Category Archives: Business

Business Profile: Crumbl Cookies opens in Ventura

Zins has taken her love and passion for baking and turned it into a career.

Crumbl Cookies, a gourmet cookie store, has been serving Oxnard since 2022 and is now open in Ventura! With their iconic pink boxes and unique rotating menu, Crumbl is sure to have a flavor for everyone.

Local Crumbl franchise owner and operator Michelle Zins has taken her love and passion for baking and turned it into a career. Michelle, who is originally from Camarillo, left for Arizona to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Arizona University in 2013. After working many jobs in the hospitality field, from 5-diamond resorts to the conference and wedding industry, Michelle found that her passion lies in the restaurant business. During the pandemic, Michelle was furloughed from her job and ended up relocating back to her hometown of Ventura County. The one place she missed the most after moving back to California was Crumbl Cookies. Since there was not a Crumbl Cookies location within a 50-mile radius, Michelle knew that Crumbl was just what Ventura County needed! She is now the franchise owner of both the Oxnard and Ventura locations and has loved serving up fresh cookies to the community over the past few years.

Crumbl Cookies is a locally owned and operated gourmet cookie shop. It was founded in 2017 by two cousins. After developing a recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, they opened their first location in Logan, Utah. As Crumbl continued to grow, they expanded their menu to include new flavors. They eventually began franchising their stores and now have over 800 stores nationwide! Crumbl specializes in weekly rotating cookie flavors that vary from raspberry cheesecake and Oreo crumb cake to lemon poppy and much more! Their award-winning chocolate chip cookies are always on the menu, along with an additional 5 flavors to make sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. Planning a holiday party, baby shower or wedding? Crumbl also offers catering in both regular sized and mini cookies! We offer in-store ordering, curbside, and delivery! Order on the Crumbl app or at www.crumblcookies.com today!

Visit us!
Crumbl Ventura
1708-C S Victoria Ave
Ventura, CA 93003
805-666-2233
[email protected]

Crumbl Oxnard
365 W Esplanade Dr
Oxnard, CA 93036
805-307-0060
[email protected]

Monday-Thurday 8am-10pm
Friday & Saturday 8am-12am
Sundays closed

Iconic Downtown Restaurants Close

Three iconic downtown restaurants (all on same Main St. block) have closed. Limon Y Sal, Jimmy’s Slice (Jimmy Wright died in June) and Nature’s Grill. Jimmy’s Slice. The closing on Main to cars didn’t serve all restaurants (or other businesses) well.

Hopefully they (or new restaurants will open again soon. The owners of Limon y Sal say they’ll reopen soon.

Even though a sign at Nature’s Grill says “On vacation for the holidays,” this closing might be permanent.

The space at Jimmy’s Slice has been rented and a new restaurant could open early next year.

Limon y Sal has announced on social media it will be re-opening as early as next month.

Business Profile: Honey Baked Ham Ventura: A New Beginning with a Family Touch

Ventura, home to a beloved Honey Baked Ham store, has recently undergone a significant change. Formerly a franchise, the Ventura store is now proudly corporate-owned. Along with this shift in ownership comes a fresh and enthusiastic face at the helm: Nicole Cody. Nicole assumed the role of manager earlier this year in July 2023, bringing with her a wealth of experience in management and a deep commitment to customer service.

What sets Nicole apart is her decade-long residency in Ventura and her deep connection to Southern Californian culture. She understands the community, its tastes, and its values, which she aims to reflect in her role at the store.

Nicole was drawn to Honey Baked Ham by its unique family atmosphere and core values. The company prioritizes its employees and instills in them the mission of fostering family meals and fellowships. This genuine commitment to both customers and staff is what sets Honey Baked Ham apart.

Honey Baked Ham is no newcomer to the food scene, delighting palates across the nation since its inception in 1957. Harry J. Hoenselaar opened the first store in Detroit, Michigan, and the tradition spread far and wide.

What makes Honey Baked Ham the world’s best ham is the care and dedication that goes into every product. Their unique glaze and sandwich qualities result from using the highest quality bone-in smoked ham. The founder, Harry Hoenselaar, developed a unique curing and cooking procedure that creates a one-of-a-kind taste – a taste that can only be described as perfection.

The Ventura location is expanding its offerings, making Honey Baked Ham a year-round indulgence. Nicole Cody plans to focus on catering and lunch boxes beyond the holiday season, allowing more people to savor the exceptional taste.

Employees at Honey Baked Ham receive special perks, including a free ham or turkey breast for their holiday celebration, free lunch during each shift, and flexible schedules.

In the heart of Ventura, Honey Baked Ham remains a place for the community to gather, enjoy delicious food, and create lasting memories. With Nicole Cody’s leadership and the commitment to quality and family values, the Ventura store is set to be an even more cherished part of the local culinary landscape. Don’t miss your chance to join the team on National Hiring Day on Nov. 4th from 10 AM to 4.

www. honeybaked.com/stores/8982

Ventura Chamber ribbon cutting for St. Bonaventure High School Black Box Theatre

Photo by Michael Gordon

The Ventura Chamber held a ribbon cutting for St. Bonaventure High School Black Box Theatre.

The versatility of the Black Box Theatre gives actors, directors and designers absolute artistic freedom. With flexible seating arrangements, each production can have a customized actor-audience relationship. Combined with a full complement of theatrical lighting, sound and video technologies, this performance space offers unlimited possibilities.

Business Profile: Pierpont Racquet Club adds more pickleball courts

Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and the PRC has added three more courts to meet the growing demand.  In conjunction with the celebration of its 46th Anniversary, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held at a mixer with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce on October 5th.

The PRC’s 3 new courts now afford PRC members 8 courts to choose from, 5 of which are lit for night play.  5 of the courts are hard courts and the other 3 are all-weather courts with a surface that allows play when the other courts are wet and too slippery to enjoy safely.

The private membership Club first opened for tennis play in January 1977 and in October of that year, the Clubhouse opened. The PRC now offers 9 tennis courts and 8 pickleball courts in addition to two swimming pools and full fitness facilities.  In celebration of its 46th Anniversary the PRC is offering a 46% discount on join fees for the month of October.  Trial memberships are also available.

General Partner Spencer Garrett recalls that when the PRC first opened its door, racquetball was the fastest growing sport in the U.S.  The PRC originally had 4 courts and at one time had 6 racquetball courts.  Now the PRC offers only one court which gets limited play.  The other courts have since been converted to add additional fitness areas as well as a family game room with ping pong.

Spencer Garrett believes pickleball is here to stay and that it will keep growing.  “It’s an easy sport to get started playing and can be a very social game allowing players to make new friends”, commented Spencer.  The PRC has introductory clinics and scheduled time for open play for various levels of play.  Pickleball and tennis clinics are open to non-members as well as Club members.

Will pickleball replace tennis? Garrett doesn’t think that will ever happen.  Tennis experienced a resurgence when Covid struck as people were looking for outdoor activities.  Tennis play is still strong at the PRC and while some tennis players are gravitating to pickleball, most of those are playing both sports.

“Most anyone with basic hand eye coordination can be playing in short order and there is always someone more than happy to explain the idiosyncrasies such as the kitchen and scoring.  Come down to the PRC and experience pickleball”, added Garrett. www.pierpontrc.com.

PRC Celebrates 46 Years!

In conjunction with the commemoration of its 46th Anniversary, PRC hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony during a vibrant mixer with the Ventura Chamber of Commerce on October 5th. This event not only marked PRC’s remarkable history but also celebrated its continued commitment to fostering a vibrant community of racquet and paddle enthusiasts. As part of the club’s 46th-anniversary celebrations, PRC is extending a generous 46% discount on join fees for the entire month of October, with trial memberships also available.

PRC would like to give a special thank you to Topa Topa Brewing Co. and Salzer’s Pies & Pastries for their support in their anniversary celebration.