Breakfast is ready!

The Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce is looking to reinstate "Breakfast with the Chamber," a quarterly event that includes networking, breakfast and presentations on subjects important to business- from immigration to time management. To bring the breakfast back, the chamber needs members to volunteer for a committee to help plan these events. If interested or for more information, contact Jenifer Furda, 575-4313 or jenifer@cscc.org.

Movers and shakers

Bella Studios at 2409 W. Cucharras St. is having an open house 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6, to mark the company's shift to a business model that sells flowers and gifts in a retail store from one that produced floral arrangements by contract. President Stephanie Murdock moved the business, formerly known as Bella Studios at the Broadmoor, to the Old Colorado City location in April, and started a renovation project that included creation of the gift shop.

VCG Holding Corp., a national operator of adult nightclubs, has closed on its purchase of the Appaloosa Club of Colorado Springs, paying Consolidated Restaurants Limited LLC $1.4 million in cash and notes. The purchase includes a 20-year lease on the building at 5975 Terminal Ave., with an option to purchase the land and building. VCG's other clubs are in Indianapolis, St. Louis, Denver, Phoenix and Louisville.

Regional Retail Rumblings

The Cottage on Kiowa is back. New owner Kil N Wallenburg reopened the breakfast and lunch restaurant at 21 E. Kiowa St. two weeks ago and is already investigating the possibility of purchasing the neighboring Tokyo Terriyaki restaurant and expanding into that space.

Creekside Retail LLLP of Riverton, Wy0., has put up the framework of a small retail complex at 1079 Space Center Drive -- near the intersection of Galley Road and Powers Blvd. -- which will be home to five as-yet-unnamed retail stores. Creekside purchased the land for $328,307 in March.

Forum addresses issues of doing business with India

Colorado Springs will host one of a series of nationwide forums on trade with India on Oct. 20 at the Penrose House, 10 Lake Circle. Organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S.-India Business Council, the session will address the many issues that U.S. small- and medium-sized companies face when doing business with India. Registration begins at 8 a.m., the program at 9 a.m. and it will run through lunch. The cost is $50 per person, which includes participation in the program and lunch. Corporate sponsorships are available for $1,000, which includes participation by eight persons. Advance reservations can be made through the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce (www.coloradospingschamber.org) . For information about corporate sponsorships contact George Boutin at the Colorado Springs Office of International Affairs (internationalaffairs@cscc.org), 575-4314.

Charities benefit from "Shopping Extravaganza"

The inaugural "Shopping Extravaganza" event Sept. 30 at the Outlets at Castle Rock raised more than $12,000, half of which will be presented to four local charities -- Care & Share Food Bank in Colorado Springs, Highlands Ranch Chapter of Volunteers for the Children’s Hospital, Special Olympics and the Women’s Crisis & Family Outreach Center. Participants purchased tickets to this all-day shopping event for $20 and $10 of each ticket was donated to the purchaser’s designated charity. The ticketholders received giveaways, a catered lunch, live entertainment and outlet-wide discounts.

Regional Retail Rumblings

With business down and her lease up, owner Brenda Catron is closing the Heavenly Ham store at 7882 N. Academy Blvd. Although sold out of everything, Catron is manning the store daily to let customers know about the Heavenly Ham franchise store in Englewood and to say her goodbyes. Her last day is Thursday.

Still nothing to report on the old Chinook Book Shop property downtown. Nearly two years after Gary and Chris Sondermann purchased the building, it remains unleased and probably will remain so until after the first of the year, according to Laszlo Palos, general manager of the Sondermann's store, Terra Verde.

Bradford & Co. Inc. is negotiating with a developer on the Village Marketplace property at the northwest corner of Vickers Drive and Academy Boulevard, formerly home to Aurelio's Authentic Mexican restaurant, Travel Tipps and military recruiting offices. The original plan for that site was a chain drug store, but it is unknown if that is still the case.