Vintage Berkeley’s Monthly Wine Selection – 50% Off!

Anyone who has spent some time at Vintage Berkeley in Elmwood knows that it’s a great place to learn about wine, chat with their very knowledgeable team and perhaps try a sip or two of something new. If you haven’t already – make sure you are following them on Twitter and Facebook – they are useful resources for wine newbies and experts alike! Plus they have wonderful art on site also available for purchase – right now there is a beautiful selection of photographs from all over the world.

Every month the team chooses a diverse selection of six wines and offers it for only $60! While this is already a great deal – Gemz users (download the free Gemz application for iPhone to become a user!), we are making it even sweeter. From today, July 20th until Sunday July 31st, when you bring in 20,000 Gemz to the Elmwood store, you will get those six wines for only $30 dollars + tax – that’s a 50% discount! This deal is only available at the Elmwood location, limited to one per customer and is while supplies last. The wines in this offer are pre-selected by Vintage Berkeley and cannot be substituted.

Where: Vintage Berkeley Wine Shop: 2949 College Avenue, Elmwood
When: Shop today, July 20 through Sunday, July 31, 2011
Offer: Get the July special six bottles of wine from Vintage Berkeley for $30.00+tax plus 20,000 Gemz

What are you waiting for? Hurry down to Elmwood and get yourself six great bottles of wine for 50% off!

Tags: Berkeley, College Ave, Elmwood, Vintage Berkeley, Weekly Deals, Wine

Filippo’s – a place to come home to

I spent some time last week talking to Giovanni, the manager of Filippo’s in Elmwood about his experience working with owner Philip and the successful Italian restaurant over the past 12 years. With a great selection of pastas, paninis and delicious thin crust pizzas, Filippo’s has been a great local business for over 18 years now and has two restaurants along College Avenue. Besides the broad range of affordable dishes, when asked what makes them different from other restaurants, Giovanni added, “Filippo’s is different because of the people who work here – they really care about what they do and understand that everything has to be fresh since it is going right into people’s mouths.” Every time our team has gone into Filippos, the staff seem to enjoy their time at work – which Giovanni echoed as most of their 25 staff has been there for four or more years.

In terms of the most popular items on the menu -  diners enjoy their variety of ultra thin crust pizzas, seafood salad, gemelli al pollo and great selection of weekly lunch specials. Filippo’s is friendly with other businesses in the area and Giovanni mentioned that he occasionally pops into Ici or Vintage Berkeley. Filippo’s is particularly popular with families and the college crowd. Kids have their own menu and eat for free off that menu on Tuesdays as long as there is one adult per kid. Brunch is also a great time to stop by – they have phenomenal french toast and build your own pancakes which are great for kids (and adults) of any age! When asked about the atmosphere of the restaurant and why they have so many repeat customers – Giovanni added that “people come here and they feel like they are coming home. They can relax and enjoy their food,” which is the whole point of a great restaurant if you ask me!

Besides the already great offers that Filippo’s has with Gemz (a free bottomless glass of wine, anyone?) starting Tuesday for a week anyone can get $15 dollars off lunch, dinner or brunch at Filippo’s for 10,000 Gemz if you spend $30 or more. So why not stop by and get 50% off, Gemz shoppers?! (download the free Gemz application for iPhone) More offer details below.

Where: Filippo’s, 2930 College Ave. Elmwood
When: Tuesday, July 19th until Tuesday July 26th
Offer: Get $15 dollars off when you spend $30 or more for 10,000 Gemz!

This Filippo’s offer is only valid at the Filippo’s in Elmwood, California. Users can redeem this offer Tuesday July 19th until Tuesday July 26th.  Standard taxes apply.

Tags: Business Spotlight, Filippo's, Weekly Deals

Elmwood Businesses We Love

We spend a ton of time in Elmwood every week – talking to local business owners, shoppers and community members. Every week, I am amazed how many great people I get the opportunity to talk to and learn from. Here are some Elmwood businesses that we love, as well as the online places where you can follow or like them.

• Ashby Marketplace – anyone who knows Ramiz knows that he is indeed the sandwich boss plus they have a great selection of groceries and household items, including organic and natural options
• C&C Cleaners – Phillip is super nice and I have dropped off several items for alternations/cleaning with lovely results
• Vintage Berkeley – Matt, Ben, Hannah, Nik – the whole team at Vintage is awesome! They know a ton about wine, have great art shows in store and you can find them on Twitter too!
• Cotton Basics – I agree with Patch on the greatness of this Oakland based company, super comfy clothes that won’t shrink or fade. Check them out on Facebook here
• Filippo’s - The staff is super nice (shout out to the manager, Giovanni!) the food is yummy and very affordable. Great for kids and how can you say no to an endless glass of wine? Find them on Twitter too
• The Gem Gallery and Bill’s Trading Post – these two go hand and hand as very well run family businesses. Excellent for jewelry appraisal, design and repair, plus fun to look around too
• Frame-O-Rama – THE place for custom framing, ask for Audrey and I promise you won’t regret it! Plus they have some great pre-framed art on sale right now…
• College Cleaners – Jenny is simply the sweetest at this great dry cleaners tucked between the 7-11 and laundromat just off of Russell St.
• And last but not least – Boss Robot Hobby – and the unbelievably nice and knowledgeable owner, Johnny. Whether you have a question, just want to look around or need help with your hobby, this is the place for you!

Tags: Ashby Marketplace, Bill's Trading Post, Boss Robot Hobby, C&C Cleaners, College Cleaners, Cotton Basics, Filippo's, Frame-O-Rama, Gem Gallery, Vintage Berkeley

Five reasons to shop local

Buying local helps the overall health of your community.  According to the Civic Economics’ study for the City of Austin, Texas in 2002, for every $100 spent at a chain store only $12 is circulated back into the local economy.  Whereas that same $100 spent at a local business — $45 is recirculated in the local economy — that’s over 3x as much money that stays in the community!  Shopping at a local small business means you are supporting your neighbors, friends, shop owners, community, and your local economy.

Here are five (of the many, many, many) reasons why consumers should start shopping in their own backyard.

• Keeps jobs and creates jobs: Local shops employ local residents, which means there will be more job opportunities within your community.  Local businesses also tend to hire people with some knowledge of the products they are selling — ultimately giving the shopper a better, personalized shopping experience.

• Environmental Sustainability: Local stores help to sustain vibrant, walkable town centers — which result in less car travel and reduced air pollution.

• Local Decision Making: Local ownership means that important decisions are made by people who live in the community and who feel the impact of those decisions.

• Product Diversity: Big box stores have national sales plans and generally do not stock their stores with items that are produced locally.  Local shops tend to keep an array of products and those made in the region.

• Keep Your Community Unique: Locally shops help keep the diverse character of our neighborhoods for generations to come.

Have a great weekend and thanks for shopping local!

Tags: Shop Local

One Million Gemz?

What could you do with one million gemz? We can’t wait to find out! Between July 1st and August 30th, every time you use Gemz you’ll be entered into a contest to win Gemz.  We are going to give away a total of TWO MILLION GEMZ. One lucky winner will get 1 million. A second prize will be 500,000 Gemz. A third person will get 200,000 and finally three people will each receive 100,000 gemz.

But what will you do with 1 million Gemz? We intend to find out by scouring the Elmwood neighborhood and finding out what our local merchants will do for you for 100,000 or 200,000 or 500,000 or even 1 million Gemz! We’ll let you know over the summer what exciting prizes will be available for you right here in Elmwood.

By the way, our lawyers wanted you to know that the full contest rules can be downloaded from here.

Frame-O-Rama’s Fabulous 50% Off

Elmwood’s Frame-O-Rama is the place to get your art, cherished collectibles, and favorite photos custom framed. Whether it’s a picture of your loved ones, a recent addition to your art collection, or your well deserved diploma – Frame-O-Rama helps you select the best frame for your precious goods.   Additionally, Frame-O-Rama has all different types of pre-framed art, which includes bright colored prints, unique maps, and many others to choose from. Frame-O-Rama has several store locations across the Bay area — including Mill Valley, San Francisco, and Burlingame.  Here are some examples of the gorgeous pre-framed options that Frame-O-Rama has to offer.

As part of our hot summer offers by Gemz in the Elmwood – Frame-O-Rama is offering a 50% discount on all pre-framed art currently in the store for only 5,000 Gemz! Offer is good June 28, 2011 thru July 2, 2011 only.

Frame-O-Rama
2999 College Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705-2215
(510) 644-2356
www.frame-o-rama.com/

This Frame-O-Rama offer is only valid at the Frame-O-Rama in Elmwood, California. Users can redeem this offer Tuesday, June 28 through Saturday, July 2, 2011 while supplies last. The only includes pre-framed art and cannot be substituted. Standard taxes apply.

Tags: Frame-O-Rama, Weekly Deals

Welcome to ShopElmwood!

What IS ShopElmwood, you may ask? Or perhaps a better question is where is Elmwood and why should I shop there? Elmwood is an awesome shopping district in Berkeley, CA. just south of UCBerkeley. With nearly 100 independent stores in a little under three blocks – it’s chock full of restaurants, clothing stores of all kinds, and specialty shops not to mention celebrity sightings! Just ask Ramiz over at Ashby Marketplace who made a sandwich for Jennifer Garner just last week. This blog will highlight the great local people and the businesses that they run. Photo courtesy of Michael Patrick (/\/\ichael Patric|{ on Flickr)

Before I go – there is something that I should share. This blog is written by the team at Gemz, which is a local loyalty program which is striving to help these merchants succeed. To that end, we will occasionally share a great offer that a particular merchant may have that week. We look forward to your feedback and hope you enjoy!