National Bank of Arizona
l a v i v e R t e e w s
Savoring success in the gourmet chocolate business
n own rmatio t n dow ansfo e d i Ins on’s tr s Tuc
NOVEMBER 2014
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AZ non profits create A place to call home Celebrating Mid-Century Modern Design
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Eateries embrace adaptive reuse Indie films put state in the spotlight
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE When it comes to basketball, the NBA’s Phoenix Suns know a thing or two about what it takes to build a winning team. The Suns have made it to the Western Conference playoffs 29 times and to the NBA Finals twice. They have had MVPs, Coaches of the Year, Players of the Year, and leaders in an array of statistical categories during the team’s 47-year history. The Phoenix Suns team is more than just the athletes playing basketball on the court. They also carry their winning ways to the team’s front office, where they work to develop strong relationships with Arizona businesses—The most recent being with National Bank of Arizona, now the Official Bank of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury. “We’re an organization that takes pride in working with Arizona businesses,” says Jim Pitman, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the Phoenix Suns. “We’ve had a strong relationship with NB|AZ since 2011 and it only made sense for us to partner with them.” Kevin Cooney, NB|AZ Corporate Banker, couldn’t agree more—especially when it comes to translating that relationship to Suns fans. “Phoenix is a basketball town. People who attend games, watch them on television or listen to them on the radio understand the quality of the relationships the team has with local businesses,” he says. “As we celebrate our 30th year, the partnership with the Suns is a huge opportunity for us to bring our message of commitment to Arizona to a broader audience.” The relationship between NB|AZ and the Phoenix Suns and Mercury is unique in that NB|AZ is not only the official bank sponsor, but also provides banking services to the teams. “The fact that we actually bank the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, and have for a few years now, provides validity and a solid foundation for a winning partnership,” says Cooney. “NB I AZ has a great home court advantage with our local banking expertise and dedicated customer service.”
NB|AZ Corporate Banker Kevin Cooney (left) and Phoenix Suns CFO Jim Pitman (right) make a great team both on and off the court.
Go to ElevateAZ.com to add your name to the subscription list.
PUBLISHER National Bank of Arizona
CREATIVE DIRECTOR, PB+J CREATIVE Pamela Norman, pnormandesigns@me.com
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mark Vance, mark.vance@nbarizona.com
PRODUCTION MANAGER Chris Adams, cwadams@me.com
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Michelle Jacoby, michelle@pb-jcreative.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Aaron Berman, Sally J. Clasen, Bruce Farr, Susie Steckner
MANAGING EDITOR Jenavi Kasper, jenavi.kasper@nbarizona.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR, NB | AZ Nick Bradshaw, nick.bradshaw@nbarizona.com
NATIONAL BANK OF ARIZONA Corporate Center 6001 N. 24th St. Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-235-6000
PHOTOGRAPHER Mark Lipczynski, mark@marklipczynski.com
ON THE COVER
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Grace Stufkosky
Elevate AZ magazine may contain trademarks or trade names owned by parties who are not affiliated with National Bank of Arizona, Zions Bancorporation, or its affiliates. Use of such marks does not imply any sponsorship by or affiliation with third parties, and National Bank of Arizona does not claim any ownership of or make representations about products and services offered under or associated with such marks. Articles are offered for informational purposes only and should not be construed as tax, legal, financial or business advice. Please contact a professional about your specific needs and advice. © 2014 National Bank of Arizona.® All rights reserved.
PB+J CREATIVE content + photography + design 2040 S. Alma School Road, Suite 1-312 Chandler, AZ 85286 602-821-9164
The Rialto Theater is just one of several entertainment venues breathing new life into downtown Tucson. To read more about the area’s resurgence, go to page 12. Photo by Mark Lipczynski.
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SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN Tucson in 1984, National Bank of Arizona has been unapologetically pro-Arizona. This issue of Elevate AZ continues our effort to focus on the great things happening in this state, from Tucson’s revitalized downtown —a shining example of the power of public/private partnerships that work—to one of Arizona's favorite chocolatiers Julia Baker, a native of Cincinnati, whose vision and determination proves that success here in Arizona can be within everyone’s reach. At last month’s Arizona Leadership Forum, Dr. Lattie Coor, chairman and CEO of the Center for the Future of Arizona, cited recent Gallup data showing that since the early 1900s, Arizona has remained a “receiving state,” or a place people from all over the world choose as a place to live. “We are a state of constantly arriving new people,” Coor said. “The more we incorporate that fact into who we are and what we do, the better we’re going to be.” His message was boosted by keynote speaker, Seth Godin, author of “Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us,” who spoke about how liked-minded people who come together can create monumental change. We can’t possibly agree on everything. We come from too many different places, backgrounds and experiences. What we can all agree on is that we’ve chosen to make Arizona our home. Either as natives who have stayed, or as immigrants looking for something different, we have decided to give Arizona a shot. As Seth helped everyone understand, being different is OK. Being indifferent is not. We hope you enjoy this issue of Elevate AZ as we celebrate 30 years of calling Arizona home.
WRAP-UP
‘People like us do things like this’ Arizona Leadership Forum promotes the power of like-minded leaders
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N FRIDAY, SEPT. 19, nearly 1,000 leaders representing
the private, public and nonprofit sectors gathered to learn and discuss the great progress being made all across Arizona addressing the critical issues outlined in the Citizen’s Agenda published by The Arizona We Want Institute. The 2014 Arizona Leadership Forum featured renowned leadership authority Seth Godin as the keynote speaker. Godin spoke at length, as did many other statewide authorities, on the power of like-minded people coming together and leading real, sustainable change. Creating meaningful change for Arizona’s residents takes a concerted effort on the part of all three sectors mentioned above. The recently announced Starbucks College Achievement Plan in partnership with Arizona State University was another highlight of the day. This partnership between Starbucks and ASU provides a unique opportunity and a case study in partnership as a way to advance other ideas in Arizona. Dervala Hanley, VP of Strategy at Starbucks, explained that if you work at Starbucks in the U.S., you can now get a bachelor’s degree in any field: psychology, business, engineering. There’s no obligation for an employee student to stay at Starbucks after they finish their degree. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild highlighted their unique relationship as leaders who are thinking about partnerships differently and working together to elevate the state. For more examples of how Arizona is leading, information and videos from the forum and to learn how you can get involved, visit arizonaleadership.org.
Mark Lipczynski
Marketing expert and author Seth Godin takes a moment backstage to prepare for his keynote speech at the Arizona Leadership Forum.
CELEBRATIONS
I love a parade!
Bowled Over
To learn more about the Fiesta Bowl Parade, visit fiestabowl.org.
ON SUNDAY, FEB. 1, 2015—and for the weeks leading up to it—the eyes of the world will once again be focused on Arizona. This time, the NFL Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIX will be the reason. The Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee and National Bank of Arizona are proud to announce that NB|AZ is an official partner. NB|AZ will be the primary sponsor of the visiting CEO Exchange, which plays host to visiting corporate leaders who will learn why Arizona and its
TEAMWORK
Class act
Fiesta Bowl | Grace Stufkosky
THE 8TH ANNUAL Taste of the Biltmore was held
on Oct. 2 at the NB|AZ Corporate Headquarters in Phoenix. The annual event featured tastes from more than 20 restaurants in the Biltmore area with ticket sales benefitting a local nonprofit organization. For the second year, NB|AZ selected Act One as the recipient of the proceeds from Taste of the Biltmore. Act One provides access to the arts through the educational Field Trip Program for Title 1 schools and the Culture Pass Program at public libraries throughout the Valley. Annually, more than 200,000 students and families experience live performing and visual arts through this nonprofit organization. This year’s event raised more than $20,000 for Act One. “We were beyond thrilled that NB|AZ chose Act One as their partner again for this year’s Taste of the Biltmore,” says Act One founder Linda “Mac” Perlich. “They created such a memorable event and opportunity for us to bring awareness of our efforts to bring the arts to children who would not ordinarily get the experience.” To learn more about Act One, go to act1az.org
Elevate AZ, an NB|AZ Publication
economic climate is so attractive to companies looking to relocate their businesses. “NB|AZ has a long tradition of supporting and leading economic development efforts across our state,” says CEO Keith Maio. “This partnership provides us with a platform to do what we do best…bring people together to talk about the great opportunities that exist in Arizona.” Visit azsuperbowl.com to learn more.
Kate Van Driel
The Art of Banking YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE a Phi Beta Kappa to know that NB|AZ provides a wide variety of banking expertise for our clients. In Kate Van Driel’s case, however, it definitely comes in handy. An NB|AZ executive banking relationship manager, Kate earned that distinction while studying education and art at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. “I always wanted to be an art teacher, but I have found that I get to use my artistic and academic nature even more in banking,” she says. “Bringing clients the right financial solutions is like creating a piece of fine art. It takes passion, commitment and overall an ability to connect with your audience.” Kate is proud to be able to demonstrate the “art of banking” with her clients, including Julia Baker. Read about Julia's story of “sweet” success on PAGE 8.
Finding Julia TV Julia brings her love and expertise in all things sweet right to your living room with her show “Sweet Julia.” The show, which airs on the Cooking Channel, features recipes and how-tos of Julia’s signature creations.
Boutique Shop ’til you drop at the Julia Baker Confections located at the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix. Indulge in chocolates and desserts, or sip on an assortment of coffees and hot chocolates.
Online Have a package of Julia’s decadent chocolates delivered right to your door with a simple click of your mouse. JuliaBaker.com offers sweets perfect for any occasion, as well as an assortment of recipes.
Elevate AZ | November 2014
Bowl l Fiestas 44th it The annua ngs in k Parade rih National Ban it w w ne year a as its of Arizononsor. title sp
ARIZONANS HAVE BEEN humming that tune since 1971, the year of the inaugural Fiesta Bowl Parade. Now celebrating its 44th year, the parade is Arizona’s largest single-day spectator event, annually attracting more than 100,000 people who line the 2-mile parade route. The growth in size and the quality of the parade have been phenomenal. This is due in large part to the parade’s fantastic sponsors, as well as the dedicated group of volunteers who have worked long and hard to ensure its success, many of which have been working on the event since its inception. National Bank of Arizona, the state’s largest community bank, is proud to announce a multi-year partnership to serve as the title sponsor of the Fiesta Bowl Parade, now known as the National Bank of Arizona Fiesta Bowl Parade. “As one of the kids lining the parade route back in 1973, I’m thrilled that NB|AZ is partnering with the Fiesta Bowl Committee to continue this longstanding community tradition,” says Mark Vance, vice president of marketing. “We are so excited to support the efforts of the thousands of volunteers statewide who love the parade as much as we do.”
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Denise Resnik, founder of First Place, sees her dream of a housing program for adults with autism become a reality.
coming
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Arizona nonprofits give those in need a place to call home
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FORMER DRUG addict. An abused mother
HOMETOWN HEROES A range of transitional housing programs assist Arizonans in need, including:
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Homeward Bound,
Phoenix. Serves families with children fleeing domestic violence and/or homelessness. homewardboundaz.org
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hapel Haven, C Tucson. Serves adults with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. chapelhaven.org
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Catholic Charities, Cottonwood and Flagstaff. Serves low-income and/or homeless individuals and families. catholiccharitiesaz.org
and child. A developmentally disabled young woman. A college student with autism. Their stories differ, but they share a common thread: Each person needs a place to call home. Across Arizona, nonprofit organizations are providing transitional housing programs, along with crucial support services, to assist these individuals and families. The programs are critical to promoting self-sufficiency and independence, and touch people in need every day. Catholic Charities is offering one of those lifechanging programs. The faith-based nonprofit’s permanency housing programs in Cottonwood and Flagstaff provide subsidized housing to homeless families with at least one parent with a diagnosed substance use disorder. The program does have certain requirements, however. Participants must be employed and enrolled in a recovery program. They must also have scheduled meetings with a caseworker, attend life skills classes and contribute a minimum of 5 percent of their income to a savings plan. Another organization dedicated to changing lives is First Place in Phoenix. For founder Denise Resnik, it’s where hope lives. There, adults with autism and other special abilities will find a safe place to live and learn and grow. They will find support and independence. And they will find a community
focused on helping lead them to their next place. First Place is a project almost two decades in the making for Resnik, whose autistic son Matt is 23 years old and working hard to find his way in the world. “I have been working on this plan almost since the first day the school bus arrived,” says Resnik, president of DRA Strategic Communications and co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). “I was determined that he and others like him would have far greater [living] choices than those I have toured.” First Place is set to open its pilot site this fall in collaboration with SARRC and the Foundation for Senior Living. The campus includes six two-bedroom apartments for students with autism, age 18 and older; 15 apartments for senior citizens; a community center and a community garden. Individualized programs will help students develop independent living skills as they engage in work, community college and/or SARRC training programs. The future First Place mixed-use property, supported by a $15 million capital campaign now underway, will open in mid-2016. Plans call for 50 apartments leased by residents who are supported by independent living services. In addition, a tuition-based academy will assist students transitioning to independent living and a leadership institute will bring together experts focused on creating more housing choices. Resnik sees a bright future for First Place beyond Arizona. She envisions the project being replicated elsewhere to improve home options. For Resnik, “First Place is about hope and fulfilling a dream that adults with autism can have a home of their own, a job, friends and a community that supports them.” Susie Steckner
“We were driving around the city and photographing houses in neighborhoods that we thought we might like to live in for our first home,” she explains. “In the process, we were getting to know Phoenix all over again, learning about how it was laid out, what particular design trends were used.” The Kings began focusing their interest on what they termed “modern and modern historic” homes from that 30-year, post-war period in Valley construction, and the idea of sharing what they found online grew organically from that interest. King began publishing neighborhood photos and other information that she thought would bring
exposure to the many and varied design trends that populated the mid-century architectural ethos in the Valley. King was surprised to see the site and message board explode with activity. Random people began contacting them to post photos, ask about certain features and designs and swap materials. The site quickly became an online community that now comprises nearly 5,000 active members and has attracted more than 4,500 Facebook followers. King says that the website and its focus have helped her grow as a design enthusiast. She speaks publicly on the topic of modernist principles in design and is constantly on the hunt for new aspects of her professional and a vocational bent. “It’s become a platform for me to push myself in my own research and to learn new things—new information—and then take it to the public to share it with them as well.” Reaction to the neighborhood network site is often such that it generates a kind of “a-ha!” moment in their lives, helping them view their own and other works of residential and commercial architecture in a new light. As King points out, “We frequently get people telling us, ‘I always [felt] there was something special about that building or that house, but I just didn’t know.’ They end up feeling validated and quite excited that they were able to recognize greatness.” bruce farr
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Awards & Accolades Modern Phoenix has been recognized for its work showcasing mid-century modern design and architecture. Here are just a few:
2013
Best Modern Architecture Tour, Phoenix New Times Aspire Award, National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express
2012,2013
Best Home Tour, AZ Central Critic’s Choice
2009,2011,2012
Best Home Tour, Phoenix New Times
The Marlen Grove neighborhood in north central Phoenix features a number of homes designed by Ralph Haver.
Elevate AZ, an NB|AZ Publication
Elevate AZ | November 2014
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ALPH HAVER. Al Beadle. Blaine Drake. Charles and Arthur Schreiber. Years ago, these were household names to Phoenicians—literally. As residential and commercial property architects and designers, they played a significant role in Phoenix’s explosive growth in the three decades following World War II. However, as time passed—and with the frenzied glut of new development that took place from the 1980s forward—these seminal designers and their work fell off people’s radars. But as is the case with everything hip and trendy, they’re making a comeback—thanks to the increasing popularity of an online building design resource called the Modern Phoenix Neighborhood Network, which features longformat journalism and photography that document and celebrate midcentury (1945-1975) building design in Arizona. The site’s creator is Alison King, a design history professor at the Art Institute of Phoenix. In 2003, she and her husband Matthew decided to share their enthusiasm for structural “art treasures” in the Valley, as well as motivate Arizona residents to, as King says, “care for and preserve our mid-century design stock.” The first few months of the couple's early exploration of the city’s architectural styles were, as King points out, “a very personal journey.”
modern marvels
Neighborhood network celebrates mid-century modern design
TRAILBL
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&DRINK
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eat. drink. revitalize. Through adaptive reuse, landmark real estate transforms into innovative dining spaces
The Newton was built on the site of the legendary Beef Eaters Restaurant in Phoenix. The mixeduse development, which retained many of the restaurant's structural elements, is home to a restaurant, book store and bar, and garden shop.
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T THE TURN of the century, when Craig Demarco’s trendsetting Postino Wine Bar began construction, much of the buzz was about how he and his company were actually troubling to salvage what they could of Phoenix’s old Arcadia post office to create their new café. Instead of knocking down the old structure and starting anew, Demarco had the vision to retain that bit of Arcadia neighborhood history and, using what he could of the old post office, turn it into a conceptual backdrop for the hip new haunt. Thus, the postal station’s loading dock became a cozy, al fresco patio for patrons and its massive garage doors a means of opening up the space to create an indoor/outdoor ambiance for the restaurant. It wasn’t an entirely new concept. San Francisco’s 1964 renovation of Ghiradelli Square is often cited as the first such project in the United Sates, and Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace is another notable one. But it was one of the first times a Phoenix-based developer and entrepreneur actively p ro m o t ed the idea of reclaiming a bit of local history to use it as the foundation for something new.
So began “adaptive reuse” in the Valley. More than a decade later, Phoenix and other cities and towns throughout the state are alive with adaptive redevelopment projects that celebrate and preserve these localities’ historical and cultural underpinnings. One of them, The Newton, is a 17,000-square-foot commercial, mixed-use space on the site of the legendary (and long-shuttered) Beef Eaters Restaurant in Phoenix. The restaurant opened its doors in 1961 and quickly became an ultra-popular hub for dining, drinking and all things convivial. In its 45-year run, the eatery enjoyed a reputation as one of Phoenix’s flagship gathering places, a symbol of the city’s warmth and hospitality for visitors and locals alike. Commemorating that sentiment, The Newton aspires to “honor the neighborhood’s roots while serving as a creative and inspired gathering place for today’s community.” Since it opened this past May, the development has become home to the restaurant Southern Rail, a new iteration of Tempe’s legendary Changing Hands Bookstore, gardening supply shop Southwest Gardner, as well as other retailers. The Newton is also interesting because—with its Southern Rail on the premises—it is an example of adaptive reuse that essentially transforms an old, hallowed restaurant into a popular new one. As much of the original space was retained in the reconstruction as possible, including the old restaurant’s four massive fireplaces that are now focal points of the new businesses under its roof. Lorenzo Perez, principal of Venue Projects, the Phoenix redevelopment firm that purchased the Beef Eaters building and created The Newton, also happens to have been involved in the design and construction of many of Craig Demarco’s restaurant reuse projects. “It was a sign of the times,” Perez says, of his entrée into adaptive reuse. “Phoenix has an abundant collection of mid-century, masonry buildings—pretty simple boxes that were starting to show their age. I just thought that with the desire for sustainability and, as Craig Demarco calls it, creating ‘soulful buildings and experiences,’ there was a huge market opportunity. We chose to focus on it and it’s worked out really well.” bruce farr
city-data.com
&CULTURE Arizona inspires the independent spirit in filmmaking
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INCE THE 1914 silent western “The Bargain,”
Arizona’s variety of landscapes and dependable climate has made it one of the most filmed locations on earth. From blockbusters like “Return of the Jedi” (Yuma), “Forrest Gump” (Flagstaff and Twin Arrows) and “Gravity” (Lake Powell), the state is forever embedded in Hollywood’s DNA. While a 2011 rollback of state tax incentives scaled back Hollywood blockbuster productions here, Arizona continues to inspire a number of cinematic detours—sometimes for the obscurest of reasons. In a scene from the 2012 adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” actor Kristen Stewart and company are driving though cotton fields, recalls film commissioner Phil Bradstock at the Phoenix Film Office. “[The production team] was looking at the agriculture in Texas and New Mexico, which were having bad cotton seasons, and it turns out Arizona wasn’t hit by whatever was going on in the agricultural world,” he says. Yet it’s Arizona’s own independent filmmakers who give the state the star treatment year round. Take “Durant’s Never Closes,” a biopic currently in production about Jack Durant, founder of the titular Phoenix steakhouse. The movie stars Tom Sizemore, Pam Grier, Michael Richards, and director Peter Bogdanovich (“The Last Picture Show”). “My interest is telling Arizona stories and this is one of the best of those,” says the film’s director Travis Mills of Running Wild Films. “Durant was a larger-than-life figure who died in 1987, but we keep talking about him and his restaurant, which is still open and will probably be open for a very long time. This story is legendary in Phoenix.” Mills and co-producer William Long are actually no strangers to the restaurant—they shot scenes in their film “The Men Who Robbed the Bank” inside the restaurant. For this project, exteriors are being shot at the restaurant, while nearly all of the filming is being done on sets built inside the MonOrchid art gallery in downtown Phoenix.
Film Fests SEDONA FILM FESTIVAL
Independent filmmakers from around the world screen their works at this annual festival now in its 21st year. Feb 21 to March 1, 2015 sedon af i lm f esti val.org
Most at home showcasing “under-seen” locations in downtown Phoenix, Mills admits he also loves “exploring the diversity of the entire state in [his] films.” Also capitalizing on the bounty of Arizona’s cinematographic opportunities is indie filmmaker Archer Wave Productions, which is currently in production on “The Walkers.” The dark thriller centers on a wake of murders that occur near the Navajo Reservation, drawing on tribal legends of skinwalkers: those who can turn into animals at will. “We had an interview in Joshua Tree with a Navajo shaman who told us a lot and we captured it all on video,” says producer Matthew Mason. “We also set up an interview with a woman at the Heard Museum, but on the day we showed up to shoot, she freaked out and we were escorted off the property by security and staff.” Which, many will tell you, neatly sums up the life of the independent filmmaker. Aaron berman
Travis Mills (left) and William Long, directors with Running Wild Films, are currently in production of the biopic “Durant’s Never Closes" set in 1970s Phoenix.
Cinema festivals throughout Arizona PHOENIX FILM FESTIVAL
This week-long festival showcases independent films with more than 150 screenings, seminars and special events. March 26 to April 2, 2015. ph oen i xf i lm f esti val.com
ARIZONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
In its 24th year, the festival has exhibited more than 2,260 films representing 90 countries to moviegoers in southern Arizona. Spring 2015. f i lm f esti valari z on a.com
PRESCOTT FILM FESTIVAL
This festival brings together cultural events and criticallyacclaimed films and filmmakers from around the world. July 22-26, 2015. prescottf i lm f esti val.com
Elevate AZ | November 2014
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stor y sally j. clasen photos gr ace stufkosky
Given her last name, it would seem julia baker was destined to become a pastry chef. But as a trained statistician, even the datadriven Baker couldn’t forecast the probability she’d find success in the luxury chocolate business.
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Today, she oversees Julia Baker Creations, a chocolate and custom cake operation that includes a retail store at the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, an online storefront and a production facility in Scottsdale. There, the master confectioner develops all recipes for her decadent cakes and sweets, which include truffles and hand-cut artisan chocolates that range in flavors from dark ganache to passion fruit and French caramel. A Chocolate Star is Born
She counts one-named celebrities like Bono and Oprah as customers, which has earned her the nickname “chocolatier to the stars.” And then there’s the Cooking Channel TV show “Sweet Julia” that showcases her culinary expertise to the cable masses. While she’s experiencing celebrity chef status now, her rise in the dessert industry has been 14 “hard” years in the making, according to Baker. After pursuing undergraduate studies in applied statistics at North Carolina State and then graduate work from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she set off on a corporate career working as a data software consultant that took her around the world at age 22. While Baker’s mother was a great cook and she has fond memories of food experiences growing up in Cincinnati, it was Baker’s globetrotting ways that exposed her to a taste for the finer things in life. “I would buy the Zagat’s Guide and then pick three top restaurants to go to in every city I visited,” she says. ”It was an escape. I learned about food and wine and fell in love with the industry.”
Student of the Classics
Realizing that her true passion was cooking— not numbers—at age 30, Baker enrolled in the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, taking notes in French phonetically since she didn’t speak the language. By the time she graduated, she was first in her class, achieving the highest honors in both pastry and cuisine—a fait accompli rarely achieved by a student at the prestigious culinary school. Her academic accomplishments led to an internship at Lasserre Restaurant under chef Jean-Louis Nomicus where she honed her classic French cooking techniques. After living in Paris, Baker followed her thenboyfriend to Scottsdale in 2004. Despite her worldclass education, she didn’t have much of a culinary direction until a neighbor sampled her petit fours and insisted Baker should sell them. That led to a an introduction to chefs Beau MacMillan and Chuck Wiley at the Sanctuary Resort, and an immediate dessert order of 400 for an event the following Saturday night. “I had no idea what I was doing,” she says. By 2006, Baker had a fledgling catering business and her warehouse in Scottsdale. She then opened her first retail chocolate boutique, which has since closed, at the Montelucia Resort. “I’m happy to have landed here in the Valley,” Baker says of her Southwestern base. “It’s a great place to grow my business and it is an environment that embraces delicious food.”
Julia Baker has built her culinary empire from a small catering business to include an upscale chocolate boutique, cookbooks, a cooking show and plans for additional stores and a cocoa factory.
i wanted to show…what ’s it’s like fresh chocolate in a boutique setting…being transported to another part of the world
[f r o m a B a Julia Baker has ker] had her ups and downs getting to she remembers the details of ev the top of the lu ery bittersweet xury chocolate Baker gives som battle. How did heap, and e entrepreneuri sh e get where she al business advi ce: is today?
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Ask yourse lf, “How mu ch am I willing to sacrifice so I can achie that dream ve ?”
Baker says she relinquished al l material things car, house and —a furniture—earl y on to fund an Julia Baker Cre d st art ations.
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Sometimes you have t o do someth ing you do n ’t want to do.
“You have to hav e an open mind and be flexible. first, I didn’t wan At t to make cakes. But the recessio hit and stores w n ere closing—I h ad to make cake became the prem s. I ier Valley cake maker and even ally had one ca tuke order for $50, 000.”
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Realize wh en good is good eno ugh.
“It’s hard to give up control. I wan ‘perfect’ like M t to be artha Stewart, to o, but you have to learn to let go and give yourse lf a break. I write a score sh eet and then re m ind myself what I’ve done. ”
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Be disciplin ed
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Baker was a com petitive swimm er in her youth—a trait th at has kept her getting to the fin fo cused on ish line regardle ss of hurdles. “I takes an incred t ible amount of st rength to get up and go back to th e fight when yo u are knocked down, but you h ave to have stam ina to get the job done.”
Passion for Cooking
The Exact Recipe
Baker is serious about cooking, but is equally interested in making it accessible to everyone. “Sweet Julia” is a vehicle for her to deconstruct classic cooking techniques and teach non-chefs to prepare otherwise intimidating recipes. Her high-likeability factor, combined with an authentically sweet and easy-going disposition, make Baker a natural TV chef. “This isn’t rocket science,” she says. “I want viewers to know how to be successful bakers or make an exquisite dinner.” As the founder, CEO and executive chef of Julia Baker Creations, her momentum is fast moving. She’s just completed two cooking books and is in the middle of a company rebrand, including a redesign of her signature red hat box. Besides launching another line of chocolate bars and a snack assortment called Sweet Essentials, she’s slated to open additional locations of her flagship Biltmore chocolate store/wine bar. A second one will launch in Dallas in October, then in Beverly Hills, as well as Atlanta, New York City and possibly Singapore. Plus, she’s in negotiations to buy a cocoa factory in Ghana. “I wanted to show [people] in the Valley what it’s like to eat fresh chocolate in a boutique setting, as if they are being transported to another part of the world,” Baker explains of the luxe concept that serves her natural and preservative-free chocolates, specialty cakes, wine and champagne. “It’s similar to a European dessert experience. It mirrors a restaurant dessert service rather than something from the shelf.”
Baker attributes her success as a culinary artist to sweat equity, but also her early training as a statistician and having a head for numbers. “The difference between cooks and chefs is math. As a chef you have to understand food costs and know how to increase or reduce ingredients based on percentages. Especially when you are baking and making chocolates, you have to be precise to the gram. It’s scientific,” she explains. Baker’s analytical skills also have served her well as a business owner and TV chef. “I’m still a statistician, trying to analyze and figure out the probability if a certain product or if a TV show recipe will work, or what day of the week a customer will buy something.” Rather than stirring up ingredients, Baker now spends the bulk of her time managing her explosive brand including 47 employees. And she remains on a path of sweet self-discovery. “I embrace food and live for it. I’m constantly learning. I get up in the morning and think about what I want for lunch. I visit every good restaurant. I taste every flavor and then think of it in terms of sweet,” she says. But don’t expect any cheese or curry to show up in Baker’s original chocolate confections. “I want to be different, but classic—and do them well.”
Elevate AZ | November 2014
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n A B R a U eviv R e c n a s s i a n e r s ' n o ’ s o c l u b T e n u P w o d l t n O Dow ying up ‘the s s u g is
Tucson—affectionately known as “the Old Pueblo” to countless generations of Arizonans—is turning over a new leaf. A groundswell of revitalization sparked, in part, by the debut of a novel new trolley service is helping to transform the once-fading city core, bringing a burst of new businesses and life to Tucson’s historic downtown. story Bruce Farr photos mark lipczynski
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New retail shops, cafés, breweries, galleries and nightspots are popping up; street vendors and food trucks are jockeying for space in the old barrios and neighborhoods; and great new eateries—like the Hub Restaurant & Creamery, Maynard’s Market & Kitchen, the Cup Café at the Hotel Congress and a new Pizzeria Bianco—are helping attract locals and visitors alike to the city’s long-languishing central corridor. Already several years in the making, the revitalization of the city’s downtown isn’t happening overnight or a moment too soon. According to a study conducted and published in 2010 by the Downtown Tucson Partnership, Tucson’s central corridor had been in a significant decline for more than 40 years. The study advised that it could take an entire generation to create the kind of bustling downtown environment that would attract people back into heart of the city. Trolley a boon
Many community leaders believe that the advent of the new Sun Link Tucson Streetcar line this year was a watershed moment for the city center’s flowering renaissance. The fixed guide-way electric rail system project was launched in 2010, when the city was awarded a $63 million Transportation and Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the Federal Transit Administration. Christened this past July, the trolley line has eight ADA-compliant vehicles in service at 19 stopping points along a nearly 4-mile route, stretching from the Mercado district, proceeding downtown and through the Fourth Avenue business district and ending at the University of Arizona (UofA). According to Michael Graham, public information officer with the City of Tucson Transportation Administration, Sun Link’s ridership has significantly exceeded projections. “We’ve been happily surprised,” Graham says. “We originally projected average daily ridership of around 3,600 and, at present, our numbers are averaging at roughly 4,100.” Tucson mayor Jonathan Rothschild feels strongly that the streetcar project was a boon to the downtown revival. “The streetcar, along with several other incentive programs the city has created, have transformed…a downtown area that had been nearly abandoned, turning it into a vibrant, fun, active place,” Rothschild says. “Music, theater, restaurants, retail, and modern office space and living space in a safe environment now bring as many as 25,000 people into our downtown on an active night.” Behind the plan
David Lyons, regional president of National Bank of Arizona (NB | AZ), agrees with Mayor Rothschild’s assessment of the trolley line’s impact on the newly resurgent downtown. NB | AZ has been intimately involved in financing and promoting the downtown’s revival, financially partnering with several of the new business owners to help bring their plans and livelihoods to fruition. Many of the projects are, by design, directly on the streetcar line. “Going from the UofA toward downtown, there’s a grocery store and restaurant called Time Market and also Delectables Café, which is on Fourth Avenue,” Lyons explains. “Once you get into the downtown, we have a long-standing relationship with the Hotel Congress…and with the Rialto Theatre, which is part of the Rialto Theatre Block. The owners have put in three restaurants there.”
Breathing new life into downtown Tucson is an influx of small businesses and restaurants such as Hub Restaurant & Creamery (right top) and Time Market (right bottom).
Peter Wilke, who was among the first retail business entrepreneurs to envision a revitalized downtown, opened Time Market on University Drive in 1995. He has since been an active participant in the revival of the city core, opening three additional businesses in the same district. “I’ve always been committed to the downtown area,” he says. “It had been in either a decline or some kind of weird stagnation and, at the time, there was no one else [investing in the downtown]… so I figured that if we could do something like this and other people would follow, then it would be better for downtown and for everyone else as well.” Restore vs. rebuild
The Rialto Theatre, and the Hotel Congress are prime examples of how some Tucson entrepreneurs are wisely putting their money behind historic renovations rather than building from the ground up. Constructed in 1920, the Rialto was, for many decades, an entertainment hub for Tucson residents, from the era of silent films through the advent of talkies and, for a time, Spanish language films into the present, where it’s now being used as a concert venue for live entertainment. Its history, architecture and charm were certainly worthy of salvaging, civic leaders believe. With an equally long history of serving travelers and the city’s citizens, the Hotel Congress has undergone a significant transformation through the years. In 2005, its Club Congress was remodeled and in 2009, the hotel was awarded the Tucson/Pima Historical Commission certificate. The hotel and its entertainment and service venues continue to be upgraded and draw an ever-larger crowd today. The new Reilly Craft Pizza on Pennington Street is another NB | AZ-financed project that’s reinventing real estate previously used for another purpose. Built in the early 1900s as a mortuary and operated as a funeral home for decades, the building’s owners have successfully retained much of its original architecture, melding it with a fresh, contemporary look. Reilly boasts an al fresco beer garden and interior restaurant, along with two upstairs apartments. From Lyons’ observation, all the new businesses are doing well. “They’re attracting a lot of new local business clientele to the downtown city core, as well as drawing visitors from Phoenix and as far away as Flagstaff,” he says. “The majority of the people opening up these new shops are local business owners or people from elsewhere in the state who might just have a small restaurant or other retail operation and are seeking to expand or grow their business. “All in all, it’s a great win for Tucson,” he says.
ALL ABOARD! Launched in 2010, the Sun Link Tucson Streetcar has been a major contributor to the city’s resurgence. With 19 stops along its 4-mile stretch, the streetcar carries passengers from the Mercado through downtown and the Fourth Avenue business district, to the University of Arizona. Highlights on the route include: — Fox Tucson Theatre — Hotel Congress — Rialto Theater — Pizzeria Bianco
— Time Market — Main Gate Square — Hub Restaurant & Creamery
For a complete route map, visit sunlinkstreetcar.com.
Elevate AZ | November 2014
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Elevate AZ, an NB|AZ Publication
az
Experience
Gilbert
A pioneer in Arizona’s agribusiness is the Farm at Agritopia, a 15-acre, USDA Certified Organic urban farm in Gilbert. The farm grows fruits and vegetables year round, provides ingredients to local restaurants, and hosts special farm-to-table dinner events. Photo by Mark Lipczynski
Elevate AZ | November 2014
THE FARM AT AGRITOPIA
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