Published November 26th, 2008
business briefs
By Sophie Braccini
If you have a business brief to share, please contact Sophie Braccini at sophie@lamorindaweekly.com or call our office at 925-377-0977.

Who Can Resist Comfort Food?, Knoxx, New Restaurant Opens in Downtown Lafayette
3576 Mt Diablo Blvd, Lafayette (formerly Per Tutti), www.theknoxx.com ( website coming soon) - 284-5225
Knoxx Restaurant and Bar is opening in downtown Lafayette specializing in Italian comfort food with a menu offering homemade pastas and other delicious dishes. The full bar also features wines from Italy, California and from around the world. Specialty cocktails will also be served along with daily happy hour specials. Wine tasting will be a familiar feature in this restaurant. This is a great destination restaurant for parties, groups and holiday events. On December 4th the Ribbon Cutting ceremony will start at 4 p.m. Knoxx will be open for lunch and dinner 11am to 11pm for their Grand Opening on December 6th.

ECOLunchBox: A Lafayette Mom Launches New Business, www.ecolunchboxes.com
Sandra Ann Harris has developed a 100% machine washable lunch bag with matching napkins that is an alternative to the vinyl, plastic and other less-environmental options currently used by most children and adults. The fabrics are all hand block printed in India. She is also selling a stainless steel food box for people who want to get away from BPA and leaking plastics. "My kids were in preschool when I started the daily battle of the lunch," says the Lafayette mom, "What to pack? (Answer: healthy stuff they'll eat!) How to pack it? (Answer: containers they can open & close and that don't fill up the garbage can!)." Harris says that she yearned to avoid the throwaway plastic baggies, the plastic Tupperware food containers and the plastic/vinyl lunchboxes sold at the big-box retailers that are so ubiquitous. But as she searched high and low in sporting stores, big-box retailers and online, she was unable to put together a kit that met her needs. "What I've come up with is a back-to-the-basics solution," she explains, "The kit starts with a 100% cotton, machine washable bag with matching cloth napkins. Inside the bag, which can be converted from shoulder bag, to sling bag to backpack, are reusable bamboo utensils, and a two-level stainless steel ECOunchbox sized to fit a sandwich." What did she leave out? Plastics. Disposables. Vinyl. PVC. Lead. And, of course, the lunch, that part is up to parents. Diablo Foods and Queen Bee in Lafayette carry the ECOlunchbags and ECOlunchboxes.

Pinkies Nail Salon Celebrates 5th, 3333 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, 299-1229
On Thursday 11/21/08 at 4:30pm Pinkies Nail Salon celebrated their 5th anniversary by organizing a ribbon cutting ceremony. They currently have six locations; the Lafayette store is one of their top producers.

House Calls? Daman-Nelson Travel offers free travel consulting in your home,
1061 Laurel Dr, Lafayette debra@skirun.com - 299-7020
Debra Abdelfattah, a Leisure Travel Specialist with Daman-Nelson Travel, Inc. in Lafayette, will come to your home or office to help you plan your vacation or business trip. From a quick getaway to an extended vacation, or a business trip of any length, there will be no service charge for the convenience of your own "mobile" travel consultant.

Lafayette Chamber of Commerce
 Holiday Mixer on Wednesday December 10. Westamerica Bank and Lafayette Pet Shoppe are hosting the
2008 Holiday Mixer. The party will go from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 3515 Mt. Diablo Blvd. There will be
a raffle and businesses that provide prizes will be recognized. A collection of canned non-perishable goods
is being organized, bring cans to help a needy family. Cost is $10 per person.
 Green Committee on Wednesday December 17th at 12 noon. Bring your lunch and meet in the Chamber
conference room.
 Entrepreneur's Club will be held on Thursday December 18th at 8:30 a.m. in the Chamber Conference room.
 Holiday Art Walk co-sponsored with the Lamorinda Arts Alliance and Lamorinda Weekly,
December 6th (see insert).
 Try Lafayette First campaign launch with March of the Merchants on December 1st at 3pm (see article).
Moraga Chamber of Commerce
 Season Of Light Celebration December 6th 11:00 a.m.
to 2:00 p.m. The Chamber is inviting families to
come to the Moraga and Rheem Shopping Centers on
Saturday, December 6th from 11:00 to 2:00 to start their
holiday shopping and enjoy entertainment, music and
activities. See Holiday Activities page 8.
 Chamber Holiday Mixer December 9th 7 p.m. at Aegis.
This year again, Aegis is happy to invite Chamber
members to come and celebrate the Holidays Season.
The Chamber would like to contribute to the Toys for
Tots campaign and ask that members of the Chamber
bring a new, unwrapped toy that will be dropped in the
Fire Department's collection box.
 On November 19th, Moraga Chamber of Commerce
President Edy Schwartz presented Andy Scheck,
Publisher of Lamorinda Weekly with the
"Business Person of the Year" award for 2008.
Orinda Chamber of Commerce
 The Hospice Tree Lighting will take place on Saturday December 6th at 4:30 p.m. Meet on the Bank of
America parking lot.
 Chamber Christmas invites its members to a festive Holidays Mixer on Thursday, December 11, 2008 from
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Mechanics Bank, 77 Moraga Way. The Chamber does not require reservations to attend a mixer, but if it is possible please help get an accurate head-count by calling or e-mailing info@orindachamber.org. There is no charge for the mixers.

Wendy and Andy Scheck, Edy Schwartz Photo Karen Mendonca


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