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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Simi Valley Seeks Business Travelers and Brides

Tourists clad in business suits and bridal gowns may soon descend into Simi Valley thanks to a new marketing effort by the Simi Valley Chamber Tourism Alliance. The hospitality association is betting on fresh branding and a digital makeover to pique interest of travelers. “The goal of the campaign is to introduce our city to new audiences,” Executive Director Caroline Gibson explained. “We want to encourage people to take a detour off the 101 and see what we’re all about.” The drive promotes the slogan “Stay in Simi,” which replaces the previous “Visit Simi Valley,” and includes a green hummingbird in its updated logo. At the heart of the rebrand is the alliance’s website VisitSimiValley.com, designed to give the region a competitive edge in the booming online tourism industry. Among the site’s features are event planning guides and a tool to build a trip itinerary, which the alliance hopes will appeal to the busy corporate travelers who account for the bulk of Simi visitors. “We are trying to make it very easy to do business travel in Simi Valley, from (online) booking to having a single point of contact once you get here,” Gibson explained. “The itinerary builder lets you send your itinerary to yourself so you know exactly what to do when you come out.” The makeover also involves a streamlined marketing strategy aimed at a short list of target groups. At the top of the roster are brides-to-be, which the alliance hopes to attract with the area’s Instagram-worthy scenery. A number of historic Simi Valley ranches, such as Quail Ranch at 136 Tierra Rejada Road, have been remodeled as sites for weddings. Brides are encouraged to engage with the region on social media using the hashtag “#IDoSimi.” “Our wedding venues are some of the most spectacular in California, so we’re really going to promote weddings,” Gibson said. “The wedding planning guide lets you see all the venues in and around Simi.” Most exciting for Gibson is the website’s blog, where visitors can score 10 percent off area hotels using discount codes. Fresh Cheesecake Cheesecake Factory Inc. saw significant developments in November, with the launch of a Cheesecake Factory location in Valencia, investments in two up-and-coming restaurant concepts and the opening of another Grand Lux Cafe. The Calabasas dining group, which operates nearly 200 eateries under its Cheesecake Factory, Grand Lux Cafe and RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen brands, expanded into the Santa Clarita Valley with a new Cheesecake restaurant on Nov. 8. The outpost is located in the Westfield Valencia Town Center at 24250 Town Center Drive. Cheesecake announced on Nov. 14 that it had entered a strategic relationship with Fox Restaurant Concepts, based in Phoenix, through initial minority investments into the group’s Flower Child and North Italia restaurants. Flower Child offers an all-natural, health-conscious menu at its five locations, while North Italia’s nine outposts tout a casual approach to Italian fare. The company’s non-cheesecake sector expanded again on Nov. 16 with an Austin debut of the Grand Lux Cafe. The outpost is No. 13 under the Grand Lux brand, which features an “internationally-inspired” menu and an in-house bakery. It is stationed at 11506 Century Oaks Terrace. Pie Hole Save room for dessert, Glendale? After months of healthy restaurant debuts, residents finally have some sugar to snack on with the launch of two sweets shops at Caruso Affiliated Holdings’ Americana at Brand. Los Angeles-based Pie Hole held a soft opening in early December at its standalone hut in the shopping center. The pie purveyor offers a seasonal selection of sweet and savory gourmet pastries in the form of traditional slices or “hand pies.” Popular fillings include apple crumble, Philly cheesesteak, Mexican chocolate and mac ‘n cheese. The café also boasts its own line of organic coffee, available to purchase by the mug or by the bag. Joining Pie Hole at the Americana is Sugarfina, a make-your-own-mix gourmet candy store that bills itself as “a candy boutique for adults.” Following a brief sabbatical earlier this year, the two-year-old Glendale location celebrated its grand “new opening” on Dec. 8 with flowing champagne, a “chocolate bar” and a visit from founders Rosie O’Neill and Josh Resnick. Staff Reporter Helen Floersh can be reached at (818) 316-3121 or [email protected].

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