Updates

Today we finished painting and setting up the furniture in Eldorado Computer Works. It looks great but we are teasing Steve that it will only last a few weeks. If you have ever visited the Santa Fe store, you'll know what I'm talking about. Steve's Computer Works stores are conundrums where the most amazing chaos delivers absolutely the best service.

There are some classes coming up at Suite 101 that are pretty cool. Please check out the calendar section for details about the classes (click on the event and the details will appear).

• December 5, Dynamic Posture is offering a therapeutic workshop at 9:00 am
• December 10, Dolterra Essential Oils will be giving a free seminar at 6:30 pm.
• December 15 and 17, Busi-Digi is offering a movie maker workshop at 4:30 pm
• December 19, Busi-Digi is offering a workshop on how to use your computer to make great gifts.

Also, we wanted to let you know that Esperanza Shelter will have a table at our grand opening on December 12. They have a holiday wish list they want to share. Please check out the following list and bring what you can to the grand opening. Contributions make a huge difference in the lives of the women and children they help.

Esperanza Shelter Wish List

CHILD REQUESTS:
Small Plushy Blankets
Stuffed Animals (New)
Board Games
Remote Control Cars
Painting Sets
Paper for Painting
Brushes for Painting
Dolls
Toy Trains
Kites
DVD Kids Movies
DVD Player
Walkie Talkies
Bean Bag Chairs
Nerf football

ADULT REQUESTS:
Towels
Blankets
Pillows
Cups, Plates, Silverware
Make-up (New)
Hats, Gloves, Scarves
Body Lotion, Other Beauty Products
Vacuum
Blender
DVD Non-Violent Movies
Shelter Requests:
Diapers
Cleaning Supplies
Laundry Soap
Kitchen & Bathroom Supplies

There will be a drop off location at the La Tienda after the grand opening in case you can't make it on the 12th, but we hope to see you then.

business profile #6

Business: Eldorado Computer Works

Location: Building B

Owner: Steve

(Q) Tell me about your business (dreams, vision, experience, etc.)
(A)Eldorado Computer Works is an extension of my business Santa Fe Computer Works. I have been in business in Santa Fe for over 18 years. Specializing in sales and repair of PC’s, we offer both new and used equipment at affordable prices.

My model is simple. Supply better, more durable equipment then you find at the big box stores and combine that with the best service. I have great employees and great customers. We take care of our customers and they take care of us. It is simple but it works. I am proud that my business has won “Best of Santa Fe” for several years in a row.

(Q) Why did you choose to open a business in Eldorado
(A)Eldorado is a great community full of wonderful people. It is under served in so many areas and my business will provide one of those needed services and create jobs right here. Many people in Eldorado drive their computers to my shop in Santa Fe. Having a local tech shop is what I love to do.

I am “La Tienda”, the shop. Just like all the other great shops opening up here. No national franchises, no huge businesses, just local people from the community, serving the community.

(Q) How do anticipate interacting with the community?
(A) Talk and help people. That’s what I do. As a business Eldorado Computer Works will provide sales of new and used computers, also walk in and on site repair services.

Being a part of the community is why I am opening this business. I have several community outreach programs including 100% recycling for old computers and monitors, classes, and non-profit support. In addition, Eldorado Computer Works is part of the effort to provide free wireless service throughout La Tienda.

(Q) Is La Tienda's vision of community service important to you and why?
(A) Absolutely. As one of the owners of La Tienda, I helped create the vision. Josh, Destiny, and I love community, love being connected to community. Buying the center and creating something so new and fresh is a dream come true. If this was just a strip mall I would have no interest in owning it or starting a new business in it.

La Tienda has not even opened and I have already met so many wonderful new people and connected back with people from my past. The constant encouragement I have been getting from people in the community tells me we are doing something right here, something important.

(Q) What makes your business unique?
(A)I care. I am not a big box store. I provide the absolute best service and products I can and the community sustains me. I have always felt blessed over the years to have the support of the community and to be able to service the community.

(Q). How long have you lived in Eldorado, or what is your connection to the Eldorado community?
(A)Though I currently live in Sunlit Hills, I lived in Eldorado for about 15 years and still have family there. My kids have all gone to school in Eldorado. I have run the fun run, garage saled, eaten the ice cream, ridden the bike paths, hiked the trails, played at the parks, and swam in the pool. I love Eldorado.

Wow. Where to start.... Some days I feel like I'm spinning so fast I can't see straight. We're in the final throws and there is still so much to do. Still, every minute there is progress. Gene has his painting almost done in his new sandwich shop. The duct work for 4 Sisters Consignment gallery is almost done. La Plancha is ordering equipment and knocking down unnecessary walls. The stage, sound proofing and part of the recording booth are under construction at Mike's Music Exchange. Home Planet is ordering wines. The painting is finished (wait until you see it, its gorgeous) and they expect to be finished with the remodel sometime next week. The wall dividing The Art Garden and Eldorado Computer Works is just about done. Beyond Borders Books is taking daily donations, the shelves are in, and the painting starts tomorrow. Everywhere is debris, dust, stacked furniture and I have to keep reminding myself that order comes from chaos.

We finally have permission to reveal that Santa Fe Brewing Company will be opening a tap house. The official name is Santa Fe Brewing Company Tap House. Okay, so I gave it away in the preceding sentence, but we are still thrilled to be able to share this news with you.

The Grand Opening schedule of events is filling out and we hope you keep checking our event page on the web site so you can plan your day accordingly. It seems that more gets added every day.

We'll keep you posted as we move along. More new business profiles will be coming soon. Don't forget to mark your calendars for December 12. Its going to be a memorable day.

La Tienda News -- Business Profile #5

Business: Gene's Sandwich Shop
Location: Building A
Owner: Gene

(Q) Tell me about your business (experience, dream, vision, etc.)?

(A) I have always been involved with the food industry. It supported me through college, raising a family of four and eventually enabled me to open my first restaurant in Eldorado. Food has always been an inspiration, a comforter, an educator and a great means by which I met, interacted and developed great, long lasting relationships and acquaintances with a variety of people with different and similar cultures and ideas. One of my dreams has been accomplished by opening my first restaurant. There are still many more floating around but what is really exciting is my concept that the strength of vision creates and supports the births of dreams which then allows us to help, support, and encourage our brothers and sisters whom we refer to as community.

(Q) Why did you choose to open your business in Eldorado?

(A) I have had a business in Eldorado for 1 1/2 years and have truly developed this love and joy for the people.I have not always felt this secure--after I accepted the business offer in Eldorado I immediately had questions of "what am I doing?"-It's sooo far out there,will there be enough support?.Am I crazy? The result is that Eldorado chose me and I have only found encouragement, support, eagerness and love from such a diverse and willing community.

(Q) How do anticipate interacting with the community?

(A) I will and have supported the community by sponsoring events, donating cash and gift certificates,and supporting the school by purchasing ads through their programs. Advertising in the Eldorado Studio Tour pamphlets and being involved with community events. With the new business in La Tienda, I will continue this support with a bit more intensity and will become involved in more events and programs as they develop and require more attention.

(Q) Is La Tienda's vision of community service important to you and why?

(A) La Tienda's vision for the community is the best fertilizer for children, teenagers, and adults alike. La Tienda will be developing, strengthening, and supporting the infra-structure of Eldorado and the surrounding communities which creates the "full circle cycle." We support the community and the community supports La Tienda. We assist the community and in turn we will get assisted. We support the leaders and in turn we will become leaders. It's a beautiful win win situation.

(Q) What makes your business unique?

(A) The uniqueness of the sandwich shop will be it's affordability, flavors, and a BIG-O-SMILE !!My hope is to create a fun, social, comfortable place to eat and hang out or you can just eat it and beat it !

(Q) How long have you lived in Eldorado or what is your connection to the Eldorado community?

(A) I do not live in Eldorado and truly enjoy the drive in from Santa Fe but that is not to say that if the opportunity presents itself, I wouldn't refuse. Now that I think about it, I think that I can possibly say that I live in Eldorado due to the fact the I spend 12 to 16 hours here a day!

(Q) Any other thoughts or comments?

(A) THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Steve, Destiny, Josh and all the people and circumstance along the way that have brought the three of you to Eldorado and into my life.My soul and spirit have risen and my stomach is smiling!?!?!?

La Tienda News -- Business Profile #4

Business: Home Planet Cafe
Location: Buiding AA
Owners: Steve and Vicki

(Q) Tell me about your business (experience, dream, vision, etc.)?

(A) Home Planet Café is a casual, earth-friendly restaurant --"comfort food with a global spin”. It will be a robust operation serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and a soon-to-be-legendary Sunday brunch. The food will be all about comfort, abundance & that sense of satisfaction that comes from eating a meal prepared with love. Our menus will lean toward American country cooking, but also offer dishes from other parts of the world that are considered 'home' cooking in that culture--so there might be a Moroccan Stew right next to the Green Chile Stew. Our goal is to serve comfort food in its many forms, always giving that concept a slight spin while celebrating nature's bounty with wholesome, fresh food--using local sources as much as possible.

(Q) Why did you choose to open a business in Eldorado?

(A) We have lived in Eldorado for 5 years and believe that Eldorado needs more dining choices. We are looking forward to running into our friends and neighbors. The physical plant, layout and location of the restaurant space are all excellent and we are excited to be able to offer the Eldorado community a new, quality choice for great food.

(Q) How do you anticipate interacting with the community?

(A) Food, drink and a comfortable place to meet and interact are cornerstones of any community and we provide those things as our stock in trade. We are also hiring, as much as possible, from within Eldorado. The chef will be taking on three formal apprentices chosen from among teenagers living in the immediate community, and we have planned cooking classes and wine tastings for the New Year. We welcome community input and will accommodate needs and desires to the best of our ability.

(Q) Is La Tienda's vision of community service important to you and why?

(A) Part of my incentive to get back into the restaurant business was meeting La Tienda’s new owners and discovering that we had a similar vision for Eldorado and La Tienda. We had identified similar community needs to be met, and we shared the understanding that committing to the community is risky, but also hugely rewarding.

(Q) What makes your business unique?

(A) Home Planet Café is the culmination of Steve Cooper’s 33 year long career as a chef and restaurateur, and of Vicki Teague-Cooper’s career as an artist, designer and former pastry chef. In this operation we will use the recipes, techniques, psychological resilience and secrets of management that we have painfully discovered over the years; we will use all our savvy and moxie to deliver an experience that will not only be truly unique, but will also be tasty and lovely to behold.

La Tienda News Business Profile #3

Mike's Music Exchange

Location: Building AA
Owner: Mike

(Q) Tell me about your business (experience, dream, vision, etc.)?

(A) Mike's Music Exchange has the mission of connecting local artists to the community, and the community to local artists. Eldorado is teeming with great talent, but does not have a well designed place where people can connect through performances and events to share that talent. This is the purpose for the exchange. Mike's Music Exchange combines a performance space, a cost effective recording studio, a musical instrument store, and a one-on-one teacher student instructional space to attempt to enhance and enrich musical connections within the community.

(Q) Why did you choose to open a business in Eldorado?

(A) Aside from Eldorado being my home and place of work for the last 8 years, it also allows me to direct my energies toward something that is good for our community, and something I believe the community really needs. When I discovered La Tienda's community based business vision, I knew the time, the place, and the vision was right for starting this kind of business.

(Q) How do you anticipate interacting with the community?

(A) Community involvement is critical to the success of the exchange. Aside from simply renting out a performance space and providing a music store and recording studio, the exchange will promote local musicians and their music through a variety of means. For example, the exchange will promote lists of bands and musicians for hire, but it will also allow musicians that would otherwise not get a chance to interact with each other to have a place to meet, play, and share ideas. It is my hope that home grown musicians will be able to record and promote their music right here in the community from which it is born. In addition, the venue provides for community involvement through events that would otherwise not have a comfortable venue, such as community theatre productions, art showings, and the like.

(Q) Is La Tienda's vision of community service important to you and why?

(A) Simply stated, La Tienda's vision will transform an otherwise standard commercial office complex into a gathering place for the community; a place where people will want to be. Eldorado stands alone not only geographically but also culturally from Santa Fe, and La Tienda will give the community something it really needs - community interaction.

(Q) What makes your business unique?

(A) Mike's Music Exchange is a synergy of multiple businesses that work together. Although you can find a performance space, an instrument store, a recording studio, and instructional space in town, you will not find them near each other, and they wont be able to provide these services in conjunction with each other. By placing all these services in one convenient location musicians and music lovers will have a home for their music and a musical outlet in which to express it. And even better, its just right down the street from where we live.

(Q) How long have you lived in Eldorado or what is your connection to the Eldorado Community?

(A) My wife Lisa and myself (both born and raised in Iowa) arrived in Eldorado in 2001 from Dallas, Texas with our then 2 year old daughter Jessica after searching for years to find a way to live and work here; we, like many others, found the natural wonders and great climate irresistible. Two years later, our New Mexico born son Ben arrived. We live just two blocks from the Eldorado Community School where we are active in helping out the school through various clubs and organizations. Since arriving here we've found many great friends and a connection to the community that makes us proud to call Eldorado our home.

(Q) Any other thoughts, comments?

(A) I would like to personally congratulate and thank the owners and visionaries at La Tienda for giving Eldorado a unique gift; in time our community will come to appreciate how a dead office complex can be transformed into a living community center through heartfelt effort and a driving commitment to community involvement.

Business Profile # 2: The Art Garden

Yesterday, we introduced you to SpinDoc and its new owners, Kirk and Chandler. Today, we are introducing The Art Garden. Here are the Q & A's:

Business Name: The Art Garden
Location: Building B
Owners: Jessica and Mark

Q) Tell me about your business (experience, past businesses, dream, > vision, etc.)

A) Mark and I have many years of experience in the gallery business, both in Santa Fe and previously in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although both places offered fun and adventure, we enjoyed the California location more because our gallery was located in a small, somewhat isolated village on the coast just below San Francisco (pop. 2500), and we were very much a part of that community. Although it drew tourists because it was right on the coast highway, the gallery was primarily a place where local residents could hang out, and shop for handmade, fine crafts and artwork. We had soft music, fountains, good coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, and soon became the favorite place to stop and shop for the locals.When we moved to Santa Fe (to exchange our constant fog for lots of sunshine), we found that running galleries for tourists lacked that special feeling of getting to know your customers, so we took a hiatus from the gallery business.

(Q) Why did you choose to open a business in Eldorado?

(A) When we heard that La Tienda was in the hands of some lively and talented people with such a strong sense of community, it re-awakened our desire to be a conduit for creativity in a small community context.

(Q) How do you anticipate interacting with the community?

(A) We want The Art Garden to be the place you go when you need a special, meaningful, handmade gift for any occasion, when you just need to spend a little soothing, relaxing time being inspired in our indoor "garden" space - while sipping a mug of tea or coffee maybe, or when you feel like exploring your own creativity by sitting and making some greeting cards, or taking a mini workshop.

(Q) Is La Tienda's vision of community service important to you and why?

(A) Yes, because in this high-tech world, we need community, and community is all about the balance of giving and receiving. Our special soft spot is for animals, and we have several ideas of how we might benefit local sanctuaries, shelters, and rescue organizations through special projects and products, and events.

(Q) What makes your business unique?

(A) Me. I make our business unique. Creating the new and different has been a life-long passion. Nothing interests me more than new ideas.I am an artist myself - working in many media. My galleries and my websites (Cre8it.com and WisdomWoman.com) are artworks to me, and I make them into the most unusual, creative spaces they can possibly be - and then change things around a lot to keep them fresh and interesting. You can be sure that even if you visit The Art Garden every week, there will be new and interesting things to see and do.

(Q) How long have you lived in Eldorado or what is your connection to the Eldorado Community?

(A) We have lived in and loved Eldorado since 1996.

(Q) Any other thoughts and comments?

(A) We are very excited about the company in which we find ourselves as a part of the La Tienda project. The energy is amazing and stimulating. Our community *needs* this and will be such a better place because of it.