Local businesses betting on Tivoli Village

Summerlin residents have eagerly awaited the opening of Tivoli Village at Queensridge with its big-name draws such as Kidville and Republic of Couture. But among the well-known names are entrepreneurs who call Las Vegas home.

Stash is the brainchild of Dianne and Semon Levy. The trendy clothing store began in California but found a new home in Las Vegas in 1995. It offers brands new on the market to maintain what it bills as its hip, trendy attitude.

How hip, you ask? In 2008, it held a fashion show at a Strip nightclub. Former "The Hills" TV star Kristin Cavallari hosted the event, and Paris Hilton checked out the show.

When the economy tanked, its shop at Village Square, 9410 W. Sahara Ave., closed.

"We had a great following among locals," Dianne Levy said of the Village Square location. "But things have worked out ...We're happy to be back."

Look for at least one sales associate to be wearing items offered at the shop. The new, 2,000-square-foot shop at Tivoli Village enjoys a location next to Jeff White Custom Jewelry.

"Vegas will use this kind of store," said Summerlin-area resident Liberty Nye . "It's on trendy, on the newer side" of fashion.

Tivoli Village has gone to the dogs with The Dog House, owned and operated by Ian Kester and Jillian Plaster. It sells dog food from the married couple's Good Dog Food Company and includes free-range chicken and grass-fed beef. The food uses the owners' recipes -- both are graduates of the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas .

Plaster said the streetscape of Tivoli Village makes it convenient for bringing one's dog and that The Dog House's location is ideal.

"I think being in between Range Rover and Charming Charlie is fantastic and will only benefit us," she said. "We have a similar clientele."

Their product is made in downtown Las Vegas . The o fficial recipe taste-tester is Trucker, the couple's bulldog.

"They got very creative with their dog treats, the shapes," said shopper Dee Moody . "I'm not sure how much the dogs will care about that."

Obika -- which means "returning" in Italian -- is apropos for Marv Freeman's eye wear store. He once had 17 locations in Las Vegas, up and down the Strip. He sold them in 2006 to focus on Ma cau, where he established seven shops. Now he has opened this one, a stone's throw from his high-rise home at One Queensridge Place.

Freeman said he opened the shop because the Summerlin area was under served when it came to fashion eye wear.

Besides Chanel, Prada and Cartier, Freeman searches out designs not found in many stores.

"I've got lines never offered in Las Vegas," he said, "small, little European suppliers."

Patsy Nelson was shopping there as her husband, David, waited.

"I found the glasses of my dreams," she said. "I've been looking for four months ... we go to the high-end stores in California ... this is better."

Roughly 60 percent of Obika's clientele do not need corrective lenses . They just want the fashionable look, Freeman said.

"Glasses are part of your face, so they're pretty important," he said.

Another locally owned business is Bobby Wheat Gallery, which features fine art photography. On the walls are large pictures from Venice, Hawaii and the Southwest. When a browser commented on how his pieces were similar to those of Peter Lik, a world-famous photographer, Wheat had a ready answer.

"We print on the same paper and shoot the same film; it's just my interpretation of nature, not his," he said.

Shoppers need sustenance, as well.

Leone Café is based on a traditional Italian coffee shop concept and unapologetically tempts shoppers with a display case of fresh baked goods.

The cafe takes full advantage of the European look of Tivoli Village. It has a prime location on a corner, which is used for patio dining.

"It's like sitting in Italy, but it's Vegas," said Ron Rosenblum, the owner and a Summerlin resident.

Leone Café's small menu offers breakfast items such as fritattas, omelets and muesli. Salads and sandwiches are available for lunch. The 2,000-square-foot space can seat 100 people indoors and out.

Other locally owned retail stores and eateries include Petra, an upscale eatery but with a casual atmosphere. It features an authentic Greek menu -- spanakopita, baklava, loukoumades and gyros. Dine on the veranda for a view of Red Rock Canyon or on the European-style courtyard. Petra serves lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

Radio City Pizzeria brings a touch of the Big A pple to Tivoli Village with New York-style pizza made with fresh ingredients. The gourmet eatery offers large, 18-inch pies that can be purchased whole or by the slice.

Jeff White is another local shop owner. His reputation was built on his skill at reinventing classic works. His store, Jeff White Custom Jewelry, works with the client to produce pieces that reflect the wearer's sense of style.

Paul and Irene Ward said they'd been waiting for Tivoli Village to open.

"Steve Wynn had a vision for the Strip," Irene Ward said. "But this developer has joie de vivre , joy of life."

Contact Summerlin and Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.