Published September 29th, 2010
business briefs
Custom Design and Repair in Lafayette
3385 Mt. Diablo Blvd., 899-1789
When she moved to Lafayette last December, Ruby Chen decided to open a business in town in which she schooled her four children. This September, she opened Aesthetic Jewelry Design on the east end of Mt. Diablo Boulevard (passed Leslie's Pool Supply). "My professional experience has always been in the jewelry industry," explains Chen, "I am a trained gemologist; I worked for Pave Fine Jewelry Design in Oakland, designing and consulting with clients, I worked with Tiffany & Co in Walnut Creek and am still working part time in a jewelry-and-repair store in Alamo." Chen feels that her experience allows her to offer the highest quality repairs with expertise on any jewelry/watch. Right now she shares the retail space on Mt. Diablo Blvd. with The Nails Club and is there from 10 a.m. to 2:20 p.m. and by appointment later. "As a Grand Opening special, I'd like to offer one free stringing repair for seniors, and 50% off all watch battery replacement for everybody for the first six months," says Chen, who can also train interested residents in stringing and creating their own jewelry.

Bonfire Pizzeria Coming to Orinda
A new pizzeria is scheduled to open in Theater Square this fall - Bonfire Pizzeria - more details in our next issue.

Have Fun, Train Hard, then Eat!
From now on when you show your New Rheem Theatre movie ticket stub or your 24 Hour Fitness card in many Moraga restaurants, you get a 10% discount on your dinner bill. This new business partnership was initiated by the Chamber of Commerce. "Edy (Schwartz, the Chamber President) and I thought that we should find a way to entice people, who come to the movies or to train at 24 Hour Fitness in Moraga, to stay and have dinner here," says Mary Coe, Adjunct Professor at Saint Mary's College and volunteer extraordinaire for the Moraga Chamber of Commerce. Schwartz recalls a meeting between 24Hour Fitness manager Ken Helton and neighboring restaurants to talk about parking, at which Helton reportedly said, "We have so many people coming through here daily, we should think of a way to help your marketing." Coe set to work. "I met with all the restaurant owners in Moraga and most of them agreed to join in," she explains. Although the program is brand new, Roos Pal (of Terzetto Cuisine) reports that she has already had customers present the ticket stub or membership card. "This is just a good collaborative partnership," said Schwartz.

News from the three Chambers of Commerce
Lafayette
- Financial Round Table on Thursday, October 7 at 8:00 a.m. in the
Chamber Conference Room
- Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Party on Thursday, October 7 for
the new location of Douglah Design, 6:00-8:00pm at
3586 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Suite B5.
- After Hours Mixer on Wednesday, October 13, 5:30-7:00pm at
Fastframe of Lafayette, 1020 Brown Avenue. Hosted by Fastframe,
Alternatives for Animals and Creative Alterations.
- Empowerment of Women Forum on Tuesday, October 19,
5:30-7:00pm at the Lafayette Library & Learning Center Community
Hall. The event is organized by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
and Mechanics Bank and sponsored by the Lafayette Library and
Learning Center Foundation. The forum is designed to appeal to a
variety of women. It will feature a panel of local working women, both
from the profit and non-profit sectors, who will share their career
stories. The forum will offer something to both currently working
women and to those looking to get back into the workforce. For more
information contact Barbara Gilmore at the Chamber, 284-7404.
Moraga
- Moraga Business Seminar: Tuesday October 19, 6:00-8:00pm at the
Soda Center Saint Mary's College. The evening program and dinner
are sponsored by Mechanics Bank. All Moraga businesses and
Moraga Chamber of Commerce members are invited. The panel will
discuss current economic conditions in the nation and in Moraga and
will discuss options for businesses today.
Orinda
- Orinda Gala, Wine, Hors d'oeuvres, Art Exhibition & Sale on Saturday,
October 2, 4:00-7:00pm in the Orinda Library Gallery, 26 Orinda Way.
- Orinda Chamber continues its monthly "Brown Bag" Workshops: On
October 12th, 'Avoid Causing Death by PowerPoint', noon-1:00pm in
Orinda City Hall, 22 Orinda Way, Community Rooms. Scott Stiefvater
will lead an enlightening discussion on how to make PowerPoint
presentations snap. The vast majority of business presentations range
from not-so-good to deadly. Not only do audiences suffer, but so do
presenters' careers. Join the Orinda Chamber for this one-hour
mini-seminar and learn how PowerPoint has contributed to a
widespread culture of poor presentation practices. More importantly,
gain a new understanding of presentation development and slide design
along with a variety of practical tips and insights.

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Copyright Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA