Pasadena at night (Photo – W,K.)
Here’s what’s happening in the Pasadena business world.
By News Desk
Promoter Technologies
Protomer Technologies, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, recently celebrated their Grand Opening at 26 N. Euclid Avenue.
Founded in 2015, Protomer is engineering next-generation protein therapeutics that can sense molecular activators in the body. Their proprietary peptide- and protein-engineering platform is used to identify and synthesize molecules that can sense glucose for the purpose of revolutionizing type 1 diabetes treatment.
Dine Brands Secures Building Permits
Dine Brands Global, parent company of Applebee’s Grill and IHOP, recently signed a lease at 10 West Walnut after receiving a building permit. It will soon start construction on the 94,000 square foot build-out of their new headquarters.
In June, Dine Brands announced that it was moving from Glendale to Old Pasadena.
Western Asset Renews Lease
Western Asset Management Company, a global fixed-income management company, recently renewed their lease at 385 E. Colorado Blvd.
Founded in 1971, Western Asset has nine offices world-wide, 757 employees globally and have $375.5 billion of assets under management. They currently occupy over 180,000 square feet at their Pasadena office. The City of Pasadena is excited to have Western Asset here, as a significant employer, through 2035.
Onni Group Purchases Paseo Colorado
In October, Onni Group, a Canadian development firm, purchased the Paseo shopping center on E. Colorado Boulevard.
It is expected the new owner will look to revitalize the center, home to tenants such as H&M and Yard House, Hyatt Place Hotel and soon-to-open residential condominiums and office spaces.
Ice House Comedy Club to Reopen in 2023
The Ice House Comedy Club, a Pasadena entertainment staple since 1960, will celebrate its grand reopening on January 18, 2023 after a long closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The oldest comedy club in the country, the Ice House was established in 1960 and has hosted many notable acts such as Steve Martin and Robin Williams. The grand-reopening celebration will feature entertainment by comedian Jimmy Burns and remarks by Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and Ice House owner Johnny Buss.
New businesses
Several new businesses have arrived in Pasadena just in time for the holiday season.
Tepito Coffee recently opened in the Playhouse Village, in front of Vroman’s Bookstore (where Jones Coffee used to be). Owned by Emmy-nominated actor Richard Cabral and strategist Mike de la Rocha, Tepito is a specialty coffee company that sources all of its coffee from a small rural village in Veracruz, Mexico. Their mission is to connect people to their culture through coffee.
Dessert aficionados can celebrate their love for sweets at I Like Pie, located on 38 South Raymond Avenue. Owned by a wife-and-husband team, I Like Pie specializes in individually-portioned sweet and savory pies in flavors that change along with the seasons. Offerings include Salted Caramel Banana Cream, Cookie Butter, and Winter Berry, among others.
Banter & Bliss Candle Co. (on 450 E. Colorado Boulevard) near Los Robles Ave. offers scented candles and bath products as well as candle-making workshops where customers can create their own handmade candles in unique fragrances such as Pineapple Cardamom, Marigold Peach and Wild Fig & Sage. For those looking for a unique gift, the shop also offers take-home DIY candle-making kits.
Source: City of Pasadena. Edited by Ann Hunnewell
Here’s hoping the Onni Group puts in shops that people want to buy something at. I miss the old enclosed mall. Nothing about the current Paseo makes me want to even go there.
I can’t say that I miss the enclosed mall, (it was ugly as sin and didn’t make much sense with the beautiful weather here), but I totally agree with you about there being nothing at all to make me want to go to the Paseo. It’s like a total dead zone between two vibrant neighborhoods (Old Town and Playhouse Village). Here’s hoping Onni Group can figure it out!