Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber hosts MEGA Mixer at Lake Elsinore’s Storm Stadium

Tony Ault

Staff Writer

Hundreds of area business owners, medical personnel, attorneys, teachers, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, city officials, transportation experts who are members of 10 southwest Riverside County Chambers of Commerce attended the first of the year Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce MEGA Mixer

Thursday, Jan. 26.

The many MEGA Mixer attendees at the Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium, home of the Storm minor league baseball team, were welcomed with glasses of wine from local vintners and found a luxurious inside-lighted limousine from LimoScene on display awaiting them, along with the friendly faces of the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber volunteers with sign-in sheets.

It was a dream come true for the chamber members who most enjoy meeting other members, learning about their businesses and organizations face-to-face plus all with delightful incentives like business card drawings, small gifts and food and drink tastings. Information brochures were available along the more than 120 tables filled with treats, games and informed personal conversations. It was a time to invite. A time to brag. A time to meet up with old friends and acquaintances.

MEGA Mixer greeter and Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber President and CEO Patrick Ellis, dressed in his familiar blue blazer, explained,

“The purpose of the MEGA Mixer is, in my opinion, twofold. First is to show the working collaboration between chambers in this region and share ideas and thoughts about how they work well together on an overall basis…The second is to provide an opportunity for our businesses in the entire valley an opportunity to showcase themselves and to do it on a very large scale… This is a perfect venue for them in the Storm Stadium.”

The event was held in the large open-air, nearly fully filled, hallway above the thousands of comfortable seats surrounding the baseball field. The manicured green baseball field, considered one of the most beautiful in Southern California, is filled with fans during the baseball season, rooting for their favorite minor league team affiliated with the San Diego Padres.

Last year the January MEGA Mixer was held at Mt. San Jacinto College in Menifee. Ellis said the second Chamber MEGA Mixer is scheduled to take place on June 29 at the new Mt. San Jacinto College Temecula Campus’ second floor at 41888 Motor Car Parkway, Bldg. B in Temecula. He said the expo table pricing for members is $250 and $500 for nonmembers. The Chambers invited to the June

MEGA Mixer include Bonsall, Canyon Lake, Corona, Escondido, Fallbrook, Hemet, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta/ Wildomar, Norco, Perris, San Jacinto and Temecula. Admission to the MEGA Mixer is a business card

Bushfire Kitchen selected as Menifee’s

MENIFEE – Menifee announced

Bushfire Kitchen as the city’s January Business Spotlight, a program that is a part of the Economic Development Department’s B3 Building Better Businesses program.

Bushfire Kitchen has an interesting origin sotry. The restaurant was first founded in 2012 by two cousins, Clive and Brandon Barwin. Clive brought his technical skills and knowledge of the business world as an entrepreneur to the table, while Chef Brandon’s expertise in flavors and redefining classic food was invaluable. The two now have a total of five locations and arrived in Menifee as a key member of the local culinary scene in 2019.

The Barwin cousins knew they wanted to offer healthy choices and high-quality ingredients at affordable prices, and 10 years later, the cousins have held true to that vision.

Bushfire offers redefined American comfort food classics that never use preservatives, food coloring, flavor enhancers or GMOs. The restaurant makes almost everything from scratch. The ingredients used are locally produced when possible, and the meat is raised humanely while being antibiotic free. Additionally, it was important to the Barwin cousins that their menu be inclusive and accommodate vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free preferences.

Bushfire said it is committed to their customers and the communities they reside in, and their genuine care for others is shown through their various outreach and partnership endeavors. Bushfire Kitchen regularly supports Menifee’s local schools and nonprofit organizations, partners with the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce and business community and runs in-store fundraisers and monthly events.

“Our residents and visitors alike benefit from Bushfire Kitchen’s see BUSHFIRE, page B-7

Valley News/Shane Gibson photos or $1. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Events & Program Manager Kimberly Niebla at kim@mwcoc.org Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com.