Root Down DIA, a Mission Yogurt, Inc. restaurant, was recognized as Airports Council International-North America’s “2015 Best New Food and Beverage Full-Service Concept” Sunday during the awards gala at the first-ever ACI-NA Business of Airports Conference in Phoenix, which was attended by more than 500 commercial management, human resource and finance representatives from North America’s airport industry.

The purpose of the ACI-NA Excellence in Airport Concessions Awards is to inspire creativity in the industry and to recognize innovative and outstanding airport concessions.

“Mission Yogurt is honored to be recognized for Root Down DIA by one of the most respected airport trade organizations in the world,” said Rod Tafoya, president of Mission Yogurt, Inc. “We’re proud of the success of Root Down at DIA, and look forward to continuing to serve travelers at DEN.”

“ACI-NA’s Airport Concessions Awards highlights the innovation and leadership demonstrated across the airport concessions industry, and we’re delighted to showcase the best products and services available to air travelers throughout North America,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke.

This year’s contest received more than 300 nominations from airports of all sizes throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Longtime Denver TV and radio sports personality Les Shapiro gave Steuben’s restaurant, 523 E. 17th Ave., a Facebook shout-out last week for the restaurants ability to make lemonade out of lemons. Here’s what he said:

“Went there for dinner last night with another couple. Sat outside on the patio. About 10 minutes after we ordered, the electricity went out all over the neighborhood. The kitchen couldn’t cook/warmup anything. Only three entrees were completed. The fourth never made it out of the embryonic stage. The side dishes were aborted, also. Then, halfway through dinner, it began to rain and we were moved inside. The Steuben’s staff was incredibly accommodating. They comped our meal. And when they found out it was (Shapiro’s wife) Paula’s birthday, they also brought out two desserts, including an incredible coconut vanilla buttercream cake. Nice job, www.steubens.com And thank you.”

FYI, Steuben’s new dessert menu is courtesy of new Executive Pastry Chef, Nadine Donovan, who left a similar position at Old Major. Donovan joined Steubens in early 2015 and according the restaurant website, “Nadine hasn’t wasted any time getting started — less than two weeks after coming on board she’s already added a breath of new life to the Steuben’s dessert menu.”

A friend e-mailed me to say she was going to look at women’s clothing on Pendleton’s website.

“I thought it was just Pendleton.com … apparently not,” she said.”

This is the message you see when you go to that website:

Pendleton.com

This Site Is Not Currently In Service

Move Along, Nothing To See Here

Eavesdropping on two employees in Englewood: “I see you got a Colorado Rockies schedule in the mail. And you have the May 24th game circled. You going to buy tickets?”

“No. I’m just marking the date when the Rockies will be mathematically eliminated.”

Colorado’s recreational marijuana legalization has smoked out Little Spider Creations, a manufacturer of scary items in Denver for 24 years, whose owner told 9News that he recently moved the company to North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Little Spider owner Marc Brawner told 9News that too many employees were coming in high after the drug was legalized for recreational use in 2012. He was firing too many people and made the decision to move. The company, which builds things that go bump in the night for haunted houses, museums and amusement pars, had 47 full-time employees.

“The main reason we pulled out was because of marijuana, ” Brawner told 9News. “Half of the sculptors will come in high. As soon as we’d catch it, they’d be let go. We went through 25 sculptors. Only five of (our sculptors) either were quality or would show up unimpaired.”

Brawner said employees were just not as productive and had an “it’s-good-enough” attitude when they reported for work under the influence.

The Colorado native told 9News that it was a difficult decision to move his family and his company. But he said he didn’t see things changing, and the pot use was the final straw.

A spokesperson for Mountain State Employers said Little Spider Creations was the first company that has moved out of state because of legal marijuana.

The Colorado-based employment service takes several calls from employers asking for advice on what to do if an employee comes into work high.

Watch the whole story at www.9news.com/story/news/local/2015/04/23/little-spider-creations-marijuana-employees/26241529/.

Denver hosts one of the largest Derby Day celebrations outside of Kentucky, and on May 2 Coloradans will be summoning up their inner Southerner in celebration of the 141st running of the horses.

Here are some special attractions and libations around town:

* Make it a Bluegrass-state special at Argyll Whisky Beer (1035 E. 17th Ave. - www.argylldenver.com) on May 2 by sipping on a Mint Julep – Arygll style.  With Colorado’s own Breckinridge Bourbon and housemade lavender simple syrup and garnished with fresh mint, this is a Centennial state take on the southern classic for seven dollars.

* The largest free Kentucky Derby parties can be found at both locations of ViewHouse (2015 Market St. and 7101 S. Clinton St., Centennial – www.viewhouse.com).  The first 100 guests enjoy free mint juleps or Stella Artois from 2 to 3 p.m.  Mint Juleps are seven dollars all day, and Stellas can be had for five dollars from open to close. ViewHouse will be hosting games and giveaways, including the grand prize trip to the 2016 Derby – hotel, tickets and flights covered. Be there by 4 p.m. to catch the live stream, and don’t forget your best hat for the contest and break out those seersucker suits for the photo step and repeat.

* On Derby Day this year, Stout Street Social (1400 Stout St. – www.stoutstsocial.com/), with 12 TVs showing the big race, will offer traditional mint juleps for $6.95.

* The Cherry Cricket (2641 E. Second Ave. –  www.cherrycricket.com) will serve mint juleps made with all Colorado ingredients including Downslope Bourbon for eight dollars.

* It may be the most exiting two minutes in sports, but once the Kentucky Derby is over you can still head up to Blackbelly Market (1606 Conestoga #3, Boulder - www.blackbelly.com) for a traditional mint julep from the fresh and casual bar in the East Boulder hotspot.  For six dollars, indulge in one of Michael Cerretani’s icy creations, garnished with fresh mint.

* Humboldt Farm, Fish & Wine (1700 Humboldt St. – www.humboldtrestaurant.com) is jumping into the race with its own version of the traditional mint julep.  Humboldt’s southern cocktail boasts Buffalo Trace bourbon, house-made simple syrup and fresh mint.  Start the celebrating early with a patio Derby Kickoff at 11 a.m. and wear your best summery racetrack gear when you check in on Facebook for a complimentary Derby appetizer from the Kentucky-inspired fresh sheet.  The patio will host Buck a Shuck Oysters until 3 p.m.

Join 500-plus Denver area women in a day of connecting, equipping and empowering at the Work-Life Thrive Summit from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 19 at the Seawell Ballroom in the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

The annual event is not about “having it all” or creating a mythical “balance.”  It’s about supporting women to thrive in their particular phase of life. This event brings together a dynamic and world-class line-up of presenters — including career expert, Aimee Cohen (Woman Up!), work-life strategist, Mary Loverde (The Invitation), brain-behavior expert, Kristen Race (Mindful Living) and learning and motivation specialist, Jackie Insinger (Insinger Insights).

Every attendee receives a goodie bag valued at $125, filled with product, not paper, from Sanitas, Soybu, Advocare, Prana, Never a Wallflower and more.

For more information, go to www.womeninthemix.com/work-life-thrive-summit/.

Registration at www.Eventbrite.com/e/2015-work-life-thrivetm-summit-registration-15961728961.

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts has announced that it’s been selected for the New York-based Wallace Foundation’s Building Audiences for Sustainability effort – a  new, six-year, $52-million initiative aimed at developing practical insights into how exemplary performing arts organizations can successfully expand their audiences.

As part of the Wallace initiative, the DCPA Theatre Company was awarded $410,000 to focus on learning more about the millennial generation through past Off-Center prototypes and new audience/market research, ultimately designing, creating and marketing a new mainstage production that will serve as a model for millennial focused programming.

“We are honored to have been selected by the Wallace Foundation,” said Kent Thompson, producing artistic director for the Theatre Company. “This generous grant provides the Theatre Company with the resources to experiment with an innovative format on our mainstage. The Wallace Foundation has also given us the priceless gift of time. We’re eager to complete this important research that will help the Theatre Company continue to attract audiences of all generations.”

The Theatre Company was one of 26 arts organizations from around the country that was selected to be a part of the Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative and noted by the foundation for its artistic excellence. Each organization will design and implement programs to attract new audiences while retaining current ones, measuring whether and how this contributes to the overall financial sustainability.

In addition to theaters, the organizations represent a spectrum of artistic disciplines, from dance and opera companies to orchestras and multidisciplinary arts institutions. The selected partners will receive financial and technical support from the foundation to develop, implement, analyze, and learn from their audience-building work. The evidence gathered from their work will be documented and analyzed by a Wallace-commissioned independent team of researchers, providing insights, ideas and information for the entire field.

 “The arts are essential on both a personal level (by) providing us with experiences that open us to new perspectives, and on a community level, helping us to find common ground,” said Will Miller, president of The Wallace Foundation. “However, attracting and engaging new audiences is challenging for arts organizations because, even as the number of arts groups has grown, national rates of participation in the arts have declined, arts education has waned, and competition for ways to spend leisure time has increased. We are confident that the 26 organizations selected from a pool of more than 300 identified by leaders in the arts nationwide will provide new insights that will benefit the field at large, helping to bring the arts to a broader and more diverse group of people.”

The Theatre Company will receive grant support from Wallace to fund at least two “continuous learning cycles” of work. Over the course of four years, the Theatre Company will receive $410,000 to develop and implement a new audience-building program (first cycle), study the results, and then use the findings to implement a second cycle of programs. The Theatre Company will also receive funding for audience research to inform the work.

The 2015 “Valet It Forward” Kindness Competition during March Madness has come to an end, and three nonprofits have won donations from Jay’s Valet. MADD Colorado won the $1,000 grand prize along with Women’s Foundation of Colorado and ArtReach Denver, each winning the $250 donations for the second-place prizes.

To celebrate Jay’s Valet 30 Years of Service, the company made sure that there were no losers in this competition. Each of the 70 hand-selected nonprofits will receive a consolation prize of a Jay’s Valet luxury transportation gift certificate worth $250 to be used at their next fundraising event. This gesture brings Jay’s total donations for this campaign to more than $19,000.

The championship game was between Zarlengo Foundation with Wisconsin versus MADD Colorado with Duke. Duke won that game 68-63 making MADD Colorado the official 2015 “Valet It Forward” Kindness Competition Champion.

MADD Colorado won the ‘Valet It Forward’ competition and $1,000 grand prize from Jay’s Valet.