For those of us lucky enough to call it home, North Lake Tahoe is a mesmerizing destination that beckons adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts alike. With the inception of the destination organization in 1989, as well as the rebrand to Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) in 2022, our group of destination experts set our sights on encouraging travel experiences that support a vibrant economy, enhance the community character, and foster environmental stewardship practices. TNTNV is dedicated to promoting the limitless recreation opportunities of North Lake Tahoe and driving responsible tourism through tourism management.
Our organization takes pride in being a leader in sustainable visitation. In fact, we allocate a significant portion of our annual budget to sustainability projects, with 10% of the budget dedicated to such initiatives. By doing so, TNTNV ensures that the natural beauty and resources of Lake Tahoe are preserved for future generations to enjoy.
One of the standout events that TNTNV is excited to present this year is the 2nd Annual SkyShow, taking place on the Fourth of July. This event is an innovative and sustainable alternative to traditional fireworks displays. By opting for drones instead of fireworks, TNTNV is demonstrating its commitment to environmental stewardship and reducing the impact on the local ecosystem. The exciting display of lights and creativity will spark excitement among visitors and locals alike, and cultivate a greater understanding of eco-friendly practices altogether.
But the sustainable festivities don’t end with the SkyShow. Throughout the year, TNTNV actively promotes responsible tourism. We encourage visitors to explore the vast array of recreational activities available in North Lake Tahoe while respecting the natural environment. To ensure that visitors and locals can enjoy Lake Tahoe without generating extra emissions, the Tahoe Area Regional Transit (TART) provides public transportation options for the local community through TART Connect. TART Connect, funded by TNTNV and partner agencies, operates several bus routes throughout North Lake Tahoe, providing convenient access to nearby towns, shopping, and recreational areas. TART Connect is an affordable and reliable way to get around North Lake Tahoe, and it is a great way to help reduce traffic and pollution in the area.
Whether it’s hiking through pristine trails, kayaking on crystal-clear waters, or skiing down the magnificent slopes, TNTNV is dedicated to ensuring that these activities are enjoyed responsibly and with utmost care for the region’s ecological balance.
TNTNV recognizes that sustainable tourism is not only beneficial for the environment but also for the local community and economy. By preserving the unique character and charm of North Lake Tahoe, we aim to support the local businesses and ensure a thriving economy that benefits both residents and visitors alike.
By investing a significant portion of our annual budget into sustainability projects, we hope to lead the way in environmental stewardship in our region. Travelers to Lake Tahoe can look forward to a destination that not only offers limitless recreational opportunities but also values the preservation of its natural beauty, community character, and economic vitality.
Walking into Thania’s Juice Bar on one of the warmer Incline Village afternoons, Thania Medina and her mom Julia are surrounded by fresh fruits and veggies that are just waiting to be blended up into smoothies, juices, or made into healthy meals.
Thania’s Juice Bar has been around for several years, opening before the COVID pandemic in July 2019. Although the pandemic did hinder business, it was a time when people were looking for healthy sustenance to boost their immunity. With delicious drinks like the Detox (made up of carrot/beet/apple/celery) and Stamina Booster (pineapple/carrot/turmeric/orange), you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu if you need something to help get through the rest of the day.
Thania was originally born in Mexico and later emigrated to Carson City when she was a teenager to be with her mother. She attended Carson High School and Western Nevada College, then worked at Lupita’s for 10 years. Thania always wanted to work for herself, though, while staying in the service industry, so Julia encouraged Thania to open a Mexican-style juice bar.
It took Thania two years to remodel the space and get it open but then she ran into kind of an odd problem- she didn’t know how to explain to people what an authentic Mexican juice bar was.
“I wanted to serve traditional Mexican fruit snacks and aguas frescas with an emphasis on made-to-order, good-for-you, healthy food. I wanted to show off my culture because I’m proud to be Mexican,” Thania says. Customers that were coming in started suggesting items that were doable but not on the menu, so Thania paid attention, researched, and adjusted the menu to meet their requests.
“I listened to people coming in and saw that they loved the smoothies and the juices. They suggested acai bowls, avocado toast, and matcha drinks,” she says.
Gesturing towards the chalkboard on the wall, Thania says, “Everything on the menu, it’s like the customers said they wanted it, and I figured out how to make it my own.”
It’s obvious that she’s passionate about the food as she talks about how she came up with a protein bowl full of a green mix, cucumbers, shredded carrots, apples, and celery topped with her own homemade vegan organic dressing. Thania added food items that are gluten and dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian, crafting a menu that appeals to the locals.
Sipping on a creamy Chocolate Monkey smoothie, Thania explains that when she was growing up, her grandmother had papaya and lime trees, cactus, herbs, chickens, and the eggs that they laid. Her offerings at the juice bar are heavily influenced by her grandmother and time in Mexico and she hopes that the atmosphere will carry over, too.
“My grandmother believed in natural medicine. She had homemade remedies for everything. She would say, ‘You want to lose weight?’ And hand me pineapple, nopales, orange and celery blended together. And she had aloe vera to cure almost everything.
“I want people to feel when they come here like I felt at my grandmother’s house, and to be able to cook and have a conversation at the same time. I want this to be their living room with their family, their second home away from home, and for them to remember our juice, and come back to Tahoe just for that.”
Thania’s Juice Bar is on 868 Tahoe Blvd. Ste 7 in Incline Village and is open Monday-Saturday from 8am-3:30pm.
New Member Welcome – Corman Group | eXp Realty Luxury
April 19, 2023 | Grace Hubrig
Jeffrey Corman is the CEO of Corman Group eXp Realty, a real estate company based in Incline Village, Nevada. He founded the company in 2013, and under his leadership, it has become a leading player in the local real estate market.
Jeffrey has a wealth of experience in the industry, and is known for his expertise in both residential and commercial real estate. He has a reputation for being a skilled negotiator and has helped countless clients buy and sell properties in the Incline Village area.
Member Profile – Rosie Webber & The Sanctuary Tahoe
April 10, 2023 | John Crockett
Step into The Sanctuary Tahoe, a community wellness center on Stateline Road in Kings Beach, and you can feel your pulse lower. The two-story wood frame building has been a yoga and massage studio for many years but the energy and vision of new owner Roseanna “Rosie” Webber is what transforms the space into something unique. “You immediately feel this warmth of positive energy…as you embark on a journey inward,” says Yoga Manager Brooke Haley.
The Sanctuary provides a full range of services and experiences including yoga, massage, esthetics, and acupuncture. But Rosie’s integrative approach to wellness combines her health and nutrition expertise with mindset counseling, homeopathy, and leadership training. What starts as a yoga class or massage is the first step on a personal journey to wellness.
“What I really want is people feeling what I feel in the Sanctuary and have been for twenty years. The greatest compliment is when someone says, ‘The minute I walk in here, I can feel it.’”
Rosie first came to The Sanctuary as a massage customer before offering health and wellness coaching part-time. Following her retirement after nearly 40 years as a surgical nurse and a desire to see The Sanctuary re-emerge following the pandemic, Rosie took the leap to acquire the business.
“This is what I really love and my vision is to bring more wellness to the community.”
With deep experience in the medical field, it wasn’t until a breast cancer diagnosis in 2014 that Rosie fully embraced integrative medicine. “I’m 8 years cancer free but this journey led to becoming certified in health and nutrition coaching. We can live such a better life through diet and exercise. I had many reasons to take my health into a broader space.”
A New York City transplant that arrived in Lake Tahoe in 1990, Rosie and the Webber family, proprietors of The Village Pub, are well-known in the community. She even teases a possible mayoral run if the opportunity presents itself. You may also see Rosie at Azzara’s Restaurant where she has been waiting tables for 29 years. “I keep trying to leave but it’s family.”
“She is a pillar in the Lake Tahoe community,” says Haley. “She is one of the hardest working women I’ve ever known and truly leads by example. She is always available to support each and every one of her staff, students and clients,” including hosting the staff for a monthly “sangha” or gathering.
The Sanctuary offers yoga classes across all levels seven days a week. Try the signature Vinyasa Flow or a Slow Flow and Stretch après ski. Other new offerings include yomassage, a full body massage and yoga class all in one, as well as sound healing workshops. This summer Rosie will once again expand classes beyond the Sanctuary with yoga on the beach at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. An introductory special for locals features unlimited classes over 30 days for $75.
The Sanctuary will also soon offer yoga for those undergoing or in remission from cancer treatment. During her treatment, she remembers being desperate to stay in yoga classes. “I came out of class upset rather than rejuvenated, I was crying because I couldn’t do it.” Rosie recently became the first certified instructor in the area and the program uses modifications and props to accommodate students.
With the support of family and friends and her network of wellness professionals, Rosie has learned much from her journey. “If you can take something positive and give that to other people, then you should. One person can change things and that’s what I’m trying to do here in this community.“
Get the latest updates on the schedule and offers by signing up for The Sanctuary’s newsletter thesanctuarytahoe.com.
Incline Village’s newest café, Happy Tiers, is finally up and running after overcoming various forms of adversity. Its brick-and-mortar location in the Christmas Tree Village serves up delectable cinnamon rolls, quiches, coffee, slices of cake, Doughboys doughnuts, and more every day of the week.
Its owners Jason and Andrea Jurss are passionate when talking about their journey from whipping up cake batter in their kitchen to finally opening a physical café, that just continues to get better and better.
“During covid we had 86 weddings cancel on us; it nearly killed the business because we gave all those deposits back since we knew that was the right thing to do,” Jason says.
In March of 2020, Happy Tiers realized that they had to pivot quickly to stay afloat, and Andrea started making breakfast items and creative desserts like hot chocolate bombs to sell online and to her regular customers.
“The idea to open a café came about at the start of the pandemic. I laid in bed and thought, no one’s working, there’s no cakes to make, there’s nothing to do. So, Jason said, ‘go make those breakfast items you like’. I did these breakfast packs for local clients for Christmas and Thanksgiving and Jason delivered them,” Andrea says.
However, Andrea knew her clients so well that telling Jason where to go was a little bit of a humorous challenge. “Jason would be delivering, and he’d say, ‘Where do I go?’ and I’d reply, ‘Go down Donna and find that brown door second from the left with the wreath on it’ because I didn’t know anyone’s addresses,” she smiles.
Jason explains that Andrea would do these big pan quiches that feed a dozen people, then smaller groups who were here for a brief time requested personal ones that could go in a microwave or oven, ideal for vacation rentals. At the mention of it, Jason grabs a personal-sized crustless quiche for breakfast, the eggs fluffy and perfect, filled with slices of bell pepper and perhaps other veggies. Happy Tiers café also recently started serving crustless, gluten free and dairy free desserts and snacks.
The process of getting a café open in Incline Village took the Jurss’s to their limits, though, despite the experience they had in running successful businesses in Florida where Jason is from.
Both being from the East Coast, the couple met in 2010, the same year that Andrea’s parents Patrick and Patricia moved to Incline Village. Patrick (Andrea’s dad) had been coming to Lake Tahoe every winter since he was 16 to take a ski vacation. They spent their winters in Florida, which is where Andrea met Jason. Then when Andrea’s grandparents passed away, Pat and Pat decided to pick up and move Incline. Andrea followed her parents and moved to Incline with her kids in 2011, while keeping a long-distance relationship with Jason.
In 2015, Andrea started making cakes for friends out of her home kitchen and word quickly spread about the quality, creativeness, and delicious concoctions that she made for the North Lake Tahoe community. She formed a solid relationship with the Chateau, who often refers their customers to Happy Tiers in their event planning process. Then in 2017, Andrea moved to Florida to be with Jason and design a high-end dessert menu for Jason’s restaurant called Artisan. However, she kept getting calls from clients in the Lake Tahoe area wanting her to do their cakes. It was a different clientele out there in the Sunshine State, and Jason saw more of an opportunity for growth in Incline Village.
“When people flew Andrea out here to do their weddings (she did two at the Chateau while she was living in Florida), that opened my eyes to the possibility here,” Jason says.
The couple moved back here in late 2018, Jason’s own dad and brother eventually following.
“They all gravitate to us; we’re the nucleus of the family,” Andrea smiles. And grandparents on both sides love being closer to their grandkids who are in middle school and high school here.
They planned to do winters in Florida and summers here for both businesses (Happy Tiers and Artisan) but then the pandemic hit.
“I built nine multimillion-dollar concepts from the ground up. Andrea was going to do cakes and our goal was to wholesale. We were doing all the desserts for Granlibakken and local restaurants. Then covid stopped us in our tracks and we realized that we needed a direct-to-consumer concept,” Jason says.
They found a spot to open a physical café in Christmas Tree Village, signed the lease in spring of 2022, built out the space, hired staff, and did a soft opening in April, and then it all came to a grinding halt. They were forced to shut their doors on June 10th. They were closed for the next 70 days, believing that they probably lost $3,000 in revenue per day that they could’ve made over the summer.
“We were within eight days of closing for good and moving back to Florida, because everything we owned was invested in this business,” the couple says.
Jason explains that here they were paying rent, but various county and local government entities were telling them different things about what they needed to be properly permitted, causing them to throw money against the wall while trying to appease them. During the process of trying to get reopened, Happy Tiers lost seven baristas, four bakers, and two dishwashers that the Jurss’s had hired and trained.
“It’s like what Winston Churchill said, ‘If you don’t take change by the hand then it will take you by the throat.’ And Incline was taking us by the throat,” Jason says.
However, the couple is not the type to give up, and fortunately with weddings and events coming back on the scene, their clients and community saved them.
“There was no telling me I was closing the business; I worked too hard to build it,” Jason says, crediting Andrea for being the driving force and talent while he is more of the behind-the-scenes operations manager. The couple saved money for payroll, bought a new oven, rehired staff, and is now fully open once again providing products at every price point from $1.50 biscotti to $4,000 wedding cakes.
Jason says they are now focused on what is in the café’s four walls, building out their wedding design studio, putting art up on the walls, and working on their menus. They would also like to convert a corner of the café into an ice cream parlor and call it Happy Cones.
“My parents [Pat and Pat], the community, and our VIPs helped this business tremendously,” Andrea says.
“Incline’s our home, this is where we’ll live and retire. Andrea’s parents live here, my family moved here from Florida. It’s a relief that we’re open, and optimistic for the future,” Jason says.
Happy Tiers Café is hosting its official grand opening party and first annual “Black Pie day” (a play off Black Friday a week before Thanksgiving) on November 17th. From 7:30am – noon get $6 off every pie! Happy Tiers is also offering open enrollment for its VIP program from Black Pie day up until the holidays.
Originally published in the Holiday Issue of the LIVE.WORK.PLAY magazine, view it here.
On a midday Friday afternoon, the two giant bowling pins in a 4-10 split line the entrance of Bowl Incline. Inside, the Ohana Diner (featuring a menu designed by renowned chef Sam Choy) serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in front of bowling lanes that are bright and welcoming, everything outfitted in a modern retro motif. Flat screen LED TVs throughout the alley show the latest sports games and are perfect screens, meaning it’s the best resolution you will find. One room has three pool tables, another has an arcade with crane machines, basketball hoops, and floor-to-ceiling PAC-MAN. Outside on the main floor is another open-air bar, an enclosed patio with community-engraved pavers, with bocce ball and cornhole. The newly retrofitted Bowl Incline also has a second floor now holding another bar, original quality Henry Miller tables imported from England, and two axe-throwing lanes.
Saddling up to the bar, the amicable bartender says that the most popular cocktails are the Sour Strike, “it’s like a flavored vapor”, and any of the Ballers are good as well as the Double Wood margarita because of the Li Hing Mui salted rim.
While talking about the drinks, owner Steve Tomkovicz warmly greets me and gives me a tour.
The Tomkoviczes have had a house in Incline Village for 12 years, moving here full time during the pandemic from the Bay Area. “The restrictions weren’t as bad here; we could take walks on the golf course,” he says. He and his wife Tracy rebuilt Bowl Incline, gutting the interior, tearing off the roof, getting new bowling equipment, furniture, and basically modernizing the space. The only thing they kept was the name.
Steve launched his first business when he was 10 years old, selling flowers on freeway offramps in East LA to support his mom. He went to colleges on football and rugby scholarships, always working three jobs. In 1983 he started an industrial supply company, and it took off; he had 350 employees and 10 locations across the country, doing $240 million in sales.
Then four years ago, his doctor told him that he had an enlarged aorta that could rupture at any time. Knowing that his life could be cut short at any moment, Steve reevaluated his priorities and thus sold his company to move to Lake Tahoe.
However, Tomkovicz isn’t the kind of man to sit around and wait for his heart to burst. He has been a hard worker his entire life and loves to be involved in his community and build teams. When his family moved to Incline, he saw a “For Sale” sign in front of Bowl Incline and decided that this would be his new passion project (although he admits that he’s still sad that he sold the industrial supply company that he built out of a pickup truck).
He emphasizes that money is not the driver in this venture, that he wants to provide a place for families and friends to go to disconnect from technology and connect with each other.
“We need to change how we de-stress, how we connect,” he says.
A spiritual man, Steve embodies Bowl Incline’s motto, “Peace. Love. Bowl.”, which is found on staff shirts and signs throughout the alley.
“Everyone has to treat everyone well in here. I’m a pretty simple person but complex in how I do business because everyone has to treat each other with love and respect,” he says.
The property included an apartment complex across the street, too, and they could’ve knocked down the bowling alley and built more housing but felt like if they did that then they’d be losing a huge community asset. Local businesses rent out the upstairs area for private parties, they regularly have live music, and their bowling leagues filled up fast.
Steve loves dancing and says that he envisions hosting community events up in the lounge. He’d like to do a Frank Sinatra birthday celebration, invite people up to do some swing or dancing.
“This is a community space. Up here (in Incline Village) when the lights go out, there’s nowhere to go. Most places close at 8 or 9pm,” he says.
Bowl Incline supports charity nights, hospital events, and provides another place to celebrate besides the Chateau and the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe. Kids from the Incline schools even come clean the parking lot in exchange for bowling sessions.
“We’re always thinking about how to give this community a center to celebrate life.”
And it truly is a family affair; Steve’s daughter Allison runs events, his son-in-law Josh runs the bars, and his wife Tracy is the financial wizard/operations manager. Throughout our tour, his son Steven is down on the first-floor bowling.
“Everything is new and it’s exciting for us. This is a place where you feel loved; and we have love for the Tahoe area. If we can create all that love between families and team members, this will be successful.
“I’m proud of what we’re doing. I’m 68 with a bum ticker and if I get to live around this and help people connect and practice kindness, then I’m good. Hopefully, we’re building a vision of love, excitement, and an escape from life but not each other,” Steve adds.
For more information about Bowl Incline, go to www.bowlincline.com or visit the alley in person at 920 Southwood Boulevard in Incline Village.
Along with offering resources and enhancing skills for area residents, the nonprofit Tahoe Family Solutions provides rewarding opportunities for those looking to give back to the community.
One of those opportunities would be tutoring students as part of Tahoe Family Solutions’ Homework Help Club at Incline Elementary School.
“We always need more volunteers,” said Leslie Blunden, program director for Tahoe Family Solutions. Now in its 17th school year, the Homework Club currently has three volunteers and two TFS staff members working with 22 students this semester, Blunden said.
For Homework Club, teachers assign students who are struggling and do not have resources at home to help with homework.
Volunteers must be cleared by the Washoe County School District prior to working with children, but no training is needed to tutor with Homework Club.
Tutors help first through fifth grade students with reading and math. Sessions last 75 minutes and are held immediately after school, Monday through Thursday. Incline Elementary lets out at 3:20 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and at 2:35 p.m. Wednesdays.
Blunden said the tutoring focuses on what’s being taught in the classroom. A challenge is that with Covid, most of the first graders getting help are very far behind. “Many don’t know letter sounds or what numbers look like. With these students, we assist with homework, but our main emphasis is on learning the basics so they can begin to read,” she said.
Homework Club Students “are probably like any given group pulled from a classroom. A few are excited every day, a few drag their feet, but all are proud of themselves for accomplishing something they’ve had trouble with before,” Blunden said.
The hope for Homework Club is that it gets young students back on track for greater success in school.
“The National Research Council has determined that high school graduation and success in the workplace can be predicted by reading scores at the end of third grade. Students who are not proficient in reading by that time are unlikely to graduate high school,” Blunden said. “So we test the students at the beginning and end of the program with the Fountas & Pinnell Reading Assessment.”
Blunden said Tahoe Family Solutions wasn’t able to hold sessions from March 2020 to September 2021, during the school lockdown phase of the pandemic, in large part because of computer access use issues at homes. These days, all participants wear masks and use copious amounts of hand sanitizer.
Getting volunteers is challenging, Blunden said, due to the afternoon times the tutoring sessions meet and the time commitment involved. Typically, volunteers are retirees or high school students, who Blunden said are dedicated, patient, and enthusiastic about helping children learn. Volunteers have told her they’ve learned patience, a love for tutoring and how to do division problems 20 different ways as core curriculum changes. Also rewarding, Blunden said, is that the program gets 8-10 high school students a year who come back to thank those involved with Homework Club for helping them in elementary school.
TFS helps adults too. The nonprofit provides adult support via language, tax prep and mental health programs. Adult ESL classes are currently held via Zoom, with the hope to be face-to-face again sometime this year. And since it’s tax season, TFS is also offering free tax preparation service Wednesday and Thursday evenings, from 4 to 8 p.m., by appointment.
Tahoe Family Solutions also offers mental health programs, which includes therapy and psychiatry. With the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Blunden said that they have seen a huge rise in the number of community members seeking services.
“Anxiety and depression surrounding financial instability due to the pandemic has risen dramatically nationwide,” she said.
To help fund all of these efforts, TFS operates a thrift shop at 797 Southwood Blvd. It had to close for six weeks in 2020 when all non-essential services were ordered to do so, but has been operating normally since then.
“In this economy, thrift stores are the ideal place to purchase needed items for affordable prices,” Blunden said. There has been a wide variety in donations, from t-shirts and socks to Italian marble tables, rare artwork and one time, even a deactivated hand grenade.
“Truly something for everyone,” she said.
To become a Homework Club tutor and for more information on Incline Village-based Tahoe Family Solutions, see tahoefamily.org or call 775-413-5145.
IN 2014, ONE MIGHT HAVE DESCRIBED SHAHRI MASTERS as a passionate and driven mover and a shaker, an ambitious Lake Tahoe real estate agent witha no-nonsense attitude and a 26-year track record of success; moving houses, making sales, always networking and working nonstop. And then, she wasn’t. Behind the scenes, her now late husband was battling cancer, her daughter needed her mom, and her mental and physical health were slipping. She was at a crossroad, career or quality of life. She opted for the latter, stepped off the hamster wheel, and focused on her family. It was the best decision she ever made.
Taking a step back allowed Shahri to be present, to advocate for her husband, and to embrace being a mom. She also immersed herself in her many talents and interests. She is an accomplished artist and author, and during her sabbatical she wrote and published her third book, “Me and the Other Women – Stories of Female Relationships That Shape our Lives,” which spent some time on the Amazon bestseller list. During her hiatus she also started sharing her minimalist philosophy with others by helping people clear clutter from their homes, their hearts, and their minds. She taught English as a second language, worked in retail, as a ghostwriter, a babysitter, business coach, construction manager, and more. For over five years she explored, dabbled in new and old hobbies, connected with others, and her inner self. And then, she was back!
Her countless interests, talents, and opportunities could not deafen the call to return to real estate. In May of 2019, with fresh perspective, Shahri, with the helpof a friend, opened her own brokerage firm, Masters of Tahoe Incline Real Estate. Shahri now leverages her own experience and knowledge as a 50-year resident of Lake Tahoe to help her clients truly immerse themselves in Lake Tahoe living. “The many hats I wore and experiences I had during my sabbatical made me more well-rounded and more capable of truly connecting with my clients. It gave me a broader perspective on life and it’s no longer about the ‘sale.’ My priority is meeting my clients’ needs in a deeper, more personal way.” Shahri’s story teaches many lessons about courage, connection, and the value of work-life balance. On the surface it may appear that Shahri Masters long and successful career has been all about real estate. Not completely. Once you dig a little deeper, whether by reading her writing, studying her art, or listening to her talk about her community and her favorite people in it, it is easy to discover that her career has always been focused on people. Her people-centric focus is what makes her so successful and also such a valuable asset to the Incline community.
Incline’s newest eatery and cocktail lounge called Nevada Jane (formerly known as Gus’ Open Pit Barbecue) is now open, and welcoming people to try its quality street food-inspired cuisine and upscale drinks that are sure to tantalize the palate.
Jonas and Nellie Saia bought the restaurant in late August of last year and kept it open as Gus’ to keep the staff employed as they prepared for this transition. Nevada Jane is the couple’s fourth restaurant in Incline Village, first acquiring Austin’s in 2014, then Tomaato’s in 2016 (and reopening it as Fumo in 2019), and then Cool Mess – a coffee shop/ice cream parlor behind Austin’s.
Jonas has been in Incline Village for 19 years, working for almost a decade of that as a bartender at Lone Eagle Grille and attending Sierra Nevada University. He eventually got a job as a business broker which gave him the opportunity to learn how to successfully take over and run a restaurant in a unique place like Incline Village. Last August, Jonas’s former boss at the business brokerage told him that there was a business for sale in Lake Tahoe but wouldn’t tell him what or where in the Basin it was.
After signing the NDA agreements and learning that the business for sale was Gus,’ the Saias became thrilled about the prospect of obtaining it.
“We were very excited…it was close to our other restaurants, and we were looking for another investment,” Jonas says. The Saias took over Gus’ in October of 2021 and converted it into Nevada Jane just a few weeks ago.
Jonas had collaborated with chef Henry Nol, who he met through his brother, who focused on sustainable seafood and bringing interesting street food into a restaurant setting. Nol helped the Saias with the transition of their other restaurants and launch Fumo and is now on a more permanent basis with Nevada Jane. Jonas loves buying restaurants but credits his wife Nellie for coming up with the menus and managing the frontline work.
Jonas himself has worked in restaurants since he was 14 years old, and he loves barbeque, but he didn’t want to own just another average BBQ joint…the couple wanted to bring a new twist to southern cooking and put their own branding on it. When they go on vacation, they get inspired by street food and distinct cultures, and work to fold that vibe back into their dining establishments.
“It’s been good; we changed the furniture, added late night food, and we’re now open until midnight on Friday and Saturdays,” Jonas says. The fact that they are open so late on the weekends is huge, as most places in North Lake Tahoe are closed by 8 or 9pm.
They also brought in tasty cocktails over from Fumo. Just ask Nevada Jane’s office manager Lisa about the restaurant’s jalapeno-infused tequila with citrus and muddled strawberry signature cocktail.
“The cocktails there remind me of some of the best ones I’ve had in San Francisco,” she says.
“It’s a fun drink to try. And after going to the city and coming back and having a place to go later in the evening is so nice,” Lisa adds.
“People want to get dinner later now, and we want Nevada Jane’s to be more of a restaurant/lounge,” adds Jonas.
Lisa, Jonas, and I start sharing stories about the former iterations of Nevada Jane’s (back when it was the Mexican restaurant Esmeralda’s and what locals called the dark and spooky bar upstairs), that is also supposedly haunted.
“We burned a lot of sage to get rid of the ghosts,” Jonas chuckles.
“Nevada Jane has great potential. This energy…” Lisa says, giving us both an air hug in the room as we laugh and share in nostalgia, “…is what we want there. It’s a local’s place, but it’s for everybody else, too. There are good things going on there and I hope people will embrace this change. There’s a lot of excitement and energy put into this. And Jonas and Nellie do a good job of bringing in the right vibe.”
“We’ve been working on this for nine months. Fumo was a fun project and this one will be even better,” Jonas adds.
When asked why they enjoy being members of the IVCBA, they reply, “It’s a collaboration. We participated in the Sip & Shop and Northern Lights events with all our businesses (Gus’/Nevada Jane, Fumo, Austin’s, and Cool Mess), and it’s great to keep up with what’s going on and have the support of the Association,” Lisa says.
“It’s nice to see things happening here, and everyone come back after covid,” Jonas says.
Visit Nevada Jane in person at 930 Tahoe Blvd in the Raley’s Center or online.
THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE that exemplify the Tahoe region and the reasons so many people are drawn to it in the way that Aaron James does. Aaron, or as he is far better known, Elko, is an accidental namesake of the rural town in Nevada which he grew up near. Elko moved to Tahoe in the fall of ‘98 to attend Sierra Nevada College. Upon moving here, he was almost exclusively referred to as the kid from Elko and the name stuck. He was studying ski resort management and also coaching the SNC ski team. Skiing was, and still is absolutely his ‘thing’, but school was less so. Given that, Elko left school and began working for the golf course in the summer, continued coaching skiing in the winter, and also began working for Village Ski Loft. Today, Elko is part owner of Village Ski Loft and is involved in many community projects and development related to the recreational opportunities that Village Ski Loft supports through their retail store.
Elko and the staff at Village Ski Loft know and understand their customers’ needs on skis and bikes because they are passionate about the sports themselves. Elko is adamant that Village Ski Loft has experienced such longevity in Incline because of the quality of their tech work and the knowledge that every team member has related to the sports they promote and all of the equipment that they sell. For instance, when he is not working at the store, Elko ‘practices what he preaches’ or in this case what he sells at the store. Elko is a very avid and talented skier and mountain biker. He first skied when he was only 7 or 8 years old when his mom introduced him to the sport that would forever change his life. His favorite pastimes are shared with his two young daughters, 11 and 14, who started on snow at even younger ages. Both Daisy and Ashlyn are competitive athletes on the mountain year-round, in the winter in the snow on their skis, and in the summer on their bikes in the dirt. Elko’s wife, Feather, is a pharmacy tech in Kings Beach and also participates in all of the family recreational hobbies.
While Village Ski Loft does more business and serves more clients in the winter, Elko himself has done a lot for the local mountain bike community. Elko is a former member of the TAMBA Mountain Bike Board and the store is an adopter of a section of the Tyrolean downhill trail. Additionally, Elko was one of the founding members of the Incline Bike Project which, with the help of various community entities and individuals, helped raise the funds for the Incline Bike Park which opened in 2017. Today, Elko is still a member of the Incline Tahoe Foundation.
Twenty years have now come and gone for Elko at Village Ski Loft. He has seen a lot of changes with possibly more on the forefront. No matter how our town changes, Elko is certain that the stores commitment to its customers and ability to build and maintain relationships so residents can enjoy the recreation that brought and kept him here, is a commitment that not only won’t change, it will continue to differentiate Village Ski Loft from other retailers.
Visit Village Ski Loft in person (Tahoe Blvd & Southwood) or online at villageskiloft.com
