Biz News: Holstein’s cow statue, beers, shakes, burgers to replace Charlie Palmer
The South Coast Plaza space formerly occupied by the elegant Charlie Palmer restaurant, which closed this year, will be getting a very different look with the arrival next month of Holstein’s Orange County, a variation on Holstein’s Shakes & Buns of Las Vegas.
The new place will have a life-size cow statue — blue instead of pink, as it is in Vegas — 400 craft beers and milkshakes containing liquor.
The 40-foot dark walnut bar is now 20 feet longer, with 16 beer taps.
Holstein’s Costa Mesa location will offer burgers, steaks, seafood and pasta.
Ruby’s special will celebrate namesake’s 93rd birthday
Ruby’s Diner, headquartered in Irvine, will commemorate the 93rd birthday of its namesake, Ruby Cavanaugh, on Monday by offering its RubyBurger and fries for $1.93.
The offer will be available from 11 a.m. till closing at all Ruby’s locations except Los Angeles International Airport and the Shake Shack along Coast Highway in Newport Beach.
“My mom is an amazing mother,” Doug Cavanaugh, Ruby’s founder and president, said in a statement. “This restaurant is a reflection of her and her wonderful spirit. I cherish being able to celebrate her every year in the restaurant that she inspired.”
Irvine to be home to energy storage system
SunEdison, a renewable-energy development company, and microgrid specialist Advanced Microgrid Solutions signed an agreement this month to deploy 50-megawatt energy storage systems in California. A megawatt is a unit of power equal to 1 million watts.
The first fleet of energy storage systems is expected to start commercial operation next year in Irvine.
The two companies will develop and finance the systems for utility Southern California Edison, which will buy capacity under a 10-year contract and use the stored power to help offset energy once generated by nuclear and gas-fired facilities.
Storage systems will be built on commercial and industrial sites across the west Los Angeles Basin. SCE is planning to add 2.2 gigawatts of cleaner resources, including energy storage and renewables, by 2022. A gigawatt is equal to 1 billion watts.
UCI heart disease expert to speak at cardiology conference
Local professor Nathan Wong is scheduled to deliver the ninth H.J.C. Swan Memorial Lecture at the opening ceremony of the International Academy of Cardiology’s annual Scientific Sessions at the 20th World Congress on Heart Disease, to be held Saturday through Monday in Vancouver, Canada.
The presentation by Wong, professor and director of the heart disease prevention program in the cardiology division at UC Irvine, will focus on cardiovascular disease risk assessment, cholesterol management, lifestyle and obesity and will highlight recent research findings.
Newport swimwear brand to exhibit at trade show
Olà Sol Swimwear, based in Newport Beach, will exhibit at the Swim Collective trade show in Huntington Beach on Aug. 13 and 14.
Other brands in the show, being held at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, will include Costa Mesa-based Hurley.
Olà Sol Swimwear was founded by a mother-daughter team in Newport. The daughter, Megan McAuley, graduated from Newport Harbor High School.
Figge Photography celebrates 70 years
Figge Photography, founded in Glendale in 1945 and located in Newport Beach since 1976, is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
“We are thrilled to be celebrating 70 years of Figge Photography this fall,” said Leslie Figge, co-owner of the business and daughter of founders Bill and Melba Figge. “It’s been an incredible journey thus far, and we could not have reached this milestone without our wonderful clients and our parents’ guidance and support.”
Until the anniversary date in October, Figge Photography is offering special events and promotions. In August and September, family photo sessions will be discounted. A celebration event is planned for October.
La Vida Cantina celebrates first anniversary
La Vida Cantina in Costa Mesa is celebrating its first anniversary.
The restaurant is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 4 to 11 p.m. Tuesdays, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays at The Triangle, 1870 Harbor Blvd.
Children 12 and younger eat free on Mondays with a paying adult.
Martian Watches a finalist for tech award
Martian Watches, an Irvine-based developer of analog smartwatches, has been named a finalist for the second year in a row in the mobile and wearable category of the Orange County Technology Alliance’s annual High-Tech Innovation Awards for its Martian Voice Command line.
Award winners will be announced at a dinner Oct. 8 at the Westin South Coast Plaza hotel in Costa Mesa.
Irvine software firm acquires Phoenix theft-recovery device maker
Irvine-based software maker Spireon has acquired Inilex Inc., a Phoenix-based tech firm that provides the GPS-connected theft-recovery device Skylink.
The acquisition expands Spireon’s GPS theft-recovery portfolio, which now includes new-car dealers. It already had used-car dealers, fleets, lenders, insurance companies and rental car fleets, according to Shawn Hansen, Spireon’s chief marketing officer.
Alliant acquires agribusiness-focused insurance agency
Newport Beach-based Alliant Insurance Services, the nation’s largest specialty insurance brokerage, has acquired Lodi-based Todd Garibaldi Insurance Agency Inc., continuing Alliant’s growth plan and focus on specialty industries such as agribusiness, construction, energy and employee benefits.
Garibaldi is the second agribusiness-focused agency that Alliant has acquired this year. Alliant now has 10 offices in California dedicated to farmers and growers.
Irvine pharmacy lab gets more space
Irvine-based Praxsyn Corp. has finalized a lease on a new building for its pharmacy lab and billing services.
The new 1,800-square-foot space in Irvine’s Sky Park Circle, across from the Praxsyn corporate office, will enable Praxsyn’s wholly owned subsidiary Mesa Pharmacy to increase the size of its lab. The expansion also will provide additional space for another subsidiary, NexGen Med Solutions, a billing and collections company.
Irvine firm completes renovation of San Bernardino hotel
Irvine-based DKN Hotels, a hotel management, development and ownership company, announced the completion of a $10-million renovation of the 251-room Hotel San Bernardino and its reopening as a DoubleTree by Hilton. The renovation includes updated guest rooms, meeting spaces and public areas.