Mom & Pop Stores and Services in Incline Village/Crystal Bay/Lake Tahoe Area
March 29, 2022 | Kayla Anderson
Part of Incline Village/Crystal Bay’s charm is the abundance of mom-and-pop shops and generational family businesses* that provide essential goods and services.
In celebration of #momandpopshop day (March 29), here are some of our favorite independently owned businesses that are worth checking out in the Incline Village/Crystal Bay area:
For Goods:
- Lake Tahoe Lockshop- Located in the Christmas Tree Village in Incline, the Lake Tahoe Lockshop stocks a complete line of lockboxes, padlocks, key blanks, and miscellaneous accessories. It also sells other hardware such as latches, strikes, and more. Lake Tahoe Lockshop is open Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm, closed on the weekends.
- Happy Tiers Bakery- Founded in 2015 by local Incline duo Andrea and Jason, Andrea has taken her love of creating custom cakes to the next level and is now considered one of the top bakeries in all of Lake Tahoe. Servicing Reno, Carson City, Truckee, and all of the shores of Big Blue, check out its photo gallery … just don’t view it hungry ?
- Tahoe Gifting Co.- If you want to give someone the ultimate welcome to Lake Tahoe and the Basin, consider buying a basket of Tahoe-based goodies from the Tahoe Gifting Co. Choose baskets filled with locally made homey, soap, and Drink Tahoe Tap water bottles or opt for one filled with Small Batch barbeque sauce, Alibi Ale Works beer, beef jerky, and Nevada Brining Co. pickles in the “Sasquatch Cache”. There’s nationwide shipping on many of the boxes as well if you forgot to pick up souvenirs while you were in town.
- Incline Spirits & Cigars- Located in the Country Club Centre within walking distance from the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Incline Spirits is a great place to go if you’re staying at the hotel and want to check out the Incline Village area a little bit. Along with basic provisions, Incline Spirits & Cigars is family-owned and sells high-quality hard-to-find brews, cigars, and liquor.
- Summit Glass Company- Sometimes the road can be rough on vehicles, and if you were unlucky enough to catch a rock or pinecone to the windshield then fortunately Summit Glass Company has you covered. This family-owned and operated company in the Truckee/Tahoe area provides windshield replacements and free chip repair within the first six months of your windshield replacement install.
- Sunshine Deli- It seems like the people at Sunshine Deli & Catering are always baking up something delicious, whether it’s housemade banana bread, raspberry tart, or a hearty soup, salad, lasagna, quiche, or other creative lunch/dinner selection. There is so much to choose from that it’s hard to know when to stop ordering.
- Susie Scoops Ice Cream and Village Toys- Delighting kids of all ages with toys, puzzles, and ice cream, Susie Scoops has been voted the Best Ice Cream Shop in North Lake Tahoe due to their modern twists on shakes, flavorful floats, smoothies, malts, and more. Based in the same building as Starbucks in Incline Village, the owners of Susie Scoops also manage Village Toys in the same location which carries classic toys such as Legos, Barbies, and John Deere tractors as well as science toys, family activities, and educational books.
- Glasses Wine Bar- Need to wind down and relax after a hard day’s work? Then head over to Glasses Wine Bar over on Mays Boulevard across from the post office to pour yourself a glass of wine and catch up with a book or some friends. It offers 26 wines by the glass and has beer, sparkling wine, cider, and light snacks for sale, too.
- Village Ski Loft– Regarded as North Lake Tahoe’s premier ski shop, this decades-old establishment provides everything you need in the way of skis and snowboards, accessories, and more. And in the summertime, it is the place to go for mountain bikes, hiking, and backpacking gear. VSL’s crew is comprised of diehard outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds, and their passion comes through when trying to set you up with the right gear to have a memorable experience on the slopes.
- Panache- A few doors down from Raley’s, Panache is a clothing boutique that carries the latest fashions in jewelry, shoes, handbags, activewear, and more along with home décor elements, unique gifts, and children’s items.
For Services:
- Massage Tahoe- Owned by longtime Incline Village resident and licensed massage therapist Gwendalyn Gilliam, Massage Tahoe offers deep healing and detox massages from this 30-plus year professional. Along with doing massages, Gwendalyn also provides wholeness healing sessions, divine truth readings, and nutrition coaching.
- Move Mountains- Providing mindful leadership programs for both individuals and organizations, Move Mountains provides events, coaching, and consulting by boldly taking people and their teams on experiences that embody attention, action, and intention to adapt and thrive within their organizations. Visit movemountains.com to learn more about its unique approach to truly making a difference within one’s network.
- Ashley Quinn CPAs and Consultants– Established in 1979 in Incline Village (with an office in Reno as well), Ashley Quinn and its firm’s mission is to “shape our clients’ futures” through its tax services and accounting advice for high-net-worth families. Ashley Quinn also supports local nonprofits including the Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation and Classical Tahoe.
- Sun Bear Realty- Managed by longtime North Lake Tahoe resident Blane Johnson, Sun Bear Realty has a smattering of real estate properties, vacation rentals, and long-term residences to match anyone’s length of stay in Tahoe. Sun Bear Realty is also very involved in the community and promotes sustainable use of Tahoe’s beaches, trails, and mountains to help keep our natural environment pristine and beautiful for as long as possible.
- Angel’s Window Cleaning- If you’re yearning to see Big Blue out of your windows again and they’re a little grimy from winter weather buildup, call Angel’s Window Cleaning service for your residential, commercial, or construction site needs. Established in 2009, Angel’s is a family-owned, fully licensed, and insured Incline Village-based window cleaning company that provides quality services and competitive prices.
- Wired Solutions – As a leader in computer services in North Lake Tahoe, Reno, and Carson City, Wired Solutions professional technicians have helped thousands of businesses and homeowners with their IT needs. Whether you need cloud management, computer support, and IT repair, or want to use Wired Solutions as a service provider for your business, Wired Solutions advisors can get that set up for you.
- Tahoe Business Exchange- Created to help like-minded, business-oriented people network, collaborate, and support their Tahoe peers, Tahoe Business Exchange members meet on a monthly basis to talk about how to educate and refer each other in the Incline Village/Tahoe area. Its members also offer services in a variety of areas including financial, food & drink, and arts & recreation.
- Lakeshore Realty- Family-owned and operated right on the shores of Lake Tahoe, this leading real estate company is professional, courteous, and committed to helping clients find (or sell) their dream home on the East Shore. Voted the best brokerage by the Tahoe Tribune, Lakeshore Realty agents can help you get the most value out of your home or point you in the direction of luxurious homes and community amenities to help welcome you into the Incline Village/Crystal Bay area.
- Incline Education Fund– Enriching education in Incline Village, IEF founders and residents Mary Danahey and Sharon Schrage both have extensive volunteer experience and commitment to enhancing kids’ learning experiences in Incline Village by creating a platform to raise money for certain initiatives. While each raising their own families in Incline Village, Danahey and Schrage have raised funds to purchase SmartBoards for classrooms, create tech-related classroom programs including Digital Citizenship and GenYes, and it was responsible for bringing the 1:1 computer program to Incline High School- the first of its kind in the Washoe County School District.
- Tahoe Family Solutions- Between its thrift store, VITA tax program, Homework Help Club, and other programs, Tahoe Family Solutions has a lot going on. This nonprofit was established in 1991 as a satellite office of the Children’s Cabinet in Reno and became its own entity in 1994. Its mission is “to provide key resources and enhance skills for families in the Tahoe Basin.”
Hopefully, if you ever crack your windshield, need CPA services, are looking for real estate, are craving an ice cream cone, or simply need to relax with a glass of wine, you’ll know where to go and can support these mom-and-pop businesses in Incline Village/Crystal Bay.
*Many of these multi-generational businesses have been featured in Live.Work.Play., IVCBA’s magazine. Visit the Live.Work.Play. archives here.