Movers & Shakers: Sonoma 9 Cinemas applies for soft-booze license

Sonoma Cinemas to serve beer and wine?

While the Cinema West management team continues to be difficult to reach by phone or email, signs in the window indicate that the company has indeed begun the application process to serve alcoholic beverages at the Sonoma Cinema 9 location in Boyes Hot Springs. We’ll keep you posted.

Black Bear ownership change

The Black Bear Diner chain is buying back all of its franchise locations, including the location in the Sonoma Marketplace shopping center. No need to worry about the signs in the window noting a planned change of ownership, nothing is expected to change, according to local staff. Gregg Hobbs currently owns the Black Bear locations in Sonoma, Napa and Walnut Creek. The chain has 42 locations in California, and another 26 across seven other states.

‘Sunset’ steps up and in:

Sonoma Wine Country Weekend has lured Sunset magazine to sign on as its national media sponsor. The magazine will be involved in all events throughout the Sept. 2, 3, 4 weekend, as well as providing major promotion in print and digital prior to the event. Tickets are on sale now at sonomawinecountryweekend.com.

New ED:

Sonoma County Vintners announced that Jean Arnold Sessions has been officially appointed the organization’s executive director. She has been serving as interim executive director since February.

New Vern’s owner:

Marc Gardela reached a deal with Vern English to purchase Vern’s Taxi in a deal that closed in April. The 14-car, 20-driver fleet is managed by Edie Titus. Both Gardela and Titus are Sonoma Valley High School graduates. English continues to help out with the company as a dispatcher.

Happy birthday:

Sweet Scoops Ice Cream on the Plaza, which is owned by Joe and Ramie Hencmann, celebrated its first anniversary with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on July 6; $1 tiny scoops were offered all day.

Chamber welcomes volunteer ambassador:

Gary Geiger, of Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery, will represent the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce at member ribbon cuttings and grand opening events.

At Sebastiani, Geiger is responsible for all of the hospitality and direct-to-consumer business, and he leads the Sebastiani Concert Series and Food Truck Friday Events.

Green greens:

Sonoma’s Whole Herb Company is the most recent Valley business to get Sonoma County and Bay Area green business certifications.

The Whole Herb Company is a raw ingredient supplier to the food, tea and nutraceutical industries with a huge, 50,000-square-foot, climatically controlled warehouse on Eighth Street East.

The building was designed to provide optimum storage conditions for raw spice and botanical materials.

The company was founded by Jim Thrower in 1975 and has been associated with New Jersey-based Berjé Inc. since 2009.

Send business news and story ideas to Lorna at lorna.sheridan@sonomanews.com.