contents

6 Welcome

Messages from the Chamber of Commerce President & Board Chair

8 Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors and Chamber Staff

  Business Spotlights

10 Main Street’s Gente Market

11  Harbor Boulevard’s Urban Punjab

12  Little Saigon’s Van Nguyen Gordon Insurance & Financial Services

14  West Garden Grove’s Moongoat Coffee

16  West Garden Grove’s Orange County Vision Center

18 Events Calendar

Upcoming Not-to-Miss Chamber Events

20 Chamber Committees

Check Out Our Committees

22 New Members

We Welcome Our New Chamber Members

Garden Grove Communicator is a publication of

the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce.

12866 Main St., Suite 102

Garden Grove, CA 92840-5298

Office: 714-638-7950 | Fax: 714-636-6672

Information: 800-959-5560 | gardengrovechamber.com

ceo@gardengrovechamber.com

This is a MetroMedia, A Town Square Publications Company, publication created and produced for the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce

Copyright © 2023 MetroMedia, a company of Town Square Publications, LLC.

14300 Kenneth Rd., Ste. 210 Leawood, KS 66224

913-951-8413 | www.MetroMediaPublishers.com

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication. The Chamber and MetroMedia assume no responsibility for misinformation. Please contact the Chamber with any additions or corrections. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of the Chamber and MetroMedia is prohibited.

Managing Director | David Small

Director of Production | Ryan Moore

Pre-Production Manager | Stefanie Nugara

Project Manager | Mike Nickells

Editor | Mia Katz

Sales Executive | Tyler Busby

A Message from the

President & CEO

Dear Chamber Members and the business community,

It is an honor and privilege to be selected as the new President & CEO of the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce. Being welcomed to such a great community is heartwarming and I’m enjoying getting to know the people here.

I’m new to Garden Grove and I wanted this issue to highlight some of our members from different areas of the city- Harbor Boulevard (Grove District), West Garden Grove, downtown Main Street, and Little Saigon. This city has SO much to offer with its diverse and vibrant business community on all sides. I am blessed and fortunate to work here.

The past few months since I started have been exciting. In September, we held the Silver Spoons Awards spearheaded by our Women’s Division. It was a great afternoon honoring volunteers from our local nonprofits. Shortly after, we hosted a “Meet and Greet your new President & CEO” at the Chamber office. It was a way for me to introduce myself to our members and show off our refreshed meeting space. At the end of the month, I had a chance to present my vision for the year at our Board Retreat at NOVA Kitchen. We also had our annual Golf Classic at Willowick Golf Course, co-hosted by the Community Foundation.

We had an awesome turnout at our Leadership Luncheon and Membership Appreciation event in October. So much to celebrate! November brought us our Bowling Tournament, one of our biggest fundraisers and so many of our members and community gathered together for a fun night and friendly competition.

Our monthly in-person Business & Education Meetings and Government Affairs Meetings via Zoom have had wonderful speakers, and our evening networking mixers have been successful and well attended.

The holidays treated us well with more networking events and celebrations.

We hit the ground running as we welcomed the new year. Look for further enhancements, additional benefits, and more opportunities to connect. Together, we can do great things!

Sincerely,

Claudette J. Baldemor

President & CEO

A Message from the

chamber chair

Hello Garden Grove and Chamber of Commerce members,

We had a great 2022 and looking forward to what the new year will bring us.

We welcomed a new CEO and since then we have had several community events that I would like to highlight and thank all involved.

The Board Installation/Membership Appreciation was on October 19. We officially installed Robert Emanuel and Van Nguyen Gordon to the board. We also honored Sandy Thomas, who recently retired and served on the Chamber board for over 20 years. Kit Gutierrez was selected as the “Director of Year.” Congratulations and thank you to all!

In December, we had a very successful Holiday Mixer hosted by the Hyatt Regency Orange County. It was great to mix and mingle with our members and city officials. We even had a surprise visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

2023 will be another year full of events. We are looking forward to seeing you at our After Work Mixers, Luncheons, State of the City, Annual Gala, Golf Classic and much more.

Upcoming events will be on our website www.gardengrovechamber.com

2022-2023 Chairman,

Jon Glant

2022/2023 Board of Directors

LEADERSHIP CABINET

Jon Glant

Chair of the Board

Edward Jones

Dr. True McMahan, MD

Vice Chair

Garden Grove Hospital Medical Center

Susie Clisson

Immediate Past Chair

West County Goodyear Tire

Jim DeMaio

CFO

Errol Giuliano

Past Chair

Giulianos’ Specialty Foods

Executive Secretary

Clay Bock

Ambassador Committee Chair

Integrity Jewelers

Norman Kerechuk

Business & Education Committee Chair

GK Design International, Inc.

Michael Johnson

Community Affairs Chair

Republic Services/GG Disposal

Dr. Les Malo

Government Affairs Committee Chair

Garden Grove Dog & Cat Hospital

Stephanie Nguyen-Yu

Membership Committee Chair

Burnham Benefits Insurance Services

Kit Gutierrez

Social Media & Marketing Committee Chair

Great Wolf Lodge So California

Pam Macneil

Women’s Division Committee Chair

Ardent Care

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dave Barisic

Brandywine Homes

Efrain Davalos, Jr.

California Fuels &
Lubricants

Dr. Paul de Dios

Cypress College

Julio Flores

Residence Inn Anaheim Resort Area Garden Grove

Joe Hu

Garden Grove
Shell #1

Tim Ibrahim

Carolina’s Italian Restaurant

J.J. Jauregui

Azteca Restaurant & Lounge

Ric Lerma

iClean Commercial Cleaning Services, Inc.

Russell J. LoBue

Kaiser Permanente

Elaine Myers

Orange County Emergency Pet Clinic

Robert Emanuel

Debello Agency

Van Nguyen-Gordon

Van Gordon Insurance & Financial Services

Garden Grove Chamber

of Commerce Staff

Claudette J. Baldemor

President & CEO

Sunny Ruvalcaba-Medel

Member Services

2022 MAN &
WOMAN OF THE YEAR

David Skelton

Susan Lerma

BUSINESS Spotlight

Members Across the Garden Grove Map

Members of the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce reside all over the city.

The following are professionals representative of each of these areas.

Main Street’s Gente Market

By Dave Hoffman

Residents of Garden Grove no longer have to go to Los Angeles if they want to browse for artisanal products or other independently made creations in the spirit of an open air marketplace. In fact, Gente Market on Main Street offers a permanent location for shoppers seeking a variety of curated gifts from local artisans.

“We started in Santa Ana where I was born and raised, and I saw a deficit in my own community,” said Owner Alexis Garcez. “Most events happen in the bigger counties.”

The store is supported by some businesses who deal on a consignment basis and others who pay a monthly rate for the shelf space. Vendors can get anywhere from one to five feet of shelf space, with anywhere from one to three vendors on a given shelf.

“One half is a curated gift shop. We have 10 different brands, some are handmade, some are boutique items like children’s clothing.” said Garcez. “The other part is used for a creative workshop place. It’s open to the community and people of all ages, depending on the theme, it’s a place to be creative and shop and support locally owned businesses all in one place.”

The creative workshops include activities like a sip and paint for kids, a holiday card workshop, and a succulent workshop.

Garcez began running open air markets in 2019. She was briefly sidelined when the Covid lockdowns hit, but was also able to benefit from the need for outdoor activities that accompanied the reopening. “It was a nice opportunity, since we helped a lot of small businesses get started,” she said. “A lot of businesses we work with, we have worked with since the very beginning. There are a lot of unique stories within each business.”

Although Garcez is technically the sole owner of the store, she considers herself a part of a robust community. “I work alongside all the vendors, and it almost feels like a co-op model because I like to include them in the process and growth,” she said. “There are a lot of creative people and business owners who we work together with to create workshops and bring new items to the store.”

The atmosphere of downtown Garden Grove also helps with the community vibes.

“It has a small town feel which isn’t common in Orange County because life is busy,” she said. “I’m looking forward to connecting with other local business owners and using my own experience with events in general to be an asset to the community.”

For more information, visit http://gentenightmarket.com.

Business Spotlight

Harbor Boulevard’s Urban Punjab

By Dave Hoffman

Urban Punjab is a Pakistani/Indian restaurant that is built on a bedrock of authentic food, customer service, and modern ambiance. Diners reap the health benefits of herbs and spices while enjoying homestyle cuisine in a welcoming environment.

The owner, Amina Naeem, was born in Sialkot, Pakistan, surrounded by a family full of foodies. Some of her earliest and fondest memories are “coming back from school, walking into the aroma of home cooked Punjabi food” cooked fresh daily by her mother. Naeem was never formally trained, but these childhood memories and her passion for food led her to try and learn some of the most authentic recipes very young, from her very first teacher, her Ammi Jaan (beloved mother).

“We grew up in families where food was very important,” said Naeem. “Health is important, and food plays an important role. We use herbs which are important for health, as well as spices. People are discovering that turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, cloves, and nutmeg are very beneficial to health. In (a) majority of the world, not a lot of people know the health benefits of these ingredients. The food on the table has lots of health benefits.”

In addition to the health benefits, Naeem emphasizes the authenticity of the cuisine. “We are very passionate about our food and cooking. Every dish needs to be authentic,“ she said. “We don’t do any mixing or fusion. We choose the most authentic way because we don’t want to lose the flavor that comes with the originality.”

The commitment to authenticity isn’t a barrier to customer service, either, as any taste can be catered to, especially when it comes to spicy food. “A lot of restaurants use cream in every dish to make it mild,” said Naeem. “We go to each customer and ask their spice level preferences so we can make recommendations about a lot of dishes. We can make it authentic and mild. Instead of ruining the flavor of the dish by watering it down, we make something authentic at the right spice level.”

After moving to America 30 years ago, Naeem knew that it was diversity that makes Southern California different and delicious. Her customers from all different countries and backgrounds now enjoy many robust flavors of what South-Asian Cuisine is known for.

“I want to make sure that my restaurant and its name represents Indian-Pakistani Punjab with utmost elegance, without losing its authenticity. I love meeting new people from different countries (and) backgrounds (and their) coming in, sharing stories and enjoying our food. I have learned about many other cuisines, but most importantly that food transcends all borders and brings people together. I am overwhelmed by the love and support (since) we have been opened and I look forward to serving every single one of you at Urban Punjab The Royal Kitchen.”

She also enjoys connecting with the community, staying active on social media, attending live events and joining the Chamber of Commerce. “I’m a people person and I want to know more business owners and stay connected.“

Urban Punjab: 12549 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840; (657) 233-5140

Business Spotlight

Little Saigon’s Van Nguyen Gordon
Insurance & Financial Services

By Marc Sheforgen

Life for the past six-plus years as a self-employed insurance agent has meant beyond full-time hours and very little rest for Van Nguyen Gordon, but she definitely isn’t complaining.

One of the chief motivations that keeps Nguyen Gordon pushing day after day is the realization that local small businesses — about 50 percent of them from Garden Grove’s Little Saigon district — need her help.

“I help small businesses in particular with their business insurance, worker’s comp and any personal insurance needs,” Nguyen Gordon said. “They are under-served and do need a lot of help.”

Nguyen Gordon opened her Farmers Insurance-affiliated agency, Van Nguyen Gordon Insurance & Financial Services, in February 2016 at 8927 Westminster Ave. She now has three part-time employees.

“I keep learning and improving my agency and staff so that we can provide better service to our customers,” she said. “There is never a dull moment. I definitely work more than full time, but I am not complaining.”

Community Pride

Nguyen Gordon said she loves the liveliness and strong community spirit in Little Saigon.

“It is such a vibrant area with a very rich culture,” she said. “Every day there is something going on. And I love working with the small businesses here. It gives me a purpose to serve and provide value to the community. We help each other out here in Little Saigon. That is something unique to this area.”

Nguyen Gordon said she feels that same sense of community belonging to the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce.

“I get a lot of support from my friends in the Chamber,” she said. “The way I look at that is, we support one another. The help and information I get from the Chamber is very valuable.”

As her business continues to grow and as she further explores her niche of helping local small businesses, Nguyen Gordon said she’s thankful for the opportunities she has to provide not only for herself but for the area that means so much to her.

“I am proud to be part of this community and to be contributing,” she said.”It is really important to me.”

8927 Westminster Ave

Garden Grove, CA 92844

(714) 903-5555

https://agents.farmers.com/ca/garden-grove/van-gordon

Business Spotlight

West Garden Grove’s MoonGoat Coffee

By Jill Tridgell

The name “MoonGoat Coffee” was selected as a whimsical nod to the mythical origins of coffee when the company co-founders opened their first shop less than three years ago. Little did they know it would be a harbinger of sorts as MoonGoat would skyrocket onto the California java scene and quickly reach legendary status in its own right.

Co-founders David Longridge, Mark Evans and David Yardley shared a vision and humble beginnings as they aimed to bring only the best brew to Orange County. They embarked on small-scale experimentation with a lone roasting machine in a borrowed warehouse. A few catered events later, they found themselves in need of a home base to accommodate swelling demand, Longridge said in a recent interview. In 2019, MoonGoat’s flagship location in Costa Mesa opened.

Their vision: to create a community gathering spot where spectacular coffees and from-scratch bites would be savored, families would feel welcome, and local artists would be celebrated.

“Things just got busy so fast,” Longridge recalled. “We set up in a 4,000-square-foot location, which is pretty large, and it was standing room-only within 30 days.”

Every star was aligning. Until, of course, the pandemic dealt a swift blow – especially to small businesses.

“Everything had to shut down, and we just couldn’t survive like that,” Longridge said. “So we started grab-and-go coffee in the parking lot. We baked our own amazing breads and introduced soups too.”

Locals were hungry not just for MoonGoat’s delicious drinks but also for companionship during a time of unprecedented isolation. They remained steadfast in their support, setting up chairs outside the shop to enjoy socially distanced sips.

“People needed a place to go and not lose their minds over the Covid thing,” according to Longridge.

And having their bestselling Churro coffee and Hulk matcha drinks on the menu didn’t hurt, either.

As MoonGoat pivoted and adapted to uncharted pandemic waters, the business managed to beat the odds and expand into a second retail location in Garden Grove as well as a roastery in Santa Ana. Now they’re scouting spots for a third retail shop in the area.

The team also attributes the unlikely timing of their success to consistent community outreach and reciprocation from local officials, first responders, and Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce leaders and fellow members.

“The city and the chamber did a great ribbon-cutting for us,” he said. “We had the wind at our back with them. They’ve been super supportive.”

It doesn’t hurt that their beans, sourced across 15 distinct origins worldwide, are some of the best the Earth has to offer. They’ve earned MoonGoat such notable distinctions as “No. 1 Coffee” by the Orange County Register, as well as taking the silver medal in the Golden Bean Coffee Roasters national championship, making MoonGoat a contender in the world championships later this year.

“For anybody who’s a coffee fanatic and loves specialty coffee,” Longridge said, “we are the real deal.”

West Garden Grove’s Location:

200 Acacia Ave.

Garden Grove, CA 92841

949-933-07127

https://moongoat.com/

Business Spotlight

West Garden Grove’s Orange County
Vision Center

By Lisa Townsel

The sister-brother optometry team who owns Orange County Vision Center is living out their dream. Dr. Bayan (“By-Ann”) Naime always knew she wanted to be a doctor. But it took her brother, Dr. Eddy Naime, some time to decide if he should pursue a professional soccer career or medicine. Eventually, medicine won out. Today, they run a family vision practice in West Garden Grove, a stone’s throw from their childhood home and the neighborhood in which they still live and work.

“Our goal was to be doctors where we grew up,” says Eddy Naime. “This is a large city with a traditional small-town feel. It’s where we went to school, and our parents still live.”

Both say their partnership works well because they complement each other. “My sister has extensive training with specialty fit contact lenses and eye diseases,” Eddy Naime says, “and I am more inclined on the clinical/practice management side of things.”

Throughout med school, both volunteered at Orange County Vision Center, a practice run by local “West Grove” optometrist Dr. Murray Taubman, for more than 35 years. They knew back then that this was the line of work they wanted to pursue together.

When Dr. Taubman decided to scale back his practice in 2018, the Naimes stepped in. “You don’t see a lot of small-town family businesses these days,” Eddy Naime says. “But we practice like Dr. Taubman and we often run into neighbors and family of childhood friends. It’s super-special.”

Eventually, the company grew out of its 1,000-square-foot space. Today, it is twice as large and sits six doors down from its original location, with three exam lanes, a large optical, a dedicated contact lens room, and much more.

“We built our dream practice,” Eddy Naime says. “It’s beyond any clinic we know of or have ever seen, with state-of-the-art equipment and a more efficient and accurate approach to diagnosis and treatment.”

OC Vision Center provides various services, including primary eye care like treating ocular emergencies, offering eye exams for glasses and contacts, and co-managing different types of eye surgeries. They also specialize in custom-fit contact lenses and provide myopia control treatments for children.

The doctors pride themselves on their dedication to personal care. Bayan Naime says people should know that once they arrive at the center, “we’re creating a personalized experience for each patient,” she says. “Whenever patients come into the office, they are treated like family.”

That is what matters most to these two: that patients feel special and cared for. “We don’t look at numbers and prices,” Eddy Naime concludes. “We treat our patients the exact same way we treat our own family.”

Orange County Vision Center

12500 B Valley View Street

Garden Grove, CA

714-894-3353

https://ocvisioncenter.com

Chamber Committees

Events can change due to unforeseen circumstances. Be sure to visit our website for the most current information.

new members

new members

PLEASE WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

(Most recent new members)

Valin Nguyen - VNP Services: Insurance -
Tax - Notary

13833 Beach Blvd.

Suite 303

Westminster, CA 92683

Valin Nguyen | (714) 722-2125

vnp.financialservices@gmail.com

INSURANCE*

New York Life

13562 Marshall Ln.

Tustin, CA 92780

Vivian Ngo | (714) 390-4311

https://www.newyorklife.com/recruiter/vngo

Vngo@newyorklife.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES*

Crescent Landing at Garden Grove

11848 Valley View Street

Garden Grove, CA 92845

Jonathan Barrios | (562) 315-3157

https://frontiermgmt.com/communities/crescent-landing-at-garden-grove-memory-care/

marketing@crescentlandingatgardengrove.com

SENIOR HOUSING*

Gente Market

12901 Main St

Garden Grove, CA 92840

Alexis Garcez | (714) 499-8257

https://shopgentemarket.com/

gentenightmarket@gmail.com

ART & CULTURE*

Common Insurance Services Agency

14541 Brookhurst St

A5 - A7

Westminster, CA 92683

Tho (Bill) Chau | (800) 900-8850

https://www.common-insurance.com/

Bchau@common-insurance.com

INSURANCE*

Orange County Vision Center

12500 Valley View St

Suite B

Garden Grove , CA 92845

Lizeth Negrete | (714) 894-3353

https://ocvisioncenter.com/

dr.b.naime@gmail.com

OPTICAL, OPTOMETRISTS, OPTICIANS & OPTICAL LABS*

Orozco’s Auto Service

12776 Nutwood Street

Garden Grove, California 92840

Raul Garcia | (714) 537-0076

https://orozcosgardengrove.com

raul@orozcosautoservice.com

AUTOMOBILE PARTS, REPAIRS, SERVICE & TIRES*

Gregg Young and the 2nd Street Band

PO BOX 30711

Long Beach, CA 90853

https://greggyoung.com/

Gregg Young I (562) 433-4858

greggyoung@earthlink.net

ENTERTAINMENT*

Here Come The Blooms

5238 Lampson Avenue

Garden Grove, CA 92845

Shelley Montoya | (714) 379-1697

https://herecometheblooms.com/

hello@herecometheblooms.com

FLORIST*

Silverback WC INC

11042 Magnolia st

Garden Grove, CA 92841

Ian Butler | (714) 498-8738

https://silverbackwrestling.com/

YOUTH SPORTS & CHEERLEADING*

Pacific Optometry Group

12302 Garden Grove Blvd

Suite 6

Garden Grove, CA 92843

Melissa Zhao | (714) 590-2020

https://www.pacificoptometry-group.com/Garden Grove, CA 92843

pacificoptometrygroup@gmail.com

OPTICAL, OPTOMETRISTS, OPTICIANS & OPTICAL LABS*

Karaki Business Services, Inc

12881 Knott Street

Suite 212

Garden Grove, CA 92841

Majeda Geramy | (657) 224-8041

http://www.karakibusiness.com

majeda@karakibusiness.com

INSURANCE*

Crimson Coward

9816 Chapman Ave

Garden Grove, CA 92841

Mahmoud Makhlouf | (714) 591-5191

https://www.crimsoncoward.com/

hello@crimsoncoward.com

FOOD PRODUCTS, SERVICES, SUPPLIES & BROKERS*

TLC Learning Center

13082 Kerry St

Garden Grove, CA 92844

Connie Chung | (714) 590-1210

http://www.tlclearningcenter.org

gardengrove@tlclearningcenter.org

CHILD DEVELOPMENT & DAY CARE*

Finish Line Towing & Transport

7511 Chapman Ave

Garden Grove, CA 92841

Mark Tornow | (714) 224-1360

Mark@finishlinetow.com

AUTOMOBILE TOWING*

IBE Digital

11266 Monarch St.

Ste. B

Garden Grove, CA 92841

Danika Mendoza | (562) 921-0202

dmendoza@ibedigital.com

COPIERS & BUSINESS MACHINES*