Chamber welcomes eclectic group of new stores with ribbon cuttings
The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce was working rain or shine this week, welcoming new businesses and owners into the city’s ranks.
Despite the downpours in Santa Monica Wednesday evening, the city’s business community came out in force to support PicklePop, an indoor pickleball club bringing seasoned pros and first-timers together on the Third Street Promenade. The chamber held a social mixer at PicklePop with co-founder Erin Robertson, including a ribbon cutting ceremony welcoming the court as the latest Promenade business venture.
The 10,000 sq ft pickleball space at 1231 Third Street Promenade also holds a bar and hangout areas, along with all the courts and equipment needed to play the fast-rising sport. Robertson, a fashion designer who won season 15 of reality television series Project Runway in 2016, co-founded the space alongside Stephanie McCaffrey, a former professional soccer player in the National Women’s Soccer League. PicklePop is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday-Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, visit picklepop.co.
On Thursday, the Chamber held two more events, one for We Rock the Spectrum indoor playground and gym at 1909 Santa Monica Boulevard, and the other for Western Window Systems Architectural Design Studio at 2866 Colorado Avenue. Nicole Coleman has been the owner of We Rock the Spectrum for 18 months, combining youthful activities with crucial lessons in social and behavioral development. “With us, we have kind of a small family here … it’s vital because there are just not enough resources out there for families, but also because what we are establishing is a family of our own,” Coleman said.
The playground is a space for inclusivity, helping children with special needs and children on the spectrum by teaching social skills. The gym also includes those not on the spectrum, with Coleman noting that all the children “tend to teach each other.” The space can be used for everything from parent drop-off to classes, art classes, open playtime and birthday parties.
“As a parent, I learned a tremendous amount from Nicole and the other staff here, helpful tips about helping my daughter share with other kids … it really is our home away from home,” said local parent Karen Rhodes. We Rock the Spectrum is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, and from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call 310-586-2629.
The Western Window Systems studio is a collaborative meeting space that doubles as a showroom with various hardware options on display. The innovative hub for architects, builders and dealers can be reached at 877-398-9643 or at westernwindowsystems.com.
“This design studio serves as a true testament of our unwavering commitment to expand and deliver customer-centric innovation to new markets and geographies,” said Jeff Jackson, President and CEO of PGT Innovations. “We are in the business of enhancing people’s lives, and this design studio will allow us to easily showcase our cutting-edge products and manufacturing capabilities in one space for our architect, builder, and dealer partners.”
