Bringing Local Businesses Together in a Place They Can Expand and Flourish
Written by Amanda Cascadden / Business & Work, Entertainment & Dining, Leisure & Travel / June 04, 2017
“Make an empty space in any corner of your mind, and creativity will instantly fill it.” -Dee Hock
Tucked away on a popular road in Carlsbad sits the Carlsbad Gateway Center, a privately owned center that is home to a collection of fantastic businesses open to the public. I sat down with Toni Adamopoulos, who has been the full time property manager since 2005, to talk more about these businesses and what they have to offer. I also took a tour around the property to visit many of them, and was pleasantly impressed! The best part about most of these businesses is that you can actually watch them making their product right there on site! Most locations have large windows looking into the manufacturing/production side of the process. What an incredible grouping of local companies! Watch the video for the full story:
The owners of the Carlsbad Gateway Center are very involved with the day to day operations of the businesses that are housed here. Toni explains in the interview how refreshing it is to work for a company who truly goes through a lot of thought and focus to bring in the best tenants for the area. They are focused on fostering “makers” or the people behind the business, along with health & wellness professionals.
It is an incubator park, with most spaces being around 1500 square feet, which is pretty small for this type of environment. Some tenants take more than one space, but for the average startup, Carlsbad Gateway Centerhas plenty of options for those that couldn’t get into a regular industrial park. Because of the special zoning here in Carlsbad, this gateway center is a wonderful collaboration of businesses, and once they start to grow, the center can easily allow for that, helping businesses get into larger and larger spaces on the premises as needed.
As Toni says, “Where else can you go where you can get your taxes done, go get a facial, grab a beer, buy some workout clothes, get a kombucha and buy some bread?” Being at the Carlsbad Gateway Center, you’re not in the hustle and bustle of downtown, and although you’re not in the main village of Carlsbad, you’re in a park like setting, where trees are being replaced as they need to, with fruit trees for a more useful setting. Although we did not see every business in the park, we did have the pleasure of visiting a few very exciting places!:
Happy Pantry – At Happy Pantry, they ferment anything and everything. Mostly fruits and vegetables, and they create delicious kombucha, which I tried for my first time on my visit to Carlsbad Gateway Center. Happy Pantry really believes in the health benefits of the culture, and they are starting the process of providing education to the public also so that others can begin to learn more about the benefits of fermentation.
Prager Bros. – Prager Bros was started by two brothers in a small backyard. Eventually they made it to the Carlsbad Gateway Center, where you can stop by and watch their breads and delicious pastries being made almost daily. The passion these brothers have for what they do is unmatched. They serve organic products that they really care about. They started with just bread, but now have expanded to cookies and other delectable pastries.
Oh Juice – At Oh Juice! I met Katie, a passionate employee, who explained a lot about cold pressed juices and how much better they are for you than home pressed juices. You can watch the juice being pressed right there through the large glass window if you stop by Oh Juice. You will be sure to find juices you like (and maybe a few that you don’t) and make a point to talk to one of the employees about the benefits of this incredible process. You will not regret it.
Overall, if you love the farmer’s markets in town, but don’t love the farmer’s market experience necessarily, the Carlsbad Gateway Center is a perfect place to visit. There is plenty of parking, and the businesses are open much more often than one day a week! If you’re a fan of these fabulous businesses, I encourage you to come and visit, meet these owners and creators, and talk with them about their products and how they truly benefit San Diego. Do you come to the Carlsbad Gateway Center already? What is your favorite business you’ve visited? We’d love to hear from you!
