Three Businesses Earn Chamber Awards

Annually, the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce presents three awards to local businesses at its June banquet: the Mort Farberow Businessperson Award, Best New Business and the Beautification Award.

This year’s Mort Farberow award goes to Gerry Blanck, owner and operator of a popular martial arts center on Alma Real. The Award is given in honor of the late businessman Mort Farberow. In order to be selected, a business person must support the three C’s that Mort (former owner of Mort’s Deli) held dear: community, Chamber and children.

“Mort would be honored to know that his friend Gerry is the recipient of the award,” said Chamber Executive Director Arnie Wishnick, noting that Blanck has had a business in town for more than 30 years. He has sponsored a PPBA baseball team for the past six years and has taught an accredited self-defense course at Pepperdine University for 10 years. Blanck has taught kids at his dojo who are now bringing their children to his classes.

Scarlett’s Cupcakes on Via de la Paz wins Best New Business honors. The recipient must have a new, stable business that is needed in the community; been in business at least one year and not more than three years; and be actively involved in the Chamber and the community.

Susan Payne and her realtor husband, Andrew Wilson, opened the shop in December 2010. In addition to various cupcake varieties, Payne also makes makes pies, muffins, French macarons, banana pudding and custom cakes in her on-site kitchen.

“My mom taught me to bake when I was tall enough to reach the kitchen counter,” Payne said, noting that many of the cakes featured at Scarlett’s are from family recipes.

The Beautification Award is presented by the Pacific Palisades Rotary Club to a business that “renovated and/or beautified its exterior and/or grounds, thereby contributing to the overall beautification of the community.”

The award goes to Alain and Catherine Giraud, who opted for a total makeover of the former Dante’s resturant on Swarthmore, creating the French restaurant Maison Giraud and the gift store Lavender Blue. The two businesses share a wide glass storefront.

The store and restaurant were designed by Palisadian Cosimo Pizzulli of Pizzulli Associates.