Your Villa - East Valley - April - May 2023

“What does not tear us apart, makes us stronger.” That old adage continues to ring true for the tenacious business owners in the historic town of Redlands, California. Like every one of us who has endured the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the downtown business owners in Redlands were not spared. However, some surYiYed unbelieYable odds, which definitely proYes communal love is at the root of survivorship. These businesses cared more about helping others than what they were receiving in return, even during these tumultuous times. EMERSON FINE JEWELRY Kyle Cummings, son-in-law and CEO to owners, Paul and Pam Emerson of Emerson Fine Jewelry shares about the “Love” wall that was created by Pam during the shutdown. When the town was desolate, no activity because of forced curfews, Pam decided to paint a huge love sign on one of their newly renovated outside walls. Given their business is one of optimism, bringing people together to celebrate life, Pam wanted to give hope to her community when all seemed so bleak. This wall has become an incredible icon of shared hope for the town. Kyle says many photo “opps” have occurred, including marriage proposals, at this special site. GREENSLEEVES STEAKHOUSE Dean DiTrapani, General Manager of Greensleeves 6teaNhouse, describes the e[perience as a fight or Áight situation for not only the business, but the employees as well. They all volunteered to work only for tips while serving take out or “steak-out” as they’d call it. As a high-end steakhouse now competing with supermarket prices, they would have to lower prices drastically. 7hen eYen oͿered discounted uncooked steak options and teamed up with aboutredlands. com to make a “how to cook your steak at home” tutorial video for the local patrons. The city of Redlands was gracious enough to blocN oͿ the parking lot between the buildings for outdoor dining. Outdoor dining was a huge production. Hand building wooden fences and then having to invest in new patio furniture was challenging enough. Then they had to set this up in 115 degree heat in the middle of summer! It really was all worth it to see the enormous support we received and the end game. The business owners and community worked together to become a stronger and more united Redlands than ever before. ROK N FONDUE Marlisa Hodgin, owner of Rok N Fondue, unfortunately discovered that her business concept would not fare well during a government shutdown. She said, “it’s pretty hard to send a customer away (for take-out) with a fondue pot full of melted cheese or a sizzling hot rock!” Her restaurant, thought of more as an experience than a place to grab a quick L O C A L B U S I N E S S E S Giving what’s needed in turbulent times Redlands’ Businesses are Community Minded by Elizabeth Scarcella bite, is centered around communal interaction that encourages good conversation. Because of this, the autodidact female serial entrepreneur completely shut her doors, a painful decision for someone as driven as she is. Her work ethic is inspired by her mom and aunt, which has developed into a cornerstone of Marlisa’s leadership. More than ever, Marlisa loves to lift women up… to encourage them to go for their dreams, just as she has. Fortunately, Rok N Fondue (her own concept and dream) is back to serving meals in the traditional communal style that was once intended. These downtown Redlands businesses , among many others, are now thriving and stronger than before. Their altruistic spirit granted unforeseen growth in not only their businesses, but also the community’s heart. It still remains, when we give to others first, we will always prosper in the end 7hey are the embodiment of the slogan born of the Covid shutdown “Redlands Strong.” 8 | Your Villa Magazine