La Jolla Business Roundup: Car wash, cookies, cosmetic work, soaps, watches and more

Jul 13, 2023

Bird Rock and La Jolla’s Village are seeing a variety of new businesses opening this summer, from a car wash and a soap shop to a med spa and cookie delivery.

Here’s a look:

With a word-of-mouth following that has helped Tiff’s Treats reach 90 locations, the warm-cookie service has a new location to serve the La Jolla area. A pop-up brick-and-mortar kitchen opened in July for deliveries only.

“We couldn’t wait to provide deliveries in La Jolla,” said co-founder Tiffany Taylor. “We started back in 1999 as the nation’s first warm-cookie service and we have been shocked at the results so far.”

Tiff’s Treats offers made-to-order cookies delivered warm to recipients across northern San Diego County.

“We have little tips and tricks, such as a foil-lined box and stacking the cookies to keep them warm, but it’s really about timing,” Taylor said. “We are an on-demand service, so you could place an order with an hour’s notice and have the cookies delivered warm and fresh. We like to think of it as a way to let someone know you are thinking of them and bringing light to their day.”

Six cookie flavors are available: chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, oatmeal raisin, double chocolate chip, sugar and sugar with M&Ms. Delivery fees start at $6.99.

Orders can be placed at cookiedelivery.com or (858) 255-7600, on the Tiff’s Treats mobile app and via third-party delivery services including DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.

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Philthy Philz car wash opened recently in The Village at 6860 La Jolla Blvd.

Owner Amity Provenzano said the facility’s specialty is its express wash and membership program.

“There is simplicity to staying in the car and being in and out in less than five minutes,” she said. “We all have 50 things going on at once; this helps you stay on your path.”

In addition to the drive-through service, there is a detail studio for cars that need extra attention, Provenzano said.

Monthly membership is available for unlimited washes for the cost of two washes.

There are three levels of service with a price range starting at $15. To correlate with the cost of the washes, monthly membership starts at $30.

Provenzano already had a location in Coronado and said she “jumped at the chance” to open a second one, especially in La Jolla. Learn more at philthyphilz.com.

Looking to bring a more natural look or corrections to those who have been overfilled with cosmetic injectables, Inject Me SD opened in June at 5726 La Jolla Blvd. inside the Sola Salon Studios in Bird Rock.

Owner Brenna Derakshan said she opened the facility because “I saw this huge and desperate need for people to fix their overfilling. The problem is that people are seeking to get these procedures but not wanting to look overdone. You should never look like that.”

She said she focuses on long-term relationships with her clients so they can “get that dream face they set out to get without looking overdone and overfilled.”

Derakshan was a plastic surgery nurse for eight years before opening her own injectables practice. “There is so much to the Bird Rock community, so I really wanted to be here,” she said.

Because she focuses on dermal fillers and correcting past work, she will direct clients to surgeons or laser centers if there is a step to the process she cannot meet.

“It’s part of a bigger plan,” Derakshan said. “If I can’t help the person, I will direct them to someone that can. We want to look good, no matter what. They get a full treatment plan, regardless of what I offer. That’s the honest way of doing it.”

To learn more, call or text (858) 900-9772 or visit injectmesd.com.

The Au Savon de Provence soap company opened its second Southern California location earlier this summer at 935 Prospect St. in The Village.

Specializing in French- and European-style soaps, the shop offers naturally derived bar, liquid and specialty soaps, sea sponges, skin and hair care products, laundry flakes and dryer balls, candles and more. Learn more at ausavondeprovence.com.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Omega Seamaster watch collection, a series of pop-up shops has opened around the world, including at 1116 Prospect St. in La Jolla’s La Valencia Hotel through September.

According to Omega, the boutique features a trident-bearing Poseidon statue made with alabaster-inspired materials to celebrate the 75-year milestone.

“Surrounding the statue is a selection of vintage Seamaster timepieces, including some of the most important diving designs, as well as eight new models from the Seamaster in Summer Blue collection,” according to a news release.

After opening its first California location in Chula Vista, Graze Craze is eyeing a new one at 5691 La Jolla Blvd. in Bird Rock in coming months. A date has not been set.

Graze Craze specializes in charcuterie boards featuring gourmet meats, cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables, artisanal sweets and more. Each charcuterie board is handcrafted by a “grazologist” and is available in several sizes, from a single box for the lone grazer to large boards arranged to create a table for larger parties.

Learn more at grazecraze.com.

Heron Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that makes cancer and pain-management therapies, is cutting 25 percent of its workforce and taking other measures to save money.

The company, headquartered near Genesee Avenue north of Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, hopes to run a lean operation that can achieve profitability in late 2024, according to an announcement last week. The latest cost-saving measures are projected to save about $75 million through 2025, the company said.

The layoffs will cost the business a one-time expense of $5.9 million.

The restructuring is the result of an internal review of the business by its new management team. Heron Therapeutics did not respond to a request for comment.

Heron plans to reduce research and development spending as well as administrative expenses. Part of the effort involves renegotiating vendor contracts to save about $31 million in cash through 2025.

Heron employed 203 full-time employees as of Dec. 31, according to its annual financial report. More than half of its workforce — 117 employees — were in sales and marketing, 63 in research and development and 23 in general administrative roles.

Last year, Heron embarked on a similar cost-reducing endeavor when it cut a little more than one-third of its workforce. — The San Diego Union-Tribune

La Jolla Business Roundup is published monthly by the La Jolla Light. Send your business news to staff writer Ashley Mackin-Solomon at [email protected]. ◆