AROUND THE VALLEYS – February 20, 2012

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY Universal City CHEF: Eric Kopelow, corporate executive chef of Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City is one of four professional chefs chosen to compete for the title of American Culinary Federation (ACF) Western Region Chef of the Year. The award recognizes one chef working in a full-service dining facility in the region between California and Utah who demonstrates culinary excellence. The competition will be held at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno Nevada on March 12 during the 2012 ACF Western Regional Conference. The competition will include a timed face-off between the four finalists, in which they will have an hour and 40 minutes to setup, cook and serve a meal as well as clean up. A panel of judges will select a winner based on cooking skills, taste and professionalism. In his role as Universal’s corporate executive chef, Kopelow is responsible for the park’s dining outlets, which serves an average of more than 35,000 guests on peak days. Prior to joining Universal, he served as executive chef for 20 years at United Airlines in Elk Grove Township, Ill. Kopelow has received several acknowledgements throughout his career including 2010 Chef of the Year by Chef’s Magazine. Glendale MOVE: Nestlé Prepared Foods, a division of Glendale-based Nestlé USA is moving the business team of its Hot Pocket and Lean Pockets brand from Englewood, Colo. to the division’s headquarters in Solon, Ohio. Since being acquired by Nestlé in 2002, the two frozen food brands have expanded to include breakfast, lunch and dinner items, with over 80 varieties available nationwide. The Hot Pocket and Lean Pocket teams will join several other popular brands under the Nestlé umbrella including Buitoni, Nestlé Toll House and Nestlé Carnation Milk. In a prepared statement, Frank Higgins, president and CEO of Nestlé Prepared Foods said the business move will create opportunities for shared learning and progress among the various teams working in Colorado. VENTURA COUNTY Simi Valley CLOSING: Apparel chains Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister will be closing their stores in the Simi Valley Town Center at the end of March. Although management a the shopping center, owned by Alberta Development Partners, could not confirm the total employees affected by the closure, officials from the retail chain reported about 117 layoffs in an interview with the Ventura County Star. For the past two years, the Ohio-based retailer has implemented a series of store closures nationwide, citing lower than expected domestic stores sales. In 2010 the company closed 65 stores and expected to close about 55-60 in 2011, according to public documents. For the quarter ended Jan. 28, the company reported domestic sales of $962.2 million, a 4 percent increase from the year prior. Comparable store sales for the quarter were flat from last year. Jeff DiJulius, general manager of the Simi Valley Town Center, said despite those overall trends, sales at the center’s Abercrombie and Hollister stores have been “tremendous.” The center’s Abercrombie & Fitch realized a 39 percent increase for the 2011 calendar year, while Hollister sales increased 27 percent, he said. “I don’t understand everything that went into the decision (to close the stores),” DiJulius said. The shopping center has partnered with Best Jobs Magazine to host a job fair for those affected by the closures on March 14. Although no tenants have been announced to replace the Abercrombie and Hollister stores, DiJulius said the mall is currently working on the final plans for redevelopment at the Simi Valley Town Center. “We’ve spent the last 12 months evaluating redevelopment options,” he said. SANTA CLARITA SHIP: Princess Cruises of Santa Clarita announced that one of its ships, the Sapphire Princess, set sail after a three-week makeover that included a new atrium, a café and wine bar, a new pizzeria and a movie screen that will allow cruisers to watch movies under the stars. The ship was also outfitted with a new adults-only sanctuary. “Making these changes to Sapphire Princess was an important step to ensure that our signature shipboard features can be found wherever our passengers want to sail,” Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president said in a statement. The changes to Sapphire Princess include: New Piazza Atrium– The ship’s atrium space has been redesigned to a European-inspired social hub where guests can get a quick bite and light meals while shopping. The Piazza features an International Café for pastries, fresh panini sandwiches, salads, fresh-baked cookies and a variety of coffee drinks. Passengers can also enjoy a new Vines wine bar offering a selection of more than 30 wines by the glass, plus a selection of tapas and sushi, and a wine shop where they can purchase their favorite bottle. Alfredo’s Pizzeria – The sit-down pizzeria serves up a menu of freshly prepared, hand-stretched, individual-size pizzas. The pizzeria features an open kitchen where passengers can watch chefs create their custom-made pies.