The Business Bulletin: Second course

By: North County Times - | Saturday, October 20, 2007 1:15 PM PDT ∞

WINE COUNTRY ---- Mindy Smith has been hired as food and beverage director for Wilson Creek Winery. Smith arrives at the winery with more than four years' experience in a similar position with Ponte Family Estate Winery and nine years of other experience in the hospitality industry.

Seeing green in pools

MURRIETA ---- Consolidated Residential Property Service, a management firm specializing in bank-owned homes, opened for business recently. The company arranges maintenance, cleaning, lawn and landscaping services. The company can be contacted at (951) 461-1354 or at 29603 Serenity Lane.

Surf and turf

TEMECULA ---- Franco Vessia, an Orange County restaurateur, opened Frankie's Steak and Seafood last month near the southeast corner of Ynez Road and Overland Drive. Dishes include shrimp au gratin and venison with fig and port sauce. For information, call (951) 676-8040.

e-business

TEMECULA ---- eLocal Listing, an Internet marketing company, set up shop this month at 28765 Single Oak Drive, Suite 250. The company helps other companies improve their placement on search engines such as Yahoo! and Google.

For more information, call (800) 285-0484.

Q in CA

TEMECULA ---- Resident Louis Hauge is signing on as a franchise developer with Virginia Barbeque restaurants. Hauge's deal allows him to develop or sell as many as 12 franchise locations in western Riverside County. In addition to the California locations, the Fredericksburg, Va.-based company is developing barbecue restaurants in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Warming up

TEMECULA ---- Bart and Velma Bandy expect to open a franchise of the Melting Pot, a nationwide fondue restaurant chain, at 39738 Winchester Road by the end of the year. The 6,000-square-foot restaurant is under construction. The restaurant will serve entrees including steak, lobster, chicken and duck.

Take that, Barbie

TEMECULA ---- Inspire U., a company founded by local resident Kristi Necochea, is launching a new set of dolls for girls ages 5 to 10 this month.

Known as the "Friends Forever Girls," the dolls are designed to embody values and success without reinforcing narrow stereotypes. The line is expected to include six dolls, including the three being launched this month and another three early next year.

Sharecropping

TEMECULA ---- The new Henry's Farmers Market at Winchester and Nichols roads will donate 5 percent of its pretax sales on Monday to Southwest YMCA's youth sports programs. The organization serves Southwest County.

Representatives from Southwest YMCA will be at the store from 4 to 7 p.m. to discuss the upcoming flag-football season.

Entrepreneurs

RIVERSIDE ---- The entrepreneurship program at UC Riverside's business school was ranked 23rd in the nation by Entrepreneur Magazine and The Princeton Review. The survey included 900 graduate and undergraduate programs. The full list appears in the Oct. 23 issue of Entrepreneur magazine.

The university's A. Gary Anderson School of Management, established in 1970 and renamed in 1994, has an MBA enrollment of 125 students. It employs 23 full-time and 22 part-time faculty.

Free advice

MURRIETA ---- Linda Leciejewski, a Sun City-based financial adviser with Edward Jones Investments, is offering a free seminar at 6 p.m. Thursday on saving and planning for retirement. The seminar will be held at Richie's Real American Diner, 40651 Murrieta Hot Springs Road.

Got an item for the Business Bulletin? Contact staff writer Chris Bagley at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2615, or cbagley@californian.com.