Kevin Nagle has held many jobs. He has cut lawns, pulled weeds, flipped burgers, washed dishes, pumped gasoline and made millions in the pharmaceutical industry. He has also been a bartender, hot dog salesman, partial owner in the Sacramento Kings (and a crucial reason the team stayed in the Capital Region), real-estate mogul (El Dorado Hills Town Center) and, most recently, primary owner of the Sacramento Republic FC and the man most hell-bent on bringing Major League Soccer to town.

How did Nagle, now 62, go from weed-puller to angel investor? He shares his maxims of leadership, including how he somehow reads 300 emails a day, makes work an obsession and why he feels soccer is the future of America.

Failure is not an option

Nagle had his first job at the age of six. He chased down lost golf balls, wiped them off, then sold them to amused golfers on the 18th hole. “It took me six weeks to realize that I really needed to sell them on the 14th or 15th hole,” he says, laughing a bit. This early brush with capitalism made him $3 or $4 a day, which he dutifully gave to his mother, who raised him and his two sisters largely by herself. The family lived in borderline poverty. In Moorhead, Minn., young Nagle grew up in a house where bill collectors pounded the door, threatened eviction, and nearly switched off the phones and electricity. When it came to making extra money for his family, “failure was not an option,” he says, repeating that mantra several times over multiple conversations.

At age 12, failure was not an option on his school’s baseball team, where, unable to pay the $35 for a uniform, Nagle made his coach a surprising pitch: “I figured we had 17 games in the season, and if I paid him $2 a game, then eventually I would have my dues paid.”

The coach agreed, but with one condition: He would keep the uniform’s red hat as collateral, meaning Nagle had to scrounge for one on his own. He rummaged through six garage sales before finding a suitable cap and then MacGuyvered on the school’s logo using his mother’s sewing kit. Done. Splitting time at second base, third base and the outfield, he became the best player on the team.

And failure was not an option when, 45 years later, the Sacramento Kings nearly left the city.  In 1994, Nagle had moved from L.A. to Sacramento “for a quality of life change.” By 2011 he had roots here. “Kevin was the MVP of the corporate push to keep the Kings in Sacramento, no question,” says Kunal Merchant, the former chief of staff to Mayor Kevin Johnson and now, Nagle’s chief adviser on wooing the MLS. “Kevin had to show the NBA that Sacramento was a viable market, that it had a strong corporate base and that it punches above its weight class. Kevin embodied everything we were trying to prove to the NBA. He got it. As a business person, he knew that we needed to speak to the NBA in business terms.”

Thanks to Nagle’s full-court press, Johnson was able to raise $10 million in corporate sponsorships in 10 days. When Johnson announced the figure to the NBA, Nagle says the officials didn’t believe it. Not normally one to brag, Nagle admits that, “[former NBA Commissioner] David Stern sent me an email saying that if there were an owners’ Hall of Fame, I’d be in it.” (He kept the email.)

Adapt. Reinvent.

Failure is not an option, but neither is doing the same thing again and again. Nagle’s itch for reinvention started with baseball, when at age 12, he played a pickup game against some 30-year-olds. An aggressive hitter who crowded the plate, Nagle eeked out a base hit and then, while on first base, the next hitter lost control of the bat. Like a missile in flight, the bat flew straight toward Nagle, slamming the back of his head into a pole.

The bat broke his nose, shattered his teeth, split his lip and knocked him out cold. “The guys just threw me in their car while I was unconscious and then dropped me off in front of my house. I crawled inside.” He was then hospitalized.

Nagle returned to baseball, but was never quite the same aggressive hitter. “I started bailing on inside pitches, and that used to be my forte,” he says. But he soon found a new athletic calling: wrestling. He won tournament after tournament, earned a college scholarship (he didn’t take it) and one of his only losses was to a guy who was the third alternate to the Olympics.

Nagle would continue to adapt throughout his career. In 1980, his first grown-up job was at the firm E.F. Hutton in L.A., which was then the second largest investment bank in the U.S. “But I realized that was not my thing,” he says. “It was boring to me.” His studies of market segments while in graduate school at USC, where he earned a master’s in business and public administration, gave him a hunch: “It was apparent to me that health care was going to be wide open for the next several decades.”

He cut his teeth in big pharma, at a company called Upjohn, and scrambled up the corporate ladder. Then, at 39, he started his own business, leading a string of various pharmaceutical companies (largely specializing in member benefits). This culminated in 2014 when a firm he cofounded, Envision Pharmaceutical Services, sold to Rite Aid for a cool $2.3 billion. He owned 22 percent — not too shabby for a former golf ball chaser.

So again he adapted. Armed with this war chest, Nagle invested in the El Dorado Hills Town Center, the Kings — and local filmmaking (a “labor of love,” he says, that mostly uses local actors; one film will soon be submitted to the Toronto Film Festival). Throw in the Sacramento FC, and it’s no surprise that the Sacramento Business Journal named him 2015’s Executive of the Year.

Make Work an Obsession

When asked for the core principles that help explain his success, Nagle doesn’t miss a beat. “There are two things you have to have. One: passion. Two: obsession. A book ought to be written about that.”

Underneath all the warm and fuzzy business jargon, however, the message actually has a hard, sobering lesson: Success comes with, and as a result of, really long hours. This is not a particularly catchy or inspiring slogan, but it’s a crucial part of what makes Nagle tick. He doesn’t cut corners, and he out-hustles his competition. As a young baseball player he would trudge to the batting cages, again and again, and keep swinging until he corrected any glitches.

“Even [NFL] football owners realize that not in our lifetime, but after ours, soccer will be the No. 1 sport in America.”KEVIN NAGLE, CEO, SAC SOCCER AND ENTERTAINMENT HOLDINGS

His office, which he moved into in July, is adorned with sports memorabilia, his favorite of which is a USC helmet he received at a sort of training camp where CEOs and USC coaches learned from one another. (The CEOs were even required to gear up and scrimmage on the field.) “We concluded that the fundamentals of success are the same whether you’re playing a team sport or managing a corporation — it’s the obsession for perfection,” he says.

Yet those long hours take a toll. “When I got married and had children, I was gone a lot,” Nagle concedes. He made it a priority to attend his two daughters’ soccer games and activities — he estimates that he made “probably 98 percent” of their school events — but also admits that his work played a role in his divorce. “I’d be on the road a lot, trying to build a better life for them,” he explains.

One day, his daughter asked him why he wasn’t home more often at night. So he drove his daughters (then ages 6 and 3) to a “part of town that wasn’t so nice,” and said to them, “If you want, I can be home every night, but that means no new dresses, no dolls and no sporting equipment.” Nagle pauses in his story. “I was home two nights in a row after that, and the girls asked me, ‘Hey Dad, are you sure you don’t have to be somewhere?’”

Perhaps Nagle is a workaholic, but he’s a highly functioning one, and he still carves out time for ample reading (he’s currently devouring the memoirs of Ulysses Grant), bike riding (in the ’80s he was a competitive cyclist, because of course), and the requisite gamut of Kings and Republic games.

He also found some productivity hacks. “I only schedule four meetings a day,” he says, which bakes in time for him to answer emails (he gets between 300 and 400 a day); consume content (ranging from The Economist and The New York Times to CNN, MSNBC and Fox News because “It’s good to look at as much as you can,”); and brainstorm on “the next big thing.” Speaking of which …

All Hail the Republic

When Nagle was in eighth grade, his physical education teacher gave him a lesson he would never forget. The PE teacher held up a soccer ball to the class and said, “Some day this is going to be the future of America.”

Yeah right, Nagle thought at the time. That’s not our sport.

That was then. Just as Nagle had spotted health care in the ‘80s as a lucrative opportunity, he now sees soccer as a long-term no brainer. “There’s unbelievable momentum,” he says. “The percentage year-over-year growth in valuation is higher than every other league. Attendance has moved passed virtually every other sport. Even [NFL] football owners realize that not in our lifetime, but after ours, soccer will be the No. 1 sport in America.”

So he’s cracking open the Kevin Nagle playbook. He says Sacramento needs three things to successfully nab an MLS franchise: a great fanbase, a solid ownership group and a soccer-specific stadium. Nagle is bullish on all three.

“We’ve clearly demonstrated the fanbase,” he says. “We’re special here in Sacramento.”  The data backs this up, with an eye-popping 9,000 season ticket holders despite prices that “are close to MLS [levels].” (The Republic FC’s 2014 USL Pro Championship win helps.) Nagle is hands-on with the ownership group, and he has lassoed a glittering roster of investors that includes the York Family of San Francisco 49er fame. And the stadium, of course, boasts a slick design that factors in feedback from both players and coaches. “We asked the players what they felt was important, and they said noise.” Nagle promises it will be loud.

To Nagle, this investment is about more than just the sport of soccer. It has a ripple effect. “This is going to inject billions into the local economy,” he says. Restaurants, concerts, nightlife, shopping — all will get a boost.

“Kevin understands the area, and he loves it,” says Tony Mansour, his managing partner at the El Dorado Hills Town Center. “And when Kevin is passionate about things, he’ll pursue it, and he’ll get it done.”

For Nagle, the question is not if but when the MLS will award the franchise. He expects that by 2020, “I would love to see the first ball kicked off the pitch.” And he even floats 2019 as a possibility. “Even if the stadium was not ready by 2019, we would find a way to make it happen.”

Because failure is not an option.

Two-in-one tribute goes Live on the Boulevard

Forejour will be recreating, with stunning accuracy, the music of two beloved multi-platinum mega-bands of the ’80s, Foreigner and Journey, at El Dorado Hills Town Center’s free Live on the Boulevard summer concert series this Thursday, Aug. 25 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Take a trip back in time, or experience the music of the ’80s today, as they sing Journey’s most popular song, “Don’t Stop Believing.” That hit song, by the way, is the most downloaded song recorded in the 20th century. Other chart-toppers that have touched millions of fans such as “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” “Anyway You Want It,” “Faithfully,” “Stone In Love,” “Lights” and more will also be on the set list.

Foreigner favorites include “Feels Like the First Time,” “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Juke Box Hero” and many more.

Forejour members include MaryBeth Keller who is the manager and booking agent, her husband Chris Keller playing bass guitar and singing vocals, David Kelleher singing lead, Frank Acosta on guitar and vocals, Darin Fister at the drums and Rob Carter who plays keyboards and also provides vocals.

How they began

“The nucleus of Forejour took shape with Chris and Darin in an Antioch, California garage in 1980. They performed and recorded in various bands over the decades, most notably with Fragile Glass. The two, who are now brothers-in-law, recorded two albums with present day smooth jazz artist Steve Oliver. In 2005, they formed Replica – 80’s Rock Revisited,” MaryBeth explained.

MaryBeth found inspiration to give the band focus when she stumbled upon a dual tribute band in England, A Foreigner’s Journey, that was having its own success.

“We all loved the idea. I came up with ‘Journier’ as a band name. But Darin suggested that we try to play on the stolen identity theme that some tributes have so cleverly employed. He thought some derivative of ‘forgery’ would be good, so by combining the first four letters of both band names, the name Forejour was born,” Chris said.

That spelling is misleading as the band finds many mispronounce the name thinking it is a French word. The correct pronunciation would sound phonetically, ‘forger.”

In testing out their new repertoire, Replica experienced enthusiastic audience reactions to Foreigner and Journey songs and so in the spring of 2013, Forejour emerged, fueled by the quintet’s chemistry and a love for the music of Foreigner and Journey.

Forejour plays strictly in California. The band carries a streak of sold out shows at clubs and small theaters, as well as winery concerts. The largest free concerts have numbered upwards of 3,000 in attendance. They have received invitations to travel out of state, but the logistics haven’t worked.

Balancing it all

Forejour is made up of musicians from all over the state, each of whom has to find balance in their rock star nightlife, day jobs and family life.

Fister lives in Brentwood and has been playing the drums for 38 years. “Most days I’m a prominent Porsche mechanic/parts builder, and on the weekends I get to pretend I am a rock star,” he said.

Kelleher is originally from the Boston area and currently lives in Martinez. He plays frequently as a solo artist in many Bay Area night clubs and restaurants.

Acosta, who lives in Concord, is the only full time musician in the band. He plays in three other groups in addition to his original band. He also runs Synergy Studios and is a piano tuner for Steinway.

Carter lives in Brentwood, plays in two other bands and works at Lawrence Livermore Labs.

Chris and MaryBeth live in Pioneer, where Chris works for FedEx and MaryBeth — when not managing the band’s affairs — juggles her time as legal secretary for a law firm in Oakland and is also a talent buyer/booking agent for an upscale nightclub in Napa.

MaryBeth admitted, “We seldom rehearse as a group. We’re all so busy and live so far apart, it just isn’t practical more than a couple of times a year. One challenge is balancing home life with a musician’s life. Four of the five members are married, all have children, some adult and some still at home. Since we’ve been playing many of these songs since they first became radio hits, three decades ago, we know them pretty well.”

Concert time

“We play very true to the original and have exceptional musicianship. We’re a fun rock show with great songs that we all grew up with from Foreigner and Journey. I think the audience will be surprised about how close to the originals we sound,” Fister said with confidence.

The band promises the Live on the Boulevard audience will experience a great rock show where the band having as much fun as the crowd.

“We all grew up listening to these bands, and want to do the songs justice by performing them with energy and excitement — like when your favorite song comes on the radio, you can’t help but sing along,” said MaryBeth.

And don’t expect a Foreigner or Journey look-a-like contest as for Forejour, it’s all about the music.

“Unlike other tributes, we’re not impersonators. We don’t wear wigs and costumes,” Chris said, adding, “Although we play the songs faithful to the originals, many fade out at the end. That’s our opportunity to improvise. We sometimes take the audience on a wild ride in those moments. We call those ‘morphs’ and audiences love them.”

Forejour’s testimony for faithfully performing Foreigner and Journey music is the result of demonstrating their dedication, energy and passion on stage, as well as with each other. Find out for yourself Thursday night as the Live on the Boulevard concert series continues.

Nine new businesses at El Dorado Hills Town Center

Variety of services enhances overall customer attraction

By: Staff ReportEl Dorado Hills Town Center continues to grow and thrive. Nine new businesses signed leases for more than 15,000 square feet, and are opened or are scheduled to open soon.

“We are continuing to have a great year, as more new tenants enter the El Dorado Hills Town Center pipe line, ” says Tony Mansour, co-general partner of the Mansour/Nagle Partnership.

In addition to current newcomers Rubio’s Coastal Grill, O1 Communications and NorCal Cryotherapy, now open are Folsom Lake Eye Care, Tea Xotics, EDH Insurance Services, and Coastline Travel Advisors. Coming soon are The Game Room Adventure Café and Blow Me Away.”Our strategy that we began executing on two years ago is yielding excellent results,” says Kevin Nagle, co-partner of The Mansour/Nagle Partnership. “ The new tenants, offering a wide range of services, are loving the traffic and that attracts other great businesses.”

Now Open

Folsom Lake Eye Care is a full scope Optometry/Optical/Contact Lens practice. They boast state-of-the-art equipment including retinal photography and will be offering SpecTech, a virtual visual experience.Tea Xotics boutique features an 80+ loose leaf tea bar that serves hot and iced teas and coffees and specialty tea beverages. Tea Xotics also carries premium olive oils, vinegars, locally made soaps, candles, and array of bath and body items that are made locally or by Tea Xotics. El Dorado Hills Insurance Solutions, Inc. specializes in life insurance and annuities. Coastline Travel Advisors is a Virtuoso affiliate travel office. Services Include group travel and custom, individual-travel requests, multi-generation family travel, and spa and wellness travel.

Opening Soon

The Game Room Adventure Cafe´ (GRAC), the Sacramento region’s first game café/escape room combination, will open in August. It will serve cafe-style food and provide wood tables and chairs designed for comfort and hours of board game activities. Blow Me Away is a luxury, blow-dry bar that provides an array of beauty services and a private room available for group reservations.

Joy and Madness — Delivering soul and funk to Live on the Boulevard

“Meet the Trojans” event at EDH Town Center

 

Unmasking the group Fleetwood Mask

The talented members of Fleetwood Mask, with their uncanny recreation of the look and sound of one of rock’s most enduring and successful bands Fleetwood Mac, are dedicated to present an unforgettable musical evening on Thursday, Aug. 11 at the El Dorado Hills Town Center’s Live on the Boulevard from 6:30-8:30. What’s even better news is the summer concert series is free.

The band members include: Claudette Rodriguez, Barbara Martin, Mark Blasquez, Paul Jones and Don Oberempt.

Rodriguez (Stevie Nicks) has been singing since age 5. With her natural, quick vibrato, she learned she had a talent for vocal performance. Having the opportunity to perform Fleetwood Mac’s classic songs live is a “dream come true” for her.

Martin (Christine McVie), music director, has studied and taught classical, jazz and blues piano and she can play just about any instrument. She has always been inspired by the singing/songwriting skills of Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie and due to that inspiration, she has performed and published many songs of her own.

Blasquez’s (Lindsey Buckingham) original music can be heard on movie trailers and TV shows such as “CSI,” “Burn Notice,” “Smallville” and many others. His signature musicianship channels the spirit and sound of Lindsey Buckingham.

Jones (John McVie), bass player, is the one who had the vision to unite the band in 2011. He started playing bass before he was a teenager and was influenced by ’70s and ’80s rock, soul, funk and punk sounds of the Bay Area. True to the John McVie sound, he plays Alembic, Fender and Rick Turner basses and drives the business side of Fleetwood Mask.

Oberempt (Mick Fleetwood) was attracted to the rhythmic beat drumming style of Fleetwood and the syncopated drum patterns of his music. Having the opportunity to re-create Fleetwood Mac’s music is both an honor and a privilege.

Fleetwood Mask is endorsed by Mick Fleetwood.

Jam session to band

In December 2011 the band started after they had a friendly jam session during the Christmas holiday break from their children’s school.

“Paul Jones our bass player had heard me sing in other bands that we were in before and said that I sounded a lot like Ms. Nicks and we should do a tribute to Fleetwood Mac,” Rodriguez said.

Jones chipped in, “After those first few jam sessions in late 2011 and early 2012 we felt like we were on to something. We all had a love and respect for Fleetwood Mac and were amazed how much we liked playing the music and thought we sounded pretty good. We took about five months to pull a show together, figure out what a tribute band was and started networking with my other bands.

“Our first show was a benefit fundraiser gig at the Englander Pub in San Leandro raising money for Floresta Little League where Don was a coach. A month later we entered the Cover Band cup at the Red House studios in Walnut Creek, won their competition, met a bunch of bands and were awarded a gig at the Lafayette Art and Wine festival in October 2012. From there we started getting more and better shows and kept perfecting our tribute to Fleetwood Mac. Having Mick endorse us really helped us too — but that is another story.”

Rodriguez revealed how the band got its name.

“My ex-fiancé’s wife came up with it. At the time he was our guitar player,” Rodriguez said.

Dedicated performers

Not only do the Mask members bring down the house with their voices and music to please even the most critical and die-hard fans but they dress the part.

Rodriguez explained how her fashion designers, with painstaking care, emulate Nicks’ wardrobe.

“Many of the designers I use literally do their due diligence and analyze her concert photos and fabrics before putting it all together and duplicating some of her amazing shawls and costumes. Three out of the five shawls I use are duplicates of what she wears on stage,” Rodriguez said.

The group’s dedication to be authentic and to reflect the true essence of Fleetwood Mac has impressed Mick Fleetwood.

“Mick has been supportive of the Mask at its earliest onset. My brother Chuck Bergson lives on Maui and has become great friends with Mick. When we first started exploring the idea of this tribute to Fleetwood Mac, Chuck showed him some video we shot. He loved us instantly and wanted to know how and what he could do to help us. He was the one who suggested recording and videotaping himself so that we could use it however we wished.

“So, we have him narrating our current promo video and its Mick’s voice introducing the band before many of our shows. It is truly an unusual and amazing gift for which we are so grateful. He also invited us to come to Maui and play at his restaurant and we feel that is going to happen in the near future,” Martin said.

Fleetwood Mask has also impressed audiences across the country. The group has played primarily in Northern California and has ventured out of state and played in Albuquerque, N.M.; Midland, Texas; and Idaho. The plan is to expand to Southern California and into Oregon, Washington and eventually all states and outside of the United States. The band members are also planning to act on Mick Fleetwood’s offer to play at his restaurant, Fleetwood’s on Front Street in Maui.

Keeping it interesting

Each performance offers a new experience and the Live on the Boulevard concert will be no different.

“We like to keep things fresh and interesting,” said Blasquez. “You might think that once you’d learned all the hits from a particular band that your work would be done but that’s not true for us. We are still adding new songs, working out medleys and bringing in some of the older Fleetwood Mac songs. When we do a run of shows we make sure we’re not repeating the same set list, just in case people see us more than once. You have to keep the mystery alive.”

Blasquez added, “We walk a fine, but important line, between just being entertainers and being a living, breathing rock and roll band. Sure, you’ll see all the things and hear all the songs you’d want to see at a Fleetwood Mac show but you’re also going to see a really kick-ass band in its own right. Every member of Mask is a total pro. No weak links. This is what we do.”

“Fleetwood Mask show is highlighted by each performer having their time in the limelight … Claudette on ‘Landslide,’ Mark on ‘Never Going Back Again’ or an incredible rendition of ‘Big Love,’ Barb’s ‘Songbird,’ Paul’s bass solo in ‘The Chain,’ that always gets the crowd going, and of course, Don’s drum solo in ‘World Turning.’ That’s what makes a Fleetwood Mask show so memorable … there is always some highlight happening,” Oberempt said.

Memorable performances

“My best memories performing with the Mask are many,” Martin said. “Playing at John Ascuaga’s Nugget to a sold-out crowd of about 700. The whole experience was magical due in large part to the wonderful people who work that stage. The audience was so enthusiastic, which makes performing such a joy.

“Also playing at Yoshi’s in Oakland for all the same reasons and playing my church’s fall festival and having my fourth- through eighth-graders playing ‘Tusk’ with us on soprano recorders, it was hilarious. Every time we have local band kids play with us on ‘Tusk’ or ‘Don’t Stop!’ the audience goes crazy — and what kid couldn’t use a standing ovation?”

“I know this sounds cliché but I have amazing memories from each and every performance we have done over the years — from Bimbo’s and Slim’s in San Francisco — to thousands of fans in Meridian, Idaho to our earliest performances at many art and wine festivals. All memorable experiences with their own individual characteristics,” Oberempt said.

He said the audience at Live on the Boulevard can expect, “A high energy show which emulates Fleetwood Mac’s early hits, its mega hits from the mid-’70s and ’80s with some Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham solo hits thrown in as well.”

The performance is at the Steven Young Amphitheater, 4364 Town Center Blvd. in El Dorado Hills, with the scenic surroundings of fountains and nature along the waterway. The concert is festival-style seating and guests are invited to bring blankets and chairs to enjoy the show. No tables or roped off areas are allowed.

Ruffhaus Hot Dogs will have food at the concert or concertgoers can dine at one of the many restaurants in Town Center. As a courtesy please do not park on Town Center Boulevard or in spaces directly behind the businesses. Due to the large crowd, it is recommended that dogs and other pets remain at home.

For more information visit EDHTownCenter.com or fleetwoodmask.com

Tom Rigney and Flambeau — fiddling around on the Boulevard

Coming soon to El Dorado Hills: puzzles, board games and food

Sacramento Business Journal Jul 26,2016
By Sonya Sorich

A business that combines the escape room trend with board games is the latest step in a local retail center’s focus on experience-oriented offerings.

The Game Room Adventure Cafe is expected to open in the El Dorado Hills Town Center in August. It will fill 1,430 square feet in a ground-floor space below a former Chili’s Grill & Bar. Super Suppers previously occupied the space.

A business that combines the escape room trend with board games is coming to El Dorado Hills.

It will be a franchise location for The Game Room Adventure Cafe, a locally owned business that debuted in Elk Grove last year. The business has a variety of components, including team-building rooms in which guests must solve puzzles within 60 minutes to successfully “escape.” The concept is gaining momentum in the Sacramento region and beyond.

The Game Room Adventure Cafe has two additional elements: games and food. The existing Elk Grove location has a wide variety of board games that customers can play. There’s also a cafe that serves food, craft sodas, milkshakes and more. The new site will be designed for “hours of board game activities,” according to a statement from the center.

As traditional retailers close brick-and-mortar stores and focus on the internet, shopping centers are turning to service providers, including experience-oriented restaurants, to fill the gaps and drive traffic.

The El Dorado Hills Town Center added a cryotherapy business, earlier this year. A blow-dry bar, which will offer hair-styling and makeup services, is alsoplanned at the center.

Sonya Sorich is social engagement manager and a staff writer at the Sacramento Business Journal. She oversees social media activity and writes about retailing, small business and restaurants.

SuperHuey — Not your normal tribute band

By Sherri Bergmann | July 24, 2016 Village Life

Huey Lewis-approved tribute band SuperHuey brings the near-real-deal talent to Town Center.

A special evening for real Huey Lewis fans is happening when SuperHuey — The Ultimate Huey Lewis Experience performs at the El Dorado Hills Town Center’s Live on the Boulevard Thursday, July 28, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The summer concert series is free.

Huey Lewis and the News has carried the banner as the quintessential American rock band. They had a run of hit singles during the 1980s to the early 1990s, scoring a total of 19 top 10 singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock charts. Its song “Power of Love” was played in the No. 1 movie in 1985, “Back to the Future.”

SuperHuey — The Ultimate Huey Lewis Experience is personally approved of by Huey Lewis.

Featuring a lead singer whose voice is indistinguishable from the real Huey Lewis, this seven-piece explosion of ’80s rock power performs with super high-energy, faithful renditions of feel-good music that defined a generation and today brings back memories to millions of endearing fans.

This high-octane tribute show boasts some of the top players in the business. Each member is a solid stand out performer, passionate about Huey’s rootsy American rock.

Blessing needed

Ron Merlino (aka Screwy Huey) talked about how the band started and however much the band members wanted to continue — their beginning was conditional. They wouldn’t do the tribute band unless they had Huey Lewis’s personal approval to proceed.

“SuperHuey started in 2011 and is based out of Sacramento. I’ve been a professional musician for most of my life. Before we started SuperHuey, I had a band called Mother Mayhem. We played all over California and Nevada for more than 10 years. Almost every time I walked off the stage after a show, someone would come up to me and say, ‘Man, you sound just like Huey Lewis.’ We all grew up listening to Huey Lewis and the News and we loved their music. So we talked with our management at HIP Entertainment about the idea of doing a straight Huey Lewis tribute. They liked the idea and once we decided to do it, we just made the calls to the players we knew who had the chops. The music is actually pretty tough to replicate. I would say that it is complicated in its simplicity. The genius in the band’s music is in the spaces between the notes and in the lyrics,” Merlino said.

The group anxiously waited to hear back from Lewis and his band and when the answer came back positive, “We were fired up,” Merlino said.

Popular with fans

The group has taken its project to the stage and entertained and impressed audiences of all ages in the Western United States at fairs, festivals, arenas, sporting events, showrooms and performed at the California State Fair last week. Last year SuperHuey was the Season 5 finaliast for AXS TVs “World’s Greatest Tribute Bands” with Katie Daryl.

Chris Barabino, owner of Swabbies on the River in Sacramento where the group played earlier this month, boasted, “SuperHuey has been playing Swabbies on the River for the last few years. The band is not your normal tribute … they dress and sound the part, the general public could easily be convinced they were at the real show and not know the better. SuperHuey attracts a very eclectic crowd; many families of multiple generations enjoy the music. It’s a great fit for even teenage kids … and hey … who doesn’t still love the ‘Back to Future’ movies?”

The technical side of music production and the chemistry may have something to do with the band’s success.

“SuperHuey sports its own sound engineer that has done an excellent job of dialing in the band to the best of its abilities and makes professional quality sound. Lead singer Roy Merlino and wife Tina have an infectious chemistry that the crowd can sense and share,” Barbino continued. “Crowds absolutely love the show. Dancing is great or some just kick back and sing along to the endless set of hits … a great night out for the family for sure … skip the movies … and enjoy an awesome live performance. Swabbies’ house was packed and we are sure the band will sellout most any venue with patrons marking their calendars in anticipation for the next year.”

“In 2011 at the Sonoma County Fair,” Merlino reminisced, “We were invited to go back stage for a Huey Lewis and the News Show. There we got to meet all the guys who had been our childhood rock-god heroes. Huey asked us about the project and we got to take some pictures with him. Everyone was so humble and classy. Then, during a show we were doing at Silo’s in Napa, band member Johnny Colla jumped up on stage and sang a number with us. Later the next year both Johnny Colla and Bill Gibson from Huey Lewis and the News showed up to a gig at New Georges in San Rafael. We got to play with both of them.”

Overcoming dyslexia

The passion to play music ran in Merlino’s family and he really wanted to play but experienced difficulties in learning.

“My dad was a great trumpet player,” he said. “He started me on the trumpet when I was 5 years old. I had a tough time learning to read the music. This was one of the things that led my folks to have me tested. I was diagnosed with dyslexia. Since it was caught so early, I received special therapy that basically retrained my brain. The dyslexia basically was fixed by the time I was 7 years old.”

Day jobs

Rocking as SuperHuey is a part of Merlino’s life but not his whole life. His wife Tina also performs with him and the other band members all juggle their professional day jobs with their passion to perform on stage.

“I am a Realtor at Keller Williams Realty Sacramento,” Merlino said. “Tina and I met in the music scene about eight years ago. As far as juggling, we keep it all in perspective and our clients seem to like the fact that we have a little fun outside of the real estate business. We love real estate and we are really good at it. It’s a passion of ours. Music is also a passion. But it’s really just a hobby.” Merlino said.

The hobby can also be therapeutic.

“It’s a way for me to blow off steam. I think engaging in art of any kind is a great way to relieve stress and calm the mind. Some people pay thousands of dollars per month to do the same thing playing golf. We get paid to do our hobby. Plus, I don’t have the mentality or the skills for golf …  me on the golf course is not a pretty sight. Huey is no slouch on the course, though,” Merlino said.

The other band members have day jobs, too. Eric Dahm — keyboardist, saxophonist and backing vocals  is an entrepreneur and business owner. Paul Fletcher — bassist and backing vocals is in construction. Guy Kowarsh — producer, stage manager, drums and backing vocals is a professional producer, audio engineer, professional photographer and videographer. Chris McCandless — lead guitar and backing vocals is an attorney. Javier Ramirez  — solo sax is a musician.

Forward to the future

Merlino looks forward to his future with the band and confessed, “We love the fly-dates and the theater shows. What I’m looking forward to the most is this — one of these days Huey is going to show up to a gig. That would be amazing.”

The group is also looking forward to playing at Town Center in El Dorado Hills.

“We love the Thursday night Live on the Boulevard. We have played it for three years in a row, with a year off in 2015. The best thing about that show is the people. There are some major Huey Lewis and the News fans in that crowd,” Merlino said.

“Watching from the stage as the music takes people back, you can see it on their faces and it’s amazing. Watching 20-something kids who didn’t grow up with this music get into the shows … that’s how you know this is timeless, classic stuff. Really, we just want to thank everyone for all of their support through the years.”

Admission

This rockin’, feel-good party takes place at the Steven Young Amphitheatre, 4364 Town Center Blvd. in El Dorado Hills, with the scenic surroundings of the waterway as the backdrop. The concert is festival-style seating and guests are invited to bring blankets and chairs to enjoy the show. No tables or roped off areas are allowed.

Ruffhaus Hot Dogs will have food at the concerts or concertgoers can dine at one of the many fine restaurants in Town Center. As a courtesy, please do not park on Town Center Boulevard or in spaces directly behind the businesses. Due to the large crowd, it is recommended that dogs and other pets remain at home.

For more information visit EDHTownCenter.com or superhueyband.com.

Blues knows no age limit

Party like it’s the Fourth of July

The highly anticipated fireworks show in El Dorado Hills is back. On Sunday, July 3 from 7-11 p.m., ring in Independence Day and have a blast as El Dorado Hills Town Center presents its annual Fireworks and Freedom Concert.

Entertain the kids in the Kids Zone with bounce houses, face painting, balloon artists and a DJ playing games and giving away prizes beginning at 7 p.m.

Purchase a Kids Zone wristband for unlimited access from 7-9:30 p.m., with proceeds benefitting Hands4Hope. Kids Zone wristbands will be available for pre-sale at the California Welcome Center, 2085 Vine St. in El Dorado Hills.

Live music by Apple Z in the Steven Young Amphitheater begins at 8 p.m. and will keep the party going through the night. Apple Z is a dance party and rock show all mixed into one. The band is known for world-class musicianship, rock concert showmanship and packing the dance floor with crowd-pleasing classics from ’60s rock through the ’80s, ’90s and the best of today’s Top 40 dance hits.

There will be food vendors and food trucks lined up along Town Center Boulevard serving tasty eats. Beer and wine will be available for purchase courtesy of the El Dorado County Food Bank. Don’t miss the silent auction for a Sacramento Kings signed basketball with all proceeds going to the El Dorado County Food Bank.

The evening will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display choreographed to music designed by Pyro Spectaculars, a Southern California-based company that specializes in producing pyrotechnic shows.

Notably famous in the world of fireworks show production and billed as the largest such company on the West Coast, Pyro Spectaculars has provided firework entertainment during the 50th birthdays of the Golden Gate and Oakland Bay bridges, the 1994 Pink Floyd concert tour and has also lit up Olympics performances along with several Super Bowls.

Parking will be available at Blue Shield, located at 4203 Town Center Blvd. and Rolling Hills Christian Church, located at 800 White Rock Road.

This event is brought to the community by El Dorado Hills Town Center, a development by the Mansour Company and Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Mercedes-Benz of El Dorado Hills, California Welcome Center, Marshall Medical Center, Mercy Hospital of Folsom and Mercy Medical Group.

Public set up time begins at 5 p.m. No tables, roping off or personal barbecues are allowed. Road closures and a special event exit plan will be utilized.

For further details or more information visit edhtowncenter.com.

Fireworks light up the sky at the El Dorado Hills Town Center fireworks show last Friday night, July 3.

Photo by Laurie Edwards.

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

El Dorado Hills July 3rd Preview
FOX 40 – July 1,2016

Rina is in El Dorado Hills Town Center getting a preview of the Fireworks and Freedom Concert. The real event is July 3rd from 7-11pm with Fireworks at 9:30pm.

To watch the video, click here and watch the last 2 videos on the page featuring Town Center.

Rubio’s Facelift

Good Day Sacramento
June 15, 2016

The popular fresh mex chain is getting a new updated look.

Bistro 33 Summer Party is a hot time

Village Life- June 16, 2016
By:Sherri Bergmann

Boogie on the boulevard: Concert series keys up Town Center

Village Life
By Sherri Bergmann June 15, 2016

Enjoy free evening concerts and dance into the night as this year’s season of Live on the Boulevard at the Stephen Young Amphitheater in El Dorado Hills Town Center begins tomorrow.

Surrounded by the waterway, fountains and stunning architecture, the stage has a spectacular setting and attendees can indulge in tasty fare and refreshments from a vendor or the many restaurants lining the boulevard and the waterfront.

The region’s best cover bands will rock Town Center every Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. with a finale concert on Sept. 8 with Folsom Lake Symphony. The symphony’s concert, Dancing’ in the Streets, will include songs that inspire the audience to do just that: boogie on the boulevard.

Concerts have festival-style seating that allows for blankets and chairs but no tables or roped off areas. Concert viewing set-up begins at 5 p.m.

The Steven Young Amphitheater is located at 4364 Town Center Boulevard in El Dorado Hills. Parking is not permitted on Town Center Boulevard or directly behind the businesses. Due to the large crowd it is recommended that dogs and other pets remain at home. For more information visit eldoradohillstowncenter.com or call (916) 933-3013.

2016 lineup

June 16: Peace Frog (The Doors tribute)

June 23: Mania (live Beatles experience)

June 30: Kenny Metcalf (Elton John tribute)

July 7: Todd Morgan and the Emblems (pop/rock/blues)

July 14:  Tennessee River (tribute to Alabama)

July 21: Gumboot (blues)

July 28: Super Huey (the ultimate Huey Lewis experience)

Aug. 4:  Tom Rigney and Flambeau (Cajun and zydeco)

Aug. 11: Fleetwood Mask (Fleetwood Mac tribute)

Aug. 18: Joy and Madness (soul and funk)

Aug. 25: Forejour (tribute to Foreigner and Journey)

Sept. 1: Petty Theft (San Francisco tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)

Sept. 8: Folsom Lake Symphony

Milestone hits the comfort-food mark in El Dorado Hills

June 3, 2016 By: Carla Meyer Sacramento Bee

El Dorado Hills Town Center snags telecom company as new office tenant

Jun 2, 2016 By: Mark Anderson Sacramento Business Journal

Local telecommunications company O1 Communications is moving its headquarters to El Dorado Hills Town Center.

The new, nearly 3,000-square-foot office is on an upper floor of the mixed-use building on Town Center Boulevard, the main street of the development.

 

The company is moving its headquarters from one of the business parks in El Dorado Hills off Latrobe Road.

Founded in 1998, O1 is a wholesale network telecommunications carrier, and it also is a retail business telephone provider, which it does through cloud-based services.

O1 will now provide free public Wi-Fi throughout the Town Center, and its phone and high-speed internet service is available as an option to any business in the center.

“It is a great addition. They have terrific service, and they are local,” said Kevin Nagle, co-owner of the Mansour/Nagle partnership, which owns Town Center.

Like Nagle, Brad Jenkins, co-founder of O1, is a member of the ownership of both the Sacramento Kings and the Sacramento Republic.

Nagle, a former health care executive, has branched out into real estate, sports, movie production, venture capital investing and private equity investing.

New beauty business will debut in El Dorado Hills

Shortly after a business with a similar concept shut its doors, a new blow-dry bar has announced plans to enter the region.

Elizabeth Doutherd has selected the El Dorado Hills Town Center as the debut location for her business, Blow Me Away, which will offer hair-styling and makeup services. The 1,345-square-foot shop is expected to open in August near Tan Central.

Blow Me Away, a new blow-dry bar, is expected to open in the El Dorado Hills Town Center in August.

Customers at blow-dry bars and get their hair washed and styled, but haircuts aren’t offered.

Doutherd grew up in Citrus Heights before moving to the Bay Area, where she’s worked as a property manager. Doutherd will return to the region to operate Blow Me Away, which she hopes will eventually have multiple locations.

Hair blowouts will cost $35 at Blow Me Away, while makeup application will cost $30. Doutherd plans to include an area for group parties.

As online shopping changes the way traditional brick-and-mortar retailers operate, service-oriented businesses such as blow-dry bars are filling more vacancies in local centers — with mixed results.

A separate business, Cherry Blow Dry Bar, permanently closed its Folsom location on Saturday. The store in Folsom’s Palladio at Broadstone was the first and only Sacramento-area location for the Cherry Hill, N.J.-based franchiser. It closed after less than two years of business.

World’s Largest Bucket List

April 23, 2016

Good Day Sacramento 

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Chill out and enjoy the benefits

February 10, 2016 | Posted by Julie Samrick

Jeanette Panzer, left, goes in for an advanced cryotherapy therapy session at NorCal Cryotherapy in El Dorado Hills Town Center. Owner Sharon Thompson discusses the many benefits of the two-minute session with all new clients. Photo by Julie Samrick You don’t need to travel to New York or Los Angeles to experience the whole body cryotherapy treatments making fans out of movie stars and professional athletes. NorCal Cryotherapy in Town Center opened Jan. 4. Owner and El Dorado Hills resident Sharon Thompson raves about the ice therapy treatment that, while just being introduced in America, has been popular in Europe and Asia for decades. During a recent visit she explained how regular cryotherapy treatments could benefit just about anyone. Whole body cryotherapy exposes the largest organ in the body, the skin, to subzero temperatures to activate the central nervous system. At NorCal Cryotherapy clients stand in a chamber that reaches from the neck down for two to three minutes. A machine converts liquid nitrogen into gas, which is pumped into the cryosauna chamber. Skin temperature, but not the core body temperature, drops 30 degrees or more, which causes an endorphin release much like massage or vigorous exercise does. The increased blood circulation also causes a fresh supply of oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood to rush in, decreasing inflammation while also stimulating cellular regeneration. Benefits can be felt for 48 to 72 hours, the minimum amount of time Thompson said most people should wait between treatments. “It depends on what they’re here for,” she said. “If someone is in chronic pain, you’ll want to sandwich several sessions upfront and then go into maintenance. Avid athletes come every three to four days.” Thompson has seen clients as young as 13 years old with parent permission. They are usually year-round, competitive athletes. “It helps with tears and muscle soreness and it’s a really good detox,” she said. Cryosaunas were recently featured on the Dr. Oz show as a natural healer that really works. Sports teams are increasingly turning to cryotherapy in place of the old-fashioned ice bath. “It’s a dry cold, not wet, which makes all the difference,” Thompson said. “Plus an ice bath can take up to 20 minutes.” Personal experience Thompson knows about this firsthand. While 30 weeks pregnant with her third son, Thompson, an avid runner, lost part of her right foot when a jet ski trailer fell on it. She had to give up running but turned to cycling and eventually opened her other business, fit RIDE Studio in the Business Park. When Thompson continued to suffer from foot pain, her surgeon recommended foot ice baths, but Thompson said it was hard to do with kids at home. “There’s got to be something better,” she remembered. “Then my doctor told me about cryotherapy and said that if I ever found a place that offers it, I should try it.” While with her husband Chris on one of his business trips in L.A. Thompson did try it. “Cryotherapy offers a mass release of inflammation,” she said. “There are so many healing qualities. I felt relief I’d never felt before. “I believe in it,” she continued. “I personally need both of my businesses now.” “A two- to three-minute session in a cryosauna serves as a valuable tool for the daily management of a multitude of ailments including chronic pain, inflammation, energy and stress related conditions, with the added boost of a caloric burn (400 to 800 per session) for weight loss, the elimination of toxins to reduce cellulite and the production of collagen,” it states in the company’s literature. “We tailor each session to each person,” Thompson said. “Session time and temperature can be adjusted.” First Thompson takes a client’s blood pressure. Then the client changes into minimal clothing and removes any jewelry — no metal in the chamber. A robe is offered for warmth and privacy until a client stands in the cryosauna. The skin temperature is taken for before/after results. Slippers and mittens are provided during the treatment to protect the body’s extremities. “Any time you want to get out of the cryosauna you can,” Thompson said. “I’m standing here communicating with you the whole time.” During my treatment, Thompson was helpful, assuring and had me move one-quarter turn every 30 seconds, with the last chunk of time focused on a bum shoulder. Before I went in my skin temperature was 93 degrees; after two minutes and 30 seconds, it was 53 degrees. The chamber was a brisk -220 degrees but Thompson is right: dry cold is a lot different than wet. Last, Thompson has clients cycle or handcrank a stationary bike during a three- to four-minute recovery period while she observes. For the rest of that day I felt like I’d had a massage; I slept better than usual that night and the next day the shoulder pain I’d grown used to wasn’t there first thing in the morning. Goals and more info Thompson said this year she’d like to see more people learn about cryotherapy. “I’m hoping to educate people that it really is a wonderful, natural process,” she said. “It affects the whole body.” First time customers pay $25 for a session. Single visits are $40, still far less expensive than in major cities, Thompson said. Paying with a health savings account card is accepted. Located at 4364 Town Center Drive, Suite 108, in El Dorado Hills, NorCal Cryotherapy is open seven days. Walk-ins or appointments available. For more information visit norcal-cryotherapy.com or call (302) 307-CRYO.

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Tower of Power to Rock EDH Town Center September 5

Aug 19, 2015 06:29PM, Published by Style, Categories: Community, Arts

Celebrating Independence Day in El Dorado Hills

EDITOR: This year on July 3 I attended the Town Center Fireworks Jubilee with my Boy Scout troop. There were thousands of people at the celebration and it looked like they all had fun. Independence Day, or Fourth of July, is a holiday that I think a lot of people misunderstand. For many it is just an excuse to have a party to celebrate without thinking about why we are celebrating. For me the Fourth of July is a day to I think about our country, the U.S. flag and to honor those who gave their lives for freedom in all of the wars. I think of the national anthem and when I see fireworks I think about “the rocket’s red glare and the bombs bursting in air” and how hard we fought to be separate from England. Many kids my age think that Fourth of July is just a day to have fun but don’t stop to think: Why do we have Fourth of July? If we hadn’t have won that war against England we might still be under their rule. My Boy Scout troop is Troop 465 and we are a new troop in El Dorado Hills. We are chartered by the El Dorado Hills Rotary Club. The troop and the Rotary Club serve together at different events. At the Fireworks Jubilee we sold flags, bottled water and glow sticks. As a troop we had a booth near the theater end of Town Center and we went out in teams selling glow sticks all over to people at the event. We ended up selling out of all the products we were selling. It was a good fundraiser for the troop and we provided some fun for the people who attended the event. The biggest thing is that we were having fun ourselves. The fireworks show was great. We had a really good place to watch the fireworks from our booth. The fireworks were really loud and bright and lasted a long time. The best part for me was the grand finale. I love it when the fireworks all go off at once! When I was watching the fireworks, a thought occurred to me: It was that the fireworks represented the bombs bursting in air, like in the song “The Star Spangled Banner.”  And it made me think about the verse after all those bombs: “The flag was still there.” The El Dorado Hills Fireworks Jubilee was a very fun and meaningful night. It gave me a chance to think about our country and our freedom. My troop did very well with our sales while having a lot of fun, but I think that the fireworks were outstanding and the best part of the night. The only bad part of the night was the parking and how long it took to get out of the parking lot after we cleaned up. I hope that you will always remember why we celebrate the Fourth of July and the birth of our country and remember all those who made sacrifices so that we can be a free nation. Cary Patterson Troop 465

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Set a Fire Community Concert Lights up El Dorado Hills Town Center this June

 May 21, 2015 01:06PM, Published by Brenna McGowan, Categories: Community

Farmer’s Market Returns to El Dorado Hills Town Center This Weekend

May 12, 2015 04:36PM, Published by Brenna McGowan, Categories: Wellness, Community

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons

Try this sampling of top dishes around the Sacramento Region

BY ALLEN PIERLEONI APIERLEONI@SACBEE.COM

02/18/2015 5:50 PM

02/19/2015 9:11 AM

Best of the wurst: Before it closed in 2012, Capitol Dawg in midtown was the top dog on the wurst scene. Now that title goes to Ruffhaus, with 20 kinds of dogs (and a very good pork schnitzel). Among the best is the Wolfsburg, a fat, beer-steamed bratwurst aboard a perfect bun, with sauerkraut and German mustard.

Ruffhaus Hot Dog. Co., 4355 Town Center Blvd., El Dorado Hills; (916) 941-3647, www.ruffhaushotdogco.com.

Nothing but the best for Café C

Café C chef and owner Yvan Chalaye is more than comfortable in his new kitchen; it’s as though he’s been there for years though the new restaurant beneath the Regal Theater opened Feb. 2. Chalaye checks the oven, flips seasoned beef in a pan, then turns to sip on a pilsner and easily chat  as an eclectic variety of music plays, from French disco to rock to country. Dressed in a Rolling Stones T-shirt and jeans, Chalaye is unfazed by his decision to revamp Café Campanile, moving to a smaller, bistro-like space that’s seen several restaurants over the years. “I’m a French chef,” Chalaye said. “It is who I am. This doesn’t feel like work to me.” Except when closed Sundays, Chalaye hasn’t missed a day of work since 1969. As delicious as his food is, it’s the atmosphere Chalaye’s created that keeps his loyal following coming back for food and friendship. A continuous, revolving door of patrons who have become dear friends pop back into the kitchen to chat or just to give him a hug. “We call him the hugging chef,” said El Dorado Hills resident and Chaleye’s customer of 25 years Dennis Gardemeyer. “I’m in here two to three times a week. We call his restaurant Cheers, where everybody knows your name.” Living stateside since 1972, and in El Dorado Hills since 1989, Chalaye is a proud American citizen. An American flag prominently stands  in his kitchen and he flashes the French and American flag tattoos on his arm. Chalaye recalled how Café Campanile was the first Town Center business, opening its doors in December 2003. At the 10-year mark, Chalaye and general manager Jeff Watson took stock of things and decided a move would allow them to hone their craft and give customers more of what they want. “Half of the space went to waste,” Watson said of Café Campanile on Town Center Boulevard, which occupied 3,600 square feet. Café C on Vine St. is a cozy 2,200. “In the winter people wanted to sit by the fire or by the bar,” Watson continued. “In the summer they wanted to sit outside or by the bar. So we wanted something smaller and where the bar would be a focal point.” Watson called Café C a bar atmosphere that also has an intimate dining area. Guests may also dine outdoors and there’s a side room for parties or those wanting more privacy. “We’re surrounded by casual dining options, but there’s nothing like this where you can get a nice glass of wine before the movies,” Watson said. “The food being good here is just a plus.” The décor, which Watson described as Mediterranean, southern France and northern Italy-influenced, remains the same.  This is Chalaye’s fifth restaurant, including the former Christophe’s in Folsom, but the first time he’s relocated. “We looked like a bunch of gypsies,” he said. There was no down time either. In fact, Café C opened before the lights went out at Café Campanile. A name change was in order for a couple of reasons too. “Campanile means ‘under the bell tower,’” Watson said. “But we’re not under the bell tower anymore. All our long-time customers started to call us Café or Café C anyway.” Chalaye said the menu remains the same, though they now offer “a lot of little dishes.” “You can’t say you’re spending a lot on French food,” he joked. He knows what works. “Everything’s been invented in 2015,” Chalaye said of searching for new influences. “French chefs always cook everything in a pan. Instead I like to play with things. I change the sauces.” There are starters like French onion soup, cheese platters and charcuterie, and his signature pate made with ham, veal, ground beef, garlic, herbs and pistachios. Main courses include coq au vin (whole chicken leg slow cooked in a red wine sauce with pearl onions and mushrooms), salmon and a grilled Niman Ranch hamburger topped with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese and house aioli. There are three steps to making the perfect hamburger, Chaleye said. “Grill, then pan fry, then oven. It keeps the meat moist.” Not only that, “It’s real meat,” he continued. “I buy nothing but the best. You can eat it medium rare. I don’t like when you go somewhere and you have to eat it well done.” “We’ve scaled down our big plates and have added more small plates,” Watson added. “Paninis will be coming soon. We’re offering more things for people to share. That’s how people dine now. They don’t want to spend $30 and that’s all they get. They want to share. Still, people would be up in arms if we changed the menu too much. We’ll always offer steak frites and beef bourguignon, things that make it French.” Chalaye is the sole chef at Café C, beginning to prep for each night’s dinner at 11 a.m. and he often doesn’t go home to his wife of 33 years until 2 a.m. “I take my work seriously, but it’s all about the people,” he said. “This is a new adventure. I love life. My friends come by; it’s like a big family.” Café C is open for dinner Monday through Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. ________________________________________________________________________________

Local restaurants optimistic about 2015

New locations open doors in Town Center

By: Laura Newell, Features Editor Laura Newell / The Telegraph Hop House Chef Tyler Mort, back, sits with owner Jason Enyeart, front. The American craft beer themed restaurant recently opened in El Dorado Hills’ Town Center El Dorado Hills Town Center is continuing to expand and offer new retail and restaurant options to the community. Town Center features a variety of shops, restaurants, nightlife, entertainment and amenities and recently added four new locations for shoppers and diners. After successfully opening four restaurants in the Sacramento region, Jason Enyeart recently launched Hop House next to Bistro 33 on the Waterfront. “I’ve worked in the restaurant business my entire life, starting as a busboy and working my way up the ranks,” Enyeart said.  Enyeart is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and recently moved back to El Dorado Hills in June. He wanted to join the craft beer movement with his new restaurant.  “Craft beer is gaining both popularity and respect,” he said. “30 years ago there were 50 craft breweries in the U.S.; today there are nearly 2,400.”  The restaurant offers beer and wine.  Enyeart said he plans to rotate his craft beers regularly and change the food menu seasonally with Chef Tyler Mort. Brainy Zoo Toys is also open at 4364 Town Center Blvd., Suite 118.  The toys store has been family owned and operated since 1982 and recently expanded to El Dorado Hills Town Center with a three month seasonal store.  Brainy Zoo Toys offers classic developmental and educational toys for children of all ages, said Natalie Buerki, Town Center marketing director. Little Star Boutique recently opened at 4364 Town Center Blvd., Suite 122.  “Little Star Boutique addresses a void in the infant, toddler and nursery market and provides a complete collection of unique and stylish items for the modern family,” Buerki said. “Parents can find the hottest styles in apparel, baby gear, gifts and nursery furniture that is functional and unique.”  The boutique also offers interior design services for all nursery needs. Town Center shoppers can look forward to the opening of America’s Mattress in mid-November at 4380 Town Center Blvd., Suite 100/110, Buerki said.  “With the success of their main store, Affordable Furniture & Blinds in Placerville, America’s Mattress will expand their mattress line to El Dorado Hills Town Center,” Buerki said.  America’s Mattress will provide a variety of mattress selections. For more information on all locations, visit eldoradohillstowncenter.com. ________________________________________________________________________________________

Holiday Caroling Contest- New for the El Dorado Hills Town Center Holiday Tree Lighting- Deadline November 10th

The Annual Holiday Tree Lighting will take place in El Dorado Hills Town Center on Saturday, November 29 from 4-8 p.m., in partnership with the El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce and the El Dorado Hills CSD.  This year, the event will feature a Holiday Caroling Contest as part of the entertainment, with three groups chosen to perform live onstage.   Groups of all ages are asked to submit entries via YouTube tomarketing@tcmgroupinc.com.  The song must be a recognizable holiday carol with a length of no more than 5 minutes.  Groups should have a minimum of 2 individuals and a maximum of 8.  Musical instrument playing is optional and a band will be provided at the live performance.  The deadline for entry is Monday, November 10.  Winners will be announced on November 14. The Holiday Tree Lighting kicks off at 4 p.m. with a merchant open house, where families will enjoy food, beverages and holiday entertainment.  The first 150 kids to arrive will be invited to play the “Stuff Your Stocking” game, where children visit participating businesses to fill their stockings with special gifts.  Enjoy live entertainment with the music of Five for Dinner from 5-6 p.m. The Holiday Caroling Contest will take place from 6-6:30 p.m. while families wait for Santa’s arrival on his traditional EDH fire truck to light the tree with magic glitter.  There will be kettle korn, face painting, cookies and hot chocolate! For more information, please visit eldoradohillstowncenter.com. Post information courtesy of El Dorado Hills Town Center. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Temple of Terror Haunted House Benefiting Hands 4 Hope

Date: October 12, 2014 Fox 40 News Click here to see video! ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Family Fun at EDH Town Center Easter Eggstravaganza

Date: April 12, 2014

• By: Lydia McNabb
• Photography By: Lionel Reyes

The El Dorado Hills Town Center was a sight to behold when thousands of children and adults alike flocked the Steven Young Amphitheater for the 3rd Annual Easter Eggstravaganza. Children of all ages joined the hunt for more than 5000 Easter eggs, separated into four zones for each of the different age groups. While all of the eggs held candy or toys, most had coupons inside for El Dorado Hills Town Center businesses where children could walk to and redeem extra special prizes. Altogether, the businesses in the Town Center donated more than 4000 items to help make the Easter celebration a hit. Natalie Buerki, Marketing Director for El Dorado Hills Town Center, organized the event, and volunteers from Young Life of El Dorado County and Interact Club of Oak Ridge High School loaned their hands to the cause, as well. Carnival games were sponsored by It’s Kids Time, and the event also included face painting, balloon artists, music, a magic show and a special appearance by the Easter Bunny himself! The day concluded with a raffle for a giant chocolate bunny. “When The Mansuer Company built the development, they wanted it to be a community,” said Jen Ostrode, Marketing Consultant for El Dorado Hills Town Center. “This annual community event brings everyone together, is super fun, … and is a staple for the year.” Sofia & Marco Lara Amanda, Wyatt, Mary Elizabeth & Anthony Hawkins Peter Cottontail dancing the bunny hop with the kids Pattycakes The Clown  with Ashley & Emily _________________________________________________________________________________

Service and a ‘sense of urgency’ define Nick Dedier, owner of Aji Japanese Bistro

cmacias@sacbee.com (Chris Macias) Posted:  02/05/2014 12:00 AM Taking a lap around the dining room at his Aji Japanese Bistro in El Dorado Hills, Nick Dedier is searching for clues about his customers. A phone on the table means a diner is probably in a hurry. A smiling couple with their bodies angled toward passing servers means they’re ready for drinks. Someone sitting solo with slouched shoulders – the universal body language for “it’s been a rough day” – perhaps calls for a complimentary plate of shishito peppers as a pick-me-up. “Service is a craft, just like being in the kitchen is a craft,” Dedier said. “Knowing how to serve tables, read people’s posture, the language you use – it’s all the little things you focus on. We’re so focused on chefs and the farm-to-fork thing, but if you don’t have the right person to connect the guest with that message, the whole message is lost.” Dedier,  34, honed this intuition by serving some of the country’s most discriminating diners. He’s the former general manager of Ad Hoc in Yountville, the ode to quality, comfort and family-style foods by Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame; he also managed Restaurant Gary Danko in San Francisco. The rest of Dedier’s résumé resembles a Zagat guide of fine American restaurants: Daniel Boulud Brasserie, Jean-Georges Prime Steakhouse, Bouchon Bistro, Auberge Resorts. Now Dedier, an Elk Grove native, has returned to the Sacramento area, launching Aji Japanese Bistro in December, his first ownership project. He’s joined by Russell Okubo, former executive chef of Fat’s Family Restaurants and The Firehouse. Their relationship goes back two decades, when Dedier was a high school kid earning his first paychecks. They’re banking on Aji’s menu of Asian street foods, sushi and Japanese-inspired dishes to connect with diners in an increasingly competitive culinary scene. Dedier hopes to instill some Thomas Keller-isms of high attention to detail and grace under the pressure of nightly service. He knows Sacramento doesn’t yet have the same kind of service talent pool as the Napa Valley or other food-centric cities. But as Aji’s tables continue to fill with diners on this recent night, Dedier remains undeterred. “We’re not trying to do anything precious,” Dedier said. “It’s about the entire production: good food, friendly people, a great beverage selection. I wanted to build a place that I’d like to eat in.” New site has links to past With Aji, Dedier’s career has essentially come full circle – in more ways than one. The sleek, 4,200-square-foot restaurant is housed in the Campanile building at El Dorado Hills Town Center, a massive shopping center with more than 750,000 square feet of retail space, swanky European architecture and a man-made lake. Aji combines two spaces that were once a Quiznos sandwich shop and a Strings Italian Cafe, a Sacramento-area chain that specializes in pasta and Italian comfort foods. Aji, with its rustic wood furnishings and copy of “A Day in the Life of The French Laundry” as reading material in the lounge, has shed the space’s remnants of fast-casual dining. Dedier can’t help but notice the irony of setting up his first restaurant at a former Strings, where he started his restaurant career as a dishwasher decades ago. Through Aji, Dedier also has been reunited with Okubo, who gave Dedier his first job as a server at Sumo Sushi in Elk Grove. Dedier’s family members were regulars at Sumo Sushi, to the point Okubo cooked pot pies and pot roast for the family as a way of switching up their menu options. Okubo and Dedier’s dad became fishing buddies. At 17, Nick was hired as a server, showing an acumen for service almost immediately. “He was always very confident in himself and the way he handled customer relations,” Okubo said. “Some people aren’t meant to be servers, but he was comfortable talking to people and (was) really good at that.” Dedier was raised near Elk Grove High School, where he was an honoree of the school’s Academic Awards program and played on its tennis team. Like many young people growing up in the greater Sacramento region, Dedier thought of pursing a career in state government, lured by the promise of steady paychecks and health benefits. Dedier’s father, Nick Sr., had served as chief information officer for the California Department of Justice. He studied government and religious studies at California State University, Sacramento. But Dedier was always drawn to the rush of restaurant work, whether it was serving tables around Sacramento at Applebee’s or Elephant Bar. He eventually enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., to study culinary arts. “That’s where I let my hair down,” Dedier said. “I’m a restaurant lifer.” Team concept stressed Back at Aji, a sound jolts Dedier to attention, the way an early morning alarm clock shocks someone from sleep. Clank! Dedier perks up, furls his brow and rises suddenly from a table where he’s watching the night’s service unfold. A server has dropped a knife onto the concrete floor. That clank! shouldn’t happen. The server, while earnest in her attempt to clear a table of four, is overwhelmed by the amount of plates and silverware on her tray. It’s a signal that the floor staff aren’t watching out for one another. Dedier follows the server back to the kitchen. “Nobody should have to clear a table of four by themselves,” Dedier said later. “At the end of the day, you should never be afraid to ask for help. Don’t try and do it on your own, even if it looks like you could. Remember, you have a team to support you, and to welcome that support.” Dedier learned these service principles working in top-rated eateries. He spent his Culinary Institute of America externship at Jean-Georges Prime Steakhouse in Las Vegas, a veritable temple of fine meats at the Bellagio Hotel overseen by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. There, Dedier connected with the pageantry of dinner service while cultivating the interpersonal skills used by high-end servers. Returning to school after his externship, Dedier served as a maitre d’ in the class dining room. “My externship was the first time I’d seen that servers could be professionals,” said Dedier. “It was a professional dining room team, not just the middle management Applebee’s guy. There were suits and ties, and wine, and sommeliers – and it was pretty fabulous.” ‘Sense of Urgency’ A sign declaring one of Keller’s mottos is posted in Aji’s kitchen: “Sense of Urgency.” You’ll find a similar sign placed under a clock in The French Laundry’s kitchen and other Keller establishments. It’s become a mantra for those who work for Keller, the only American chef to hold three Michelin stars at two different restaurants. Dedier hopes to instill this same principle of focus and thriving in high-pressure situations with his Aji staff. Dedier operated under this “sense of urgency” during his management stints at Keller’s Ad Hoc and Bouchon Bistro. He still does. “It’s something we live by,” said Dedier. “It’s multitasking, knowing the product, communication, confidence – and staying calm. Those who stay calm in this business tend to thrive.” Dedier had applied these ideals around the country, but ultimately, he craved a taste of home. Like many restaurant industry veterans, no matter how good your boss might be, owning an eatery is usually the goal. Dedier had been away from Sacramento for the better part of a decade, apart from a short stint as director of operations during the 2012 remodel of Piatti Ristorante on Fair Oaks Boulevard. He’d seen Sacramento’s restaurant scene bloom from a few key spots to a full-blown food movement. The time was ripe to return. “In the food and beverage industry, you’re either a nomad, or you can put down roots,” Dedier said. “I was a nomad, working for group after group, and trying to figure out where I fit in. In order to have a restaurant, you have to settle down. My family is here, and that was a driving force.” Dedier had stayed in touch over the years with Okubo, who remained a fishing buddy with his father. Okubo had been consulting for the food and beverage program at Casino Royale in North Sacramento, and was looking for a new project. Okubo was also friendly with one of Nick’s uncles, who owned Early Toast Restaurant & Mimosa House, which previously operated a location in the El Dorado Hills Town Center. Okubo learned of some available space in the high-end shopping center, and thought of his former Sumo Sushi server becoming his business partner. “I had been watching his travels and kept in touch,” Okubo said. “I needed someone with his experience to handle the front of house. I asked if he had any interest and it just fell on a plate for us. … It’s one of those things that happens for a reason.” Aji means “taste” in Japanese, but the menu also includes nods to Chinese, Korean and other Asian foods. The sushi bar is tucked into the back of the restaurant and lists a fairly streamlined menu of rolls and sashimi. You won’t find much at Aji in the way of deep-fried and mayonnaise-loaded rolls, which has come to define much of the sushi experience around Sacramento. Ramen, pork-belly buns and other Asian street foods also figure prominently on the Aji menu. Dedier and Okubo take a kind of tag-team approach. Dedier focuses on keeping service smooth in the dining room, while Okubo oversees the kitchen and its creations. They both take time to stop by tables to chat up customers, knowing a personal connection can go a long ways for repeat business. “The food has to be good, but the service has to be as good as the food,” Okubo said. “He’s good at remembering names and I’m not. He’s way more artistic than I am. But we both have the same vision of what a dish or flavor should be. Partnerships are tough, but the way it works with us is a very good and strange thing.” Recruiting a staff able to reliably execute the high level of service was no easy task. Instead of relying on experience alone, Dedier sought out specific personality types. He said he waded through about 300 applications and selected 75 for interviews. Enthusiasm won the day “During the interviews I’d ask a couple of questions about their experience and then put the résumé aside,” said Dedier. “I’d say, ‘You worked at Blue Nami or Olive Garden for three years. What was your favorite thing on the menu?’ I’d (say), ‘Tell me what you did this last weekend.’ Those who told me something like they went hiking, and they had a great day, and had all this enthusiasm – those were the people I hired.” Dedier now oversees a staff of 50, including hosts, bartenders and servers. He started training the staff about five weeks before Aji’s opening in early December, emphasizing customer service, knowledge of the menu and the protocol he expected. “I said, ‘This is who I am, this is who we’re going to be, and are you on board?’ ” Dedier said. “We’re aiming for comfortable service – not casual, but very confident. Confidence is fun, and confidence breeds fun.” Dedier sees his role as something similar to the conductor of a symphony. And every night is different, so his symphony often has to sight-read new material in front of an audience. As a new restaurant owner, Dedier is getting a new perspective on the business, whether it’s cutting $20,000 payroll checks (“For a big restaurant group, that’s nothing, but when it’s yours, ahh!”) or feeling just how intensely personal the operation has become to him (“I’d done this for other people, but I wasn’t prepared for the emotional reaction you have to the nuts and bolts of it”). But now, another table for two needs to be seated. Dedier’s Spidey-sense of service starts to kick in: Does their body language make it look like a first date? Might this be an anniversary dinner? Dedier knows that filling a belly doesn’t mean much without a personal touch. “You shouldn’t have to pay for hospitality,” Dedier said. “It doesn’t cost anything.” Aji Japanese Bistro; 4361 Town Center Blvd., Suite 111, El Dorado Hills; hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; (916) 941-9181 ____________________________________________________________________________

Running store opens in El Dorado Hills

Noel Neuburger | Sacramento Business Journal

Gold Country Run + Sport opens 10 a.m. Friday in the El Dorado Hills Town Center.

Sonya Sorich

Staff Writer and Social Engagement Manager- Sacramento Business Journal

A new specialty running store opens Friday in El Dorado Hills — offering plenty of options for fitness enthusiasts ready to combat a deluge of holiday calories.

Gold Country Run + Sport opens 10 a.m. in the El Dorado Hills Town Center. The 3,000-square-foot store will offer running and walking shoes, apparel and running-related products.

Special features include a 100-model shoe display, a nutrition bar, a runner and community lounge area and a video gait system to ensure customers’ shoes fit properly. The store will also offer a kids’ zone.

“We have performed a significant amount of market research over the past year and are confident that our community not only needs a store like Gold Country Run + Sport, but deserves it,” Leon Shahinian, manager and co-owner of the store, said in a news release.

The store’s website includes an event calendar featuring local races. Gold Country Run + Sport expects to host weekly group runs that will begin and end at the store.

Gold Country Run + Sport is located at 4370 Town Center Blvd., Suite 150. It expects to host its formal grand opening ceremony in January.

*Sonya Sorich is social engagement manager and a staff writer at the Sacramento Business Journal. She oversees social media activity and writes about retailing and small business.

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Cathie Anderson: Placerville gelato maker moving to El Dorado Town Center in January

2013 El Dorado Hills Holiday Tree Lighting

By: Photos by Menka Belgal

Santa makes his way down the isle greeting hundreds of excited kids.

Radio Disney’s Rockin’ Road Show entertained the crowd in El Dorado Hills Town Center on November 30th before Santa and Mrs. Claus’s arrival at 6:30 and the tree lighting a short time thereafter.  The first 125 kids to arrive at the event received a stocking each and filled them up with gifts from participating stores. This was El Dorado Hills’s 49th tree lighting.

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Aji Bistro Coming to El Dorado Hills

By Chris Macias cmacias@sacbee.com

   An alum of the Thomas Keller Group and one of Sacramento’s longtime chefs have joined forces for an upcoming Japanese restaurant.

Best Places In Sacramento To Watch The Sunset

October 26, 2013 5:00 AM It’s been a good day. Time to wrap it up with the sunset. Where do you go? Take your pick of places sprinkled about the area that all have spots to watch the beauty of the setting sun. Keep your camera charged and ready, you’ll need it El Dorado Hills Town Center 4364 Town Center Blvd. El Dorado Hills, CA 95762 (916) 933-6699 www.eldoradohillstowncenter.com Take a short drive to El Dorado Hills and look to the west. This little bit of elevation will give you a great view down into the valley. The shops here are a beautiful backdrop for your sunset-viewing experience. Watch the sun fade out and then enjoy a meal or dessert at one of the eateries that dot the center. It’s a fine way to see the day dip below the horizon. Related: Best Spots To Spend A Summer Day With Your Family In Sacramento ______________________________________________________________________

EDH Fire remembers 9/11

A large American flag flapped in the breeze as it hung some 50 feet in the air above the El Dorado Hills Town Center courtyard, a presentation set up by El Dorado Hills Fire Department staff to honor 9/11 victims on the attack’s 12th anniversary. Every year since the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as the Pennsylvania plane crash, that killed 2,977 people the department has done something to commemorate the event and honor its heroes; 343 of the victims were firefighter/paramedics and 60 were law enforcement officers. Last Wednesday’s event, paired with an El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce mixer hosted by Tony Mansour and Kevin Nagle, also included a performance by the El Dorado Hills Firefighter Pipe and Drum band and live music.

El Dorado Hills firefighter Sean Ward holds the American flag as Capt. Russ Hasemeier, center, and engineer Mike LeBlanc ready the pole on an old El Dorado Hills fire truck. The crew hung the flag 50 feet in the air over El Dorado Hills Town Center to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and honor those who lost their lives. Village Life photo by Noel Stack

Village Life photo by Noel Stack

EDH firefighter Sean Ward keeps the flag from touching the ground as it’s raised on the ladder. Village Life photo by Noel Stack

EDH firefighter Sean Ward watches the American flag wave in the wind as it’s raised into the air. Village Life photo by Noel Stack

The EDH fire truck ladder extends out with the American flag shining in the sun. Village Life photo by Noel Stack

Drivers travel under the American flag hanging 50 feet above the road through El Dorado Hills Town Center. Village Life photo by Noel Stack

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Vivek Ranadive & Mark Mastrov Talk Kings Offseason Moves

July 11, 2013 8:05 PM

El Dorado Hills Town Center 4th Annual Fireworks Jubilee Tonight!

Live on the Boulevard Returns to El Dorado Hills Town Center

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up in El Dorado Hills! Town Center’s  concert series, Live on the Boulevard, is back with a 13 show line-up running June 20th through September 19th in the Steven Young Amphitheater. With a new time, 6:30-8:30p.m., the series kicks off Thursday, June 20th, with Petty Theft, a Tom Petty Tribute band that is sure to get everyone on their feet, and ends with a rockin’ show from Journey Unauthorized. This year there will be a special bonus performance by the Folsom Symphony on September 19th.  The orchestra consists of 65 talented volunteer musicians who perform at Folsom Lake College’s Three Stages Theater. Concert viewing set-up will begin at 5p.m., and attendees are welcome to bring blankets and chairs to settle in for the show. Live on the Boulevard Band Line-Up:

• June 20 – Petty Theft  (Tom Petty Tribute)
• June 27 – Front Fenders
• July 11 – Todd Morgan and the Emblems
• July 18 – Summer of Love
• July 25 – Super Huey  (Huey Lewis and the News Tribute)
• August 1 – Cash Prophets  (Johnny Cash Tribute)
• August 8 – Preston Turner
• August 15 – The Rising  (Bruce Springsteen Tribute)
• August 22 – Stompy Jones
• August 29 – Skynnyn Lynnyrd (Tribute)
• September 5 – Chris Cain
• September 12 – Journey Unauthorized  (Tribute)
• September 19 – Folsom Symphony

For more information, please visit eldoradohillstowncenter.com.

Transforming a Community

Covered by: El Dorado County Business Guide February 2013 Mansour was a former electronics retailer with a couple small development projects to his credit when those instincts kicked in on a July day in 1979, screaming at him to snap up a “town for sale,” in otherwise rural El Dorado County. The resulting decision created the El Dorado Hills we know today. At the time, El Dorado Hills was another visionary developer’s dream gone bust, an 11,000- acre master-planned community of discreet village launched by Alan Lindsey in the early 1960s. When Mansour arrived it was in the hands of Lindsey’s creditors at the John Hancock Insurance Company, who found themselves in the real estate business during the recessionary 1970s, and must surely have been motivated sellers. They were disposing of Lindsey’s parcels piecemeal through a local real estate agent. Two hours after walking in the door, Mansour put a$50,000 check into the shocked agent’s hands, a deposit on the balance of Lindsey’s former holdings, an estimated 8,000 acres of what would later become Serrano, Blackstone, Town Center and a dozen or so out-parcels, some of the most valuable land in Northern California. Mansour tried to explain the impulsive decision recently. “I just fell in love with it … I had no idea what to do with it … All I knew was I wanted it. ”It took a full 20 months to find suitable partners, arrange financing and close the deal. At the time El Dorado Hills consisted of the original Lindsey villages: Park, Governors, St. Andrews and Crown, with the new and luxurious Ridgeview Village a work in progress in an otherwise flat housing market. El Dorado Hills’ 1,000th residence wouldn’t come until the early 1980s, when another visionary local developer, Mike Winn, master planned Stonegate Village, according to former Raley’s store manager Dennis Ferguson. Commercial activity at the time consisted of Raley’s, a video store and Del Haven’s 76 Station. Mansour’s new holdings were so disbursed that he didn’t discover the dramatic terrain and views that would become Serrano until a 1984 helicopter tour. He saw the possibility of a luxury housing project anchored by a golf course and country club, and later brought in the prestigious Urban Land Institute to validate his hunch. His specific plan for Serrano was approved by the county in 1988. Mansour immediately sold the 3,500-acre Serrano site to yet more El Dorado Hills visionaries, Bill Parker of Parker Development, David Lucchetti of Pacific Coast Building Products and Lou Riggs of Teichert Engineering. Their project, Serrano, attracted affluent residents from overcrowded coastal cities and changed the face of El Dorado Hills forever. Mansour turned his attention to Town Center, and his conceptual plan, which called for a regional mall of some sort, but large malls were already fading in popularity, and Folsom was rapidly becoming a big box shopping destination. He’d seen tasteful lifestyle centers in his travels, and aspired to create something similar in El Dorado Hills. His largest challenge was a seasonal tributary of Carson Creek that bisected Town Center, hamstringing his plans with environmental constraints. While he was weighing his options, Walmart expanded into California and in 1994 he found a top-dollar offer for 15-acres on his desk. “I had to decide if I wanted to split up Town Center, sell it off and leave, or stick it out long haul and make it what we wanted it to be,” he recalled. His son Louis was at his side and full of ideas for the lifestyle center. The father couldn’t turn down a chance to work with his son. He sent Walmart packing — they went to Placerville — and turned his attention back to Town Center, returning to the county with a revised Town Center plan in 1995.To get there, Louis worked closely with state and local agencies, earning permission to move the tributary 500 feet north and east. The move cleared the way for a main street and made the large parcel which now hosts Nugget Market possible. It also created the popular water feature and wildlife sanctuary. The new plan included a mix of commercial uses: financial, hotel, dining and destination entertainment, including a movie theater at the eastern terminus of the main drag. Town Center opened for business in 1997 with Chevron and Texaco gas stations, the Post Office, and McDonalds. The following year Louis Mansour began the main street’s detail design work. He mixed architectural styles and rooflines in a mash-up of European influences that mimicked the way small towns evolve. He found 120-year old olive trees to create the sense that an orchard might have predated the retail center. Indigenous rock faces the bridge across the lake and forms the banks. Tony Mansour brought in Doug Weile as leasing agent, with the goal of filling the main street with owner-operated small businesses. Larger commercial enterprises, including a Mercedes dealer at one end and Target at the other, would share parking and support the core. He recalls the entitlement process was long, contentious and expensive. County officials mistrusted his plans and instincts, insisting on a four-lane main street, which the Mansours insisted would destroy the ambiance of their main street. “We fought so hard for the narrow streets,” recalled Tony Mansour, who stuck to his guns and was eventually allowed his two-lane main street and the requisite on-street parking. As an owner-builders, they were able to pace their build out to the market and be selective about their tenants. The result is a walkable mixed-use center that’s become a target destination for shopping, dining and entertainment in the region, and a true hometown center for the residents of El Dorado Hills, who praise its charm and flock to it by the thousands for special events. “We never dreamed El Dorado Hills would support 20 restaurants, but here they are,” said Tony Mansour, with more than a hint of pride. Partners have come and gone over the years, the most recent and formidable being Kevin Nagle, the CEO and President of Envision Pharmaceuticals who Mansour credits with saving Town Center from foreign investors in 2011. “Kevin brings the corporate and financial strength to see my vision through,” said Mansour. Assemblywoman Beth Gaines (R-Rocklin) attended the Mansour Company Christmas party and presented Tony Mansour an Assembly Proclamation recognizing his contributions to El Dorado Hills and El Dorado County. The Town Center magnate was gracious, a man at peace with his life’s work, comfortable with his legacy and confident in Town Center’s future, with or without him at the helm.