).
           Colorado Peak Real Estate - Owned by Andrea Warner, who's lived on the Westside since 2006, the real estate and property management office is in unit #110.
           The office is open Monday through Friday and weekends by appointment.
           For more information, call 648-9345, e-mail andrea@coloradopeakre.com or go to coloradopeakre.com.
           Silver Sparrow Beads - Imported beads and original jewelry are made in-house. Silver Sparrow is in unit #101.
           With a total of 14 years in the retail bead business, owner Michele Underwood relocated six months ago after 9 years in Manitou Springs.
           The store is open daily.
           Silver Sparrow's imported beads come from India, Italy, the Czech Republic, Greece and China.
           Other offerings include make and take jewelry, leathers from Montana, seasonal classes and group parties.
           For more information, call 685-1226.
           Slice 420 - Seeking relief for their youngest daughter's cerebral palsy, Florida pizzeria owners Christian and Stefany Patriarca moved to Colorado in December 2016 to benefit from the state's medical marijuana legality.
           Partnering with chef Olivier Leheux, the couple run the Slice 420 restaurant in unit #108. The specialties are New York-style pizza, crepes and pastries.
           The business is open Tuesdays to Sundays.
           Medical marijuana “helps with her seizures,” Christian said of his daughter's health issue, noting that she ingests the drug through injections or as food.
           Notwithstanding the personal marijuana connection and the business name (“420” being a popular pot reference), no marijuana is infused into the food sold at Slice 420, the business website states.
           The Patriarcas worked at their Florida pizzeria for seven years.
           Leheux, who grew up in France, went to culinary school in Paris for four years and has worked locally at Marigolds, Peppertree and La Belle Vie (where he was the owner from 2006 to 2008).
           For more information, call 368-6977 or go to slice420.com.
          
           New coffee & pastry shop
           Coffee, pastries and some light breakfast/lunch options are available at a new shop at 2428 W. Colorado Ave.
           With seating for up to 20 people, Carnelian Coffee is open Tuesdays through Sundays.
           Owners Haleigh McCartan and Kate Firoved chose "Carnelian" for the name after a crystal "that represents creativity, kinship and vitality," Kate explained.
           Both have been in the coffee industry for about four years, and Haleigh owns the Public House pub and grill in Colorado Springs.
           Carnelian Coffee prioritizes “local, quality and handmade ingredients," a press release states.
           For more information, call 471-0789.
          
           Fundraising art/craft show
           Front Range Barbeque, 2330 W. Colorado Ave., will host its annual fall Art & Craft Show fundraiser Monday, Nov. 13.
           The free event will be from 5 to 8:30 p.m., featuring live music and the works of more than a dozen local artists.
           The beneficiary will be Westside CARES, a nonprofit that provides emergency help to the indigent.
           For more information, call 632-2596.

    Do you have any news about your business? Call the Westside Pioneer at 471-6776.