BUSINESS BRIEFS | June 9 - July 12, 2017

Tahoe House Bakery Turns 40

TAHOE CITY

The family-owned Tahoe House Bakery celebrates 40 years of business this month. Swiss immigrants Peter and Helen Vogt initially operated Tahoe House as a dinner restaurant. Daughters Barbara and Caroline grew up working in the restaurant and, after leaving to pursue chef training and a degree in restaurant management, respectively, returned in 1994 to rejoin the family business. In 2001 the sisters transitioned fully from a restaurant to a bakery and gourmet foods shop. The Vogt family’s third generation, Alicia and Thomas, will start working at the bakery this summer.

Mountain Hardware & Sports Receives National Award

TRUCKEE

The local employee-owned Mountain Hardware & Sports received an award at the National ESOP Association Conference in Washington, D.C., this May for excellence in marketing for companies with 250 or fewer employees. Mountain Hardware has also recently become a certified employee-owned business by an independent certification organization. One hundred percent of the company is owned by an employee stock ownership plan, which gives every employee over 21 years of age and with more than 1,000 hours of employment stock in the company.

New Creamery Opens on Donner Lake

TRUCKEE

Homemade ice cream is coming to Truckee with the opening of Little Truckee Ice Creamery, located on the west end of Donner Lake. Owned and operated by Kenny Blum, the shop will have 12 flavors at a time, all produced on-site. The ice cream contains 16 percent milk fat, but Blum plans to also have dairy-free options like sorbet and eventually a coconut base. “The beauty of making our ice cream on-site is we can do whatever we want flavor wise,” he said. Little Truckee Ice Creamery will be open by June 15 and will also be serving at Truckee Thursdays at The Dinner Bell’s booth. Info: 15628 Donner Pass Rd., (530) 587-2884, truckeeicecream.com

Woodward Tahoe to Build Lift-Served Mountain Bike Park

DONNER PASS

In partnership with Alpine Bike Parks, Woodward Tahoe will be building a new lift-served mountain bike park at Boreal Mountain Resort that will feature flow lines that incorporate natural elements, wooden features, and obstacles such as berms, wall rides, and jumps. Construction of the park is set to begin in early June with completion expected in early July. The bike park will be available during Mountain Bike Summer Camp, which begins on July 9, and will open for the public on August 18, running daily through Labor Day, and then weekends through early October. Info: woodwardtahoe.com

Sierra Nevada College Student Business Takes Top Honors

LAS VEGAS

LIMIT, a business concept created by Sierra Nevada College students, took the top prize at the tri-state finals at the 13th Annual D.W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup business plan competition in Las Vegas on May 31. Students Giulianna Crivello, Rachel Whelan, and Paul Wohlberg won first place in the undergraduate division and took home a $30,000 prize. The team, advised by Sierra Nevada College faculty member Rick Winfield, won its division in the state competition earlier this year. LIMIT is an app designed to combat screen addiction and build trust between children and parents in regards to technology use.

FiftyFifty Brewing Company Celebrates 10 Years in Truckee

TRUCKEE

Truckee’s homegrown FiftyFifty Brewing Company turns a decade old. Alicia and Andy Barr opened the brewery in 2007 and attribute their success to the support of the local community during their difficult first years. FiftyFifty began distributing beer in 2009 and now sells their Eclipse beer globally. Successful sales have enabled them to reach a primary business goal: building a production facility for local distribution.

Boatworks Mall Reopens

TAHOE CITY

After months of being closed because of damage sustained by #snowmageddon all of the shops at the Boatworks Mall have reopened and are ready for the busy summer months. Geared for Games, Jake’s on the Lake, and Tahoe Shoe & Clothing Co. were the most impacted by the Boatworks Mall flooding, having had to close for as long as four months. Info: 760 North Lake Blvd. #2, (530) 583-1488