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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Entrepreneur Scores Birdie With Old Snack Bar

Growing up in Tujunga, Tiffany Casper worked at the snack bar at nearby Verdugo Hills Golf Course, dispensing nachos, drinks and frozen burgers. Today, Casper not only owns the business, but has turned it into Tee’s on the Green, one of the neighborhood’s hot craft beer joints, complete with a gourmet burger. After high school, Casper went on to the University of San Diego and figured her days behind the counter were over. But when she graduated in 2008 with a degree in business management and was trying to figure out what to do, she got a call from her mom letting her know the place was up for sale. So she took a chance, maxing out credit cards and dipping into savings to buy and fix up the place. She figures she has spent $100,000 to date. “I had always dreamed of what I could do with it if I could get my hands on the place, so I jumped on the opportunity,” said Casper, 31. “Back in the day, it was just a small place set up for golfers and there was not a lot of care that went into the place and I wanted to change that.” Her vision was to make it more of a hangout, so she made simple adjustments like adding chairs outside on the patio that overlook the golf course. She also added more craft brews on tap. And then there was the creation of the business’ signature entree: burgers. The meat is fresh, Angus beef, hand pressed and cooked to order. Customers of the 6433 La Tuna Canyon Road restaurant can enjoy a burger and beer for around $10. One special item is the Hangover Burger, flavored with ingredients from a Bloody Mary. “For me, I love food, I love to cook. I grew up in a family who loved to cook so I was spoiled with good food,” Casper said. “But when I went out to restaurants, I was always disappointed because I couldn’t find the perfect burger. Our main burger and the very first one we made has a secret sauce that is my mom’s recipe.” Casper, to minimize costs, ran the entire restaurant herself for a year and was able to turn a profit. She was doing everything from cooking the burgers to running around taking orders. “It was tough. I wouldn’t recommend it,” she said. Casper’s mom had a full-time job at the time, but she would help out when she could before later joining full time. Tee’s on the Green now has a staff of nine women and remains profitable, Casper said. “This whole experience has been very rewarding to me,” she said. “Hearing customers tell me, ‘This is the best burger I’ve ever had’ makes it worth it to me.” Casper is part of the growing trend of female entrepreneurs. This past month, American Express Company released a report on the growth of female-owned businesses. In California, growth is up by nearly 60 percent since 1997, with an estimated 1.1 million women-owned firms now operating in the state. Up and Coming You will never confuse it with The Grove, Rick Caruso’s prototypical outdoor mall in the Fairfax District, but a new look is coming for the Northridge Grove Shopping Center. Owner ETC Real Estate Services Inc. of West Hollywood has hired L.A. property developer and manager Shooshani Developers LLC to complete a $1 million makeover of the center. The project, which broke ground this month, includes a new logo and signage, exterior paint, enhanced outdoor lighting and an updated landscape design to reduce water consumption. It is being renamed the Grove Northridge. The 150,000-square-foot shopping center at Tampa Avenue and Nordhoff Street has 30 tenants, including Big Lots, Pier 1 Imports, David’s Bridal, Dollar Tree and a Bank of America branch. “We have taken into consideration the aesthetics of the neighborhood and the needs of our community in the design process and overall upgrade of the various elements,” said Tony Shooshani, president of ETC, in a statement. ETC also manages City Place Long Beach, Centerpoint Mall Oxnard, Venice Crossroads Los Angeles and Hollywood Promenade Hollywood for Shooshani. The renovations are expected to be complete by December. Staff Reporter Stephanie Forshee can be reached at (818) 316-3121 or [email protected].

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