October 20, 2025 • 45 mins
A tiny nonprofit team, Downtown Arcadia, maps out a safe, walkable Halloween Haunting while revealing how email, giveaways, and partnerships turn community moments into real support for local businesses. We share routes, vendors, volunteer strategy, candy needs, and why collaboration beats algorithms.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Christine (00:05):
Hello and welcome to Arcadia FYI.
I'm Christine Zito.
I I may look a little spooky,but I'll give you, I'll tell you
why here in in just a second.
The show is focused oncommunity here in the city of
Arcadia and outside the city ofArcadia because I do like to
think of us as, you know, onebig happy family.
(00:25):
As you can tell, we are one bighappy family.
And I want to say thank you forall the emails and the Facebook
messages that have been uh sentto me.
I really do appreciate it.
And I do like to hear that youlike the show.
I even like to hear thecriticism of the show.
I'm not afraid of any of thatstuff.
But maybe right now I might bebecause it's that time of year.
(00:48):
I like to thank our sponsors,Longo Toyota Lexus in El Monte.
You know, I'm gonna say, whatam I gonna say?
I know look at all the cars andeverything that if you're on
YouTube, you can see that.
Say hi to Brooke and Mike.
I want to thank you so verymuch.
Also, I like to thank Star 7Financial with Francine Chiu.
I know I'm a little biased, butshe is the best um financial
(01:11):
advisor that I think.
I mean, when she gives meadvice, it's excellent advice.
The Santa Anita Park.
Did you like that interviewwith Pete last week?
I know it's so much stuffhappening at the park.
The Olympics coming and all theraces.
Oh, Enchant is coming up in afew weeks.
That's really, really cool.
And the Le Méridien Hotel inArcadia and Pasadena.
(01:33):
Alright.
You hear the music?
Let's get started with thisbecause it's really spooky.
And if you're watching onYouTube again, you can see the
witches are in the house.
I know.
Because something really fun iscoming up in a couple of weeks.
It is the Halloween haunting indowntown Arcadia and in studio.
Uh you can see MJ there.
(01:56):
That's MJ Fin.
Uh I want to say this right,Finstrom.
Finstrom.
Yeah.
MJ Finstrom.
MJ is all you need, really.
I know.
MJ is great.
Perfect.
I know.
Thank you.
That was Donna.
Choi, right?
Donna Choi Yeah, see?
Get all the, you know, I'mthese are such good friends, and
I should know their last names.
But you ever you ever it uh tryto introduce someone to uh
(02:19):
their your mom and then youforget her name?
Have you ever has it everhappened to me?
MJ Finstrom (02:22):
Well, I don't think I know your first name.
I just call you Zito.
Christine (02:26):
There have been times I'll be like, hey, this is my
mom.
This is MJ.
This is Donna.
And I I forget her name becauseshe's mom.
There you go.
So, of course, Donna Chow.
Choi, I'm sorry.
See?
She is the uh now your title.
I want to make sure I get yourtitle correct.
(02:47):
You are the CEO, you are thebig boss of Downtown Arcadia.
I'm gonna let you keep goingbecause I like where you're
going to be.
The queen, the head witch.
Donna Choi (02:58):
Oh finally, we found the right one.
Um I serve as the executivedirector and I produce the
events that we have in downtownArcadia.
Christine (03:07):
All four of them.
I know.
We're gonna be talking aboutthat.
And MJ, she is the marketingguru with the social media, but
you also help with organizingthe events, right?
MJ Finstrom (03:18):
Yeah, yeah.
I serve as marketing director.
Also have my own business, andso uh I this is my community, so
I love to be involved.
Well, what's your business?
Hut dogs.
Christine (03:29):
Hut dogs.
It's a hut, not a hot.
And Hut Dogs does what?
MJ Finstrom (03:35):
We help people get a little more creative with
their marketing and we um getexposure for things traditional
marketing, social mediamarketing, email marketing.
Christine (03:43):
Email marketing.
MJ Finstrom (03:44):
Yeah.
Christine (03:44):
I I am really getting into the email marketing aspect
of it with my clients becauseit is so important.
It is so important.
MJ Finstrom (03:51):
So important to downtown Arcadia.
We have an email list of almost15,000.
I don't know, excuse me.
15,000 with about a 50 to 60percent open rate.
Christine (04:01):
Wow, this pumpkin is really getting bigger now.
I like it.
I like this.
Okay.
So let's get into some uh somewell, you know what?
I don't know if some peopleknow you guys enough.
So, Donna.
Yes, were you raised here inArcadia or were you raised in
some other planet?
On some other planet.
Donna Choi (04:21):
It might seem like I'm an extraterrestrial in many
ways, but yes, I I'm born andraised in California.
So all over, uh, born in WestCovina, and my dad was in the
fire service, so we moved allover.
We were in San Jose.
They call it Las Gatos.
I say it's Los Gatos becauseI'm from LA.
So um, but I now I live in LosAngeles and I work here in
(04:44):
Arcadia and I just love thecommunity.
It's so great and interactive,and everybody's so dynamic.
It's really good.
Christine (04:51):
Married?
Donna Choi (04:51):
Oh, yes, I am married for so many years.
I think I lost count.
I didn't happily so.
And two lovely little kittens.
So I'm wearing long sleeves, soyou don't see all the marks.
And I also have five spookychickens in the backyard.
Get some free eggs.
You bring some dozens.
They you know, wouldn't that benice?
(05:13):
Right now, five, and I got oneegg yesterday.
What the ratio's off, but thankgosh, I love them like I do my
cats.
Christine (05:20):
Oh okay.
So, what are all your chickens'names?
Do they have names?
Donna Choi (05:24):
Chick, chick, chick, chick.
Oh, absolutely not.
I've got Betty, named after amovie called Betty Blue, because
she's got blue legs.
I've got olive.
She's supposed to lay olivecolor eggs, but no, they are
brown.
I've got um strawberry, becauseshe's strawberry blonde.
I've got Sable, who's Sable,and then I've got Sarla, who's
(05:46):
named after a city in France.
Oh my goodness.
Nancy.
Wow.
I don't think I've ever heardof chicken names like that.
I've got what are your cats'names?
Oh, well, they're Venus andMars because Venus is the
goddess of love.
She shows that love all over myarm.
Christine (06:03):
Now we know where the witchy part of you comes from.
Donna Choi (06:06):
Yes.
MJ Finstrom (06:08):
MJ.
Christine (06:09):
Yes.
Married, single.
Yes.
I'm very married.
Very married.
MJ Finstrom (06:14):
Been married for since the dawn of time.
Christine (06:18):
That's what, what, three billion years?
MJ Finstrom (06:20):
I think so.
I think I've been with the sameguy a very long time.
Christine (06:24):
Very nice guy, too, by advanced.
MJ Finstrom (06:28):
But that's another story.
Yeah, married, and we have akid, and we raised her in
Arcadia.
Christine (06:35):
But now she now your kid is in this in is in this
very horrible place.
She's a point of called.
MJ Finstrom (06:44):
How terrible.
Christine (06:44):
You guys are terrible parents.
MJ Finstrom (06:46):
It's terrible to have to go over there.
Gosh, I can't.
Christine (06:51):
I know.
So um, any dogs, cats, anychickens?
MJ Finstrom (06:55):
I do have a sweet little dog.
Yes, who we adopted fromactually a local rescue here.
And what's your dog's name?
Hand and paw.
Um, Hazel.
Hazel?
Hazel, yeah.
She's so cute.
She's a cute dog.
Christine (07:08):
I I I live in a place where I can't have any pets.
Oh.
MJ Finstrom (07:11):
I'm so sad.
Hamster?
Christine (07:13):
No hamster.
I you know, I'm thinking aboutgetting a couple of fish.
MJ Finstrom (07:15):
Nice.
Christine (07:16):
That you can do.
That I could do.
They'll and and they'll loveme.
That's very relaxing.
I know the water and all ofthat stuff.
And you know, and then plusthis year I can what what what
can fish be dressed up as forHalloween?
Donna Choi (07:28):
Oh.
Um, what's the one that Ellende Generis did?
Oh, Dory.
Christine (07:34):
Dory!
Donna Choi (07:34):
Thank you.
Christine (07:35):
Dory, yeah, there you go.
There you go, Dory, and you soI'm dressed as a pumpkin, if you
haven't noticed.
I like it.
She's a pumpkin dressed like awitch.
Donna Choi (07:43):
So that she can be with us.
MJ Finstrom (07:44):
Oh, I like a witch hat on there and everything.
Here in the season.
Christine (07:49):
My friend Jennifer.
My friend Jennifer Stone wassaying I look like uh uh a
warlock with uh pumpkin orsomething like that.
Donna Choi (07:56):
We need a warlock in our witch coven.
Christine (07:58):
So but uh okay, so as we do this, I am gonna take off
this hat because it's okay.
How's my hair?
Does my hair look okay?
I do have to show, I do have toshow my shirt.
The Don Jar Show! Okay, let meput let me zip myself back up.
All right, let's get into this.
The events in downtown Arcadia,I mean, they are huge.
(08:20):
And how in the heck do youorganize such events?
Donna Choi (08:25):
Donna?
MJ Donna?
Well, I I'll start.
I mean, I'm I'm I'm theproducer of the event, but it
doesn't happen without apromoter like this.
I know.
MJ, you know, she talks aboutthe email marketing.
I just cannot believe how wellthat works.
Christine (08:41):
What I I heard it was something like 15,000.
Donna Choi (08:44):
Yeah, but uh it people really respond.
You know, it I think withsocial media, you it's easy to
scroll past, it's in your inboxwith email, and people really
respond.
So I I really credit the amountof people that come to the
event as all MJ.
So I bow down to MJ for sure.
Um, and and she's always comingup with new promotional
(09:08):
vehicles for us.
You know, we do a lot ofdifferent things, we partner
with a lot of people, all of ouruh local groups that we love,
including the Chamber ofCommerce, the Arcadia Unified
School District, is a hugepartner for us.
And we love partnering witheveryone, and I think that
really helps us to not onlyspread the word but keep it
community.
Christine (09:29):
That's is what's most important is bringing people
together because we are a divdiverse community, and the way
that you bring everythingtogether, it's admirable.
MJ Finstrom (09:38):
Oh, thank you for thank you for recognizing that.
You know, the one thing youasked, how does it all happen?
Well, it's kind of a miraclebecause we have su we're a very
small skeletal crew.
We do not have a large, largestaff.
We're on the downtown Arcadia,people don't realize it's a
non-profit.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yeah.
MJ Finstrom (09:56):
And it doesn't have a big budget for things, but we
do big things.
And I think that's, you know,sometimes people think, because
we're a well-oiled machine rightnow, you know.
We we've done this for a while.
It's not our first rodeoanymore, and it just gets kind
of better and better each time.
And sometimes the perceptionis, oh my god, they must have a
really big, big team down there,you know.
(10:19):
They don't need money or theydon't need donations, but we do,
we really do.
And to Donna's credit, um, shegoes out and raises a lot of
money.
She's a she's a miracle maker.
I mean, she makes it rain.
I don't know how she makes itrain, but she does, and she's
she's very good at that, as wellas just organizing.
And there, if you've everplanned an event, a lot goes on
(10:41):
behind the scenes.
That's right.
Christine (10:43):
I that's and you know, speaking behind the
scenes, how many volunteers doesit take to run an event?
Donna Choi (10:50):
Well, such a good question.
For if for each event we have adifferent amount, but and we
have a lot of high schoolvolunteers who come out.
Sometimes we'll have up to ahundred people coming out.
It's fantastic.
What's really important are thevolunteer managers because you
can have all the volunteers youwant and they come, they don't
know what to do, and nobody'sorganizing it and uh giving them
(11:13):
assignments.
So I, you know, I will reallytout Diana Bacero, who uh works
with us.
She's the chair of theHalloween haunting, she's chair
of the holiday fair, and sheputs a you know a sign up for
all of the volunteers, shemanages them, and she never is
stressed.
She's always so excited, andit's really cute.
(11:34):
Sometimes I'll go up and I say,Hey, we need somebody to pass
out stuff, and she's like, Thesevolunteers are really shy.
They're just they're not atthat level yet.
And it's so great because sheknows exactly what they're able
to do.
So the volunteer managers arereally super important.
And and and to MJ's point,yeah, we're a skeletal crew.
I mean, our board of directorsis 10.
(11:55):
10.
So it's not a lot, but with allof the people who partner with
us, um, as long as we give themlike really great instruction,
they're they're prettyindependent.
And you know, and you know, whoneeds sleep before an event?
I do.
Christine (12:13):
Sleep, what is that?
Donna Choi (12:14):
Right?
Holidays?
What is that?
Christine (12:17):
Day off?
What is that?
Donna Choi (12:18):
MJ and I, you know, we're on the phone with each
other.
I I I'm not gonna embarrassourselves by telling you how
early and very often very late.
But um we just get, you know,we we we kind of obsess about
making sure it's right and safeand fun.
Yeah.
Christine (12:34):
Well let me ask you this, now that you brought this
all up and the promotion uhaspect that goes into all of
this, sure.
How do you okay, 15,000 peopleon your email list?
I mean, uh businesses wouldprobably pay for that.
And some and some people do toa certain extent.
Donna Choi (12:52):
And people have tried to pay us for the list.
Christine (12:54):
Oh yeah.
We d I do want to say, I haveto say, I did build the website,
and I can say from a personalpoint of view and from a
business point of view, dude,they do not sell the email list.
MJ Finstrom (13:05):
So the list is not for sale.
Christine (13:07):
It's not for sale.
The people are not for sale inthat way.
How do you even get a list likethat?
And because this is as you guysare skeletal, five people on
the on the board, you have ahundred volunteers, more or
less, give or take, and you havethis great promotion, and
(13:30):
thousands, thousands of peoplecome.
Yes.
How do you do that, MJ?
Let me let me get it.
Let me write this all down.
MJ Finstrom (13:38):
It's a mix, you know.
It's it's it's not aneither-or, it's not black and
white.
It's you know, it's you gottago where people where the people
are, and sometimes they're noton email, they don't want any
emails, so then you gotta sing,well, where else are they?
Well, they're driving down thestreet, and we always put a
street banner up.
Yeah um, and they're we haveflyers, just like this flyer
(14:01):
here.
Beautifully designed.
So there's some old school, newschool marketing.
We've got social media, and thenature of social media, if you
want to really reach an audienceon social media, it's pay to
play.
Um, we might have about 3,000people who are actually part of
our community on social media,but we pay to play, so we have a
little budget for that, and weend up reaching 80,000 there.
(14:24):
But you know, it's like afiltering out and the email
list.
Um, when I started, there wasonly 50 people on the list.
Oh my good wow.
Over the years, I mean it'staken a while to build it up and
and a lot of strategy.
But one of our secret sauce iswe are known for our big
giveaways, and we have greatpeople like Steve Re who will
(14:45):
give great prizes.
We have the Hilton, uh, LayMeridian that also give one
night stays to our events, andpeople want those prizes, and we
have bikes that we give away.
We don't give away, you know,hey, come get a logo a cup with
your logo on it.
Nobody wants that stuff.
You know, they're not gonnagive away your their email for
that, but they will give awaytheir email for a chance to win.
(15:09):
And then the other thing is wealso are very um mindful of
providing good helpful contenton our page.
That's where we have verystrict policies of you know,
making sure it's helpful and youknow, we'll share something
that that might be communityrelated or from one of our
partners.
We really believe in the powerof collaboration, especially in
(15:30):
this community.
Collaboration is really the newcommerce, you know, and and
when you don't collaborate withother people and you just live
in a silo, you're missing out onso many opportunities.
I mean, there's so many uhthey're all listed here, all
these wonderful organizationsthat love to play with us and
sometimes we'll give away uhtickets to one of their events,
(15:52):
and then everybody wins.
We've done that with theChamber of Commerce, we've done
that with the Arcadia PerformingArts Center, and then it
becomes a true collaborationwhere now everybody's growing
their list and their outreach.
And then people get to chooseif they want to stay on a list
or not.
That's just the way emailworks.
Christine (16:08):
What did you say?
It's the new the collaborationis the new commerce.
I love it.
That is that's interesting.
That's a good way of it.
Because you know, uh if I cansay it with artificial
intelligence, even you know,it's we gotta remember it's
artificial.
Sure.
And sometimes it's not veryintelligent.
Yeah.
And the human touch is whatalways wins.
(16:32):
So I love that.
Yeah.
Donna Choi (16:34):
I love what always wins.
So we're talking about hot dogsfor a minute, um, MJ's company.
I've been lucky enough to taketheir AI class that they've had.
That's I've only had two, andthe great thing is she always
talks about AI and HI, humanintelligence.
So artificial will neverreplace the human.
(16:55):
No, it just never.
Christine (16:58):
And I do want to say this that on these flyers, you
will see one side that'sEnglish, and the other side look
at this.
Now, you want to talk aboutconnection?
Yeah, it's in Mandarin.
Now, now see that's mindful.
Donna Choi (17:12):
Totally on purpose.
MJ Finstrom (17:13):
Um you did this on purpose?
That's it.
The other part of that is wehave people who are on different
channels that just reach theChinese population, and they
because we have goodrelationships with them, they
share it for us.
And that's the that's the otherthing.
We're creating things thatpeople want to share and want to
be involved in, and it givesthem a little escape from you
(17:35):
know, whatever else is going onin the world.
We won't get into that, but youknow, I mean, it just kind of
gives them an escape.
What world?
I don't know.
Where are we?
Donna Choi (17:44):
You know, uh two other things I wanted to add.
Um, when MJ says, you know,nobody's gonna want to have that
logo pin as the big grandprize, correct.
Like I'm not gonna like sign upand come and wait for a logo
pin.
But I was gonna if you are a ifyou have a booth at our event
and you have a spinning wheel,people are gonna spin to get
(18:07):
that pin.
Now, if you try to hand themthe pen, they'll be like, Yeah,
yeah, I don't need it.
But come spin the wheel for thepin.
Oh my gosh.
MJ Finstrom (18:14):
Yeah, awards and prizes are are different.
So great.
Christine (18:17):
I know it is funny.
Yeah, and perception iseverything.
Donna Choi (18:20):
Yeah, and um the other thing we were talking
about who we partner with, andyou had mentioned Enchant at uh
Santa Anita.
That's coming.
I'm happy to report, we aregiving away a family four pack
of tickets to Enchant at theholiday fair.
Christine (18:33):
Have you have you seen the promotion?
MJ Finstrom (18:36):
Ice skating ring.
It's gonna be amazing.
Christine (18:39):
I mean, it is beautiful the way they set up
all the lights and stuff likethat.
I can't wait to see how theytransform the Santa Anita Park.
So excited.
Oh my god.
So excited to partner with you.
And you're giving away a familyfour pack?
Donna Choi (18:50):
Yes, indeed.
How do I get involved?
The holiday fair on December13th from 11 to 4.
And you can always find moreinformation about us at
downtownarcadia.org.
That is right.com.
Christine (19:04):
And we will put that all on arcadiafyi.com so people
will know.
MJ Finstrom (19:08):
I'm loving it.
Christine (19:09):
And I'm back on your screen right now.
Wait, there's more.
There's more.
You can get a family four-packof tickets to Enchant at the
Santa Anita Park.
And uh and and and you get toshake MJ's hand and Donna's
hand.
The booths that you talkedabout.
Okay, now these booths are arebasically businesses, business
(19:30):
booths, and uh those businessesthat are in downtown Arcadia,
what's the benefit?
Donna Choi (19:38):
Oh, I'm so glad you asked.
Well, first let's talk aboutthe booths that are there.
We have a mix.
We have businesses that are inthe district, we have businesses
that are outside the district,we have nonprofits like our
friends at AUSD or FoothillUnity Center who feeds our
neighbors in need.
Um so we have a real mix.
There's a lot of differentstuff going on.
This year we're going to have amagician.
(19:59):
No, it's gonna be so fun.
We have neighborhood musicschool doing a concert.
So there's all kinds ofdifferent things going on.
So if you're not into that, goshop for jewelry.
If you're not into that, golook at a police vehicle.
You're you know, that's for theholiday fair.
Exactly right.
Yeah, holiday fair.
Now you're asking what are someof the benefits if you're in
downtown Arcadia.
(20:20):
Um, and there are many.
Uh, you certainly have thesupport of downtown Arcadia to
help you with anything you need.
We've written letters ofsupport to city council, we've
done all kinds of things to helpthem individually.
But as a business, you get fourevents a year.
We have the Lunar New YearFestival.
This uh 26, it'll be umFebruary 22nd, 2026.
(20:45):
Um, we have the PatrioticFestival and Drone Show.
Christine (20:49):
Well, I was gonna ask you if you're gonna do the four
fireworks.
Donna Choi (20:51):
We don't know which one we're gonna do yet.
It's it's surprise.
Stay tuned.
Okay.
Sign up at arcadiad.com and youwill be in the note.
Yes.
Uh we have the Halloweenhaunting and we have the holiday
fair.
Right.
So we have four events a year.
Um, Downtown ArcadiaBusinesses, and let's talk about
where that is.
Okay.
It's on Huntington Drive fromSanta Anita to 2nd, and on First
(21:13):
Avenue from California to St.
Joseph.
Right.
So you, my friend, are rightsmack in the middle of Dream
Come True.
We're talking about pure mediamarketing.
Christine (21:24):
Dream come true for me.
It is a dream come true.
Donna Choi (21:26):
So um, I'm so glad to hear you say that.
We love having you here, andthe work you do is so uh
stellar.
I mean, it's great.
Your podcasts are really fun.
Um, so you you get four eventsa year, you can have a booth for
free at those events.
You need to bring everythingthat you need.
Uh, we have our monthlynewsletter that how many people
does it go out to, everyone?
I don't know, let's let'sguess.
(21:47):
15,000.
And you can have an ad in ournewsletter for free.
And you also get listed on ourwebsite for free.
Christine (21:58):
I'm there.
Donna Choi (21:59):
And what have I left out anything, MJ?
Promoter MJ.
Christine (22:04):
I know I'm trying to.
MJ Finstrom (22:09):
We do have some materials for you that outlines
everything that Donna said.
And I should get that up onsocial media so people can see
that.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
That's okay.
MJ Finstrom (22:18):
But yeah, it it's just fantastic what we offer,
especially new businesses comingin, and we like to support
them.
And and I know you've takenadvantage of the newsletter.
We don't it's not every month,because sometimes we take a
couple months off to um promotejust what's happening.
Christine (22:33):
That's because you're in Hawaii.
I can't believe that were true.
MJ Finstrom (22:38):
We would probably never have a newsletter because
somebody gets to go prettyoften.
I take my laptop everywhere Ishow it.
Donna Choi (22:45):
Yes, yes.
Christine (22:45):
No, you you have every right to take a vacation.
Donna Choi (22:48):
Um we always call them working vacations.
Yeah, I know.
Christine (22:53):
I'll be leaving.
I have to say, my birthday ison Halloween.
That's Halloween.
My birthday's on yeah,Halloween baby, and I do like
wine, red wine, just in case ifyou would like uh to send me
anything.
Donna Choi (23:05):
Do you like something really jammy, like a
Barolo, or are you a little bitmore like a Cabernet from
California girl?
Christine (23:12):
I am a mi red mix, and I like deep red wine.
Only because my family used toraise and and make red wine
growing up.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
Oh, I think that's a good idea.
Christine (23:23):
And it was yeah, it was and it was lean more towards
Zinfandel.
So I have a real appreciationfor deep red wine.
Love it.
Oh, good.
Donna Choi (23:32):
Where was that?
Christine (23:33):
It it was my parent uh, you know, right off
Huntington and Popular in LA.
Uh my my grandparents livedright off the that right off
Huntington, and um in theirbackyard they would grow the
grapes.
And our my sisters, and theystill remember it to this day,
we would get into the barrelsand step on those grapes.
(23:53):
How crazy.
We would step on them and theywould go into the process and
they would yeah, they would doall the production, put them in
barrels and hide them underneaththe house.
No, not hide them, but put themunderneath the house for about
a year.
Donna Choi (24:06):
Wow.
Christine (24:07):
Then they come out and it's super strong, and then
they do some more fine tuning.
Fine tuning and things likethat.
So that's what they did.
We did I love it.
That's why I love red wine.
That's why anytime you will seeme at an event when they have
booths, we're gonna talk aboutthe Halloween haunting here and
how that's all set up.
But I'm always serving wine.
Donna Choi (24:26):
Holiday fair.
We always have to get you inearly so that you can serve and
then you can partake.
Christine (24:32):
That's what I do.
I don't, I have to confess, Ido I do love serving, and I do I
love the events.
That's why I want to volunteerearly because I like to serve
the wine and then go enjoy theevent walking around with my
wine.
And you can walk around withthe alcohol, but you have to
stay within the event.
You can't leave, or the policewill chase you.
They've chased me many times.
MJ Finstrom (24:52):
Yes, but we don't do wine at the Halloween
haunting.
Christine (24:55):
No, no, no drinks at the Halloween haunt.
Let's talk about that for asecond.
So the Halloween haunting isset up, like you said, in the
downtown district area.
That's right.
And so, well, you explain it.
I mean, I see it in my head.
Cool.
Donna Choi (25:09):
Okay, so uh trick-or-treating at district
businesses and at communitygroups on the and sponsors on
the sidewalk.
We also this year have movedour trunk or treat to the
Citibank parking lot, which isso cool because it's on First
Avenue, uh just south ofHuntington.
The event takes place righthere.
(25:30):
On that's uh you might bethinking of Chase.
Citibank is a little bitfurther down on First Avenue.
Got it.
I think it's so the event takesplace on First Avenue from
California to Wheeler.
We do not cross Wheeler becausewe do not want to get near the
trains with little kids in theircostumes where they can't see
or whatever.
So uh, and then we're onHuntington from set Outback
(25:53):
Steakhouse, Matt Denny's toDenny's and Wah Meat Market.
Christine (25:57):
Yeah, all those businesses are open serving
candy.
I think I was just pluggingsome of our businesses.
I know.
We're gonna get to thebusinesses here.
I mean, there's so much to talkabout.
We're gonna come back for theholiday fair, but okay.
So now we now did you get thatnow from now Wheeler, which is
where the post office office isat, down to what did you say,
California?
(26:17):
California.
She's I'm I'm mounting.
Donna Choi (26:22):
Yeah, I know.
Yes, California.
Christine (26:25):
California, which is where the school is at.
Yes.
Okay.
First Avenue, First Avenue uhelementary school or elementary
junior high middle.
Junior uh First Avenue MiddleMiddle School.
Then you have from I like that,Outback, Matt Denny's, to
Denny's Denny's restaurant.
Donna Choi (26:43):
And Wall Meat Market, which is across the
street.
I don't know if you guys havebeen in there, but boy.
Christine (26:47):
Oh, they have great meats.
Amazing.
It is really and it's fresh andit's great.
I've I've actually eaten someof the the meats.
Um, because I'll be I I'll I'llconfess, I'm really leery of
type, you know, meat in whereyou can see it through the glass
and all of that, because I getscared.
Scary.
But not them.
Donna Choi (27:05):
They're it's Halloween.
It's scary, yeah.
You just don't know when youknow and they have cuts of meat
that you can't get other places.
Like um, I do a lot of Koreancooking because I'm Choi.
Yeah.
And they have those types ofthings.
Yeah, your husband is um gonnabe Korean.
Christine (27:26):
I love Korean food, so I love the Korean barbecue,
that's my favorite.
MJ Finstrom (27:29):
Do you think that's a good one?
Well, the other thing too aboutthis event is I'm a walker.
I walk like so much.
Probably people see me aroundtown, I'm always walking.
But if you think about thestrategy behind all of our
events, really, they're walkingevents.
And from a business point ofview, you know, when I walk, I
always tell people, you reallycan't get a feel for a place
(27:50):
until you walk it.
You can drive through it, ridea bike, but when you walk it,
you see all the nuances and allthe businesses.
So, what it does for thebusinesses, the community
groups, even the police and firethat come out and that are that
are there passing out candy,um, it gives people an
opportunity to have an intimateexperience with downtown
Arcadia.
And they're like, Oh, like Iwas over at Outback the other
(28:13):
day and they I said, Thank youfor having our Halloween flyer
there.
Oh, we love that event becausepeople come here and eat
afterwards, all the little kids.
And that is why we do it.
We don't just do it becausewe're having a party.
I mean, yes, we do it.
I mean, it we make it as fun,it is we make it fun, but there
is a reason behind that.
(28:34):
So I think it's important forpeople to remember because you
know, somebody like, well, whatis this group?
And why are you, you know, justfor fun?
No, it's to get exposure toplaces that don't have that kind
of exposure.
You know, where else can youget 5,000 kids passing by your
restaurant?
Yeah.
And then it's up to thebusiness to take advantage of
that if they want to or not.
But we love it when we see aline coming out of hyper coffee.
(28:58):
We love it when uh mamadownstairs at White Springs Cafe
is is like packed and they'reall dressed up and celebrating.
And now we have a new business,All India Cafe, who has agreed
to collect candy donationsbecause we are a nonprofit, um,
for the event, which will bedistributed throughout the the
footprint of the event.
But it's great because it getspeople in there and they're
(29:21):
they're so excited to see what'sgoing to happen.
So hopefully lots of peoplewill walk by as they're passing
out can and go, what is thisplace?
I've never even noticed it whenI'm driving by, you know.
Christine (29:30):
And these are probably the only times when
you're walking that you get toactually walk into these
businesses like this becausethey're they open up the
business.
And my business is in downtownArcadia.
You would have to comeupstairs.
But you are more than happy ifyou like, because I'm gonna be
there.
I don't know where I'm gonnabe, but I am gonna be there.
Um I probably won't be dressedas a pumpkin.
(29:50):
I can't I can't tell you, butI'm gonna be, but when I show
up.
All right, I'm gonna be No, Ican't.
I can't see.
Oh my gosh, I wanna know.
Yeah.
I I will I can't, I can't sayit yet.
But uh another reason topretend.
Oh my god, I can't say it.
Because once once once you seeit, you're gonna be like, oh my
okay.
MJ Finstrom (30:08):
So anyway, uh Well one thing, if you don't know
what you're gonna be, this isgonna be a shameless plug for
polka dot's costumes.
Oh they are having baggedcostumes for kids 50% off.
And they've got great stuff.
I was in there and they'rethey're doing things in bulk
because they are gonna go out ofbusiness, sadly.
So I was like, I need a stufffor them.
Yeah, I need a tutu.
(30:28):
And she's like, Well, I don'tknow.
I know I'm gonna need a tutusomewhere in life, and she has
all these great tutus on her.
I want to see.
So instead of buying one tutu,she goes, Well, you can get a
bulk rate on five tutos.
And I'm like, I'll take allfive tutus, and she packs it up
in this big bag, and I know thatsomewhere, somehow, a group is
(30:52):
gonna be part of it.
Well, you know, and that wasCarrie?
Yeah, the owner.
Yes, yes.
So but definitely go in therewhile you can because that is a
treat.
It is amazing, and they'll beopen on uh the 24th when we're
having our event with theirsale.
Christine (31:08):
Yeah, I'm sad to see them.
Ugh I you that they're such agreat business, great people.
They have 100% they they servethis community for for years.
Absolutely love.
You have to go on theirwebsite.
I got to build their websiteand learn their histories.
Great job.
Yeah, learn their history andhow it all got started with the
mother.
But anyway.
Yeah, we have that story onthere.
(31:28):
Yeah, it's gonna be great.
But I was gonna say, if youyou'll know you'll know who I
am, but if you want to come upand see the studio and check it
out, you're more than welcome onthat day.
Oh, fun.
Yeah, so I think that will besomeone's calling me.
No one ever called me.
I wonder if I should answer itwhile I'm on the air.
Donna Choi (31:42):
Something nice you're doing a podcast.
Christine (31:44):
Oh, yes.
Hi, hi, hi, Miss Streisand.
Donna Choi (31:47):
Oh, she's calling you.
You know, um the the thingabout uh polka dots, yeah.
Uh, you know, I don't want toleave it on a sad note that oh,
they're closing.
Because yes, that is sad forus.
Yeah, for us, it's not sad forthem.
It's what they want to do intheir life, it's where they're
at in their life.
They've been such an asset, anduh boy, we've bought a lot of
(32:08):
costumes from them.
Love all of them.
Um so yeah, I always say Ithink it's kind of funny.
Like we've had other businesseswhere they do something
different in life, but then youget new businesses that come in,
like All India Cafe.
Yeah, yeah.
Um or the what the other onethat kind of cracks me up is
downstairs there's uh the chakracenter of Arcadia and uh Ginger
(32:30):
Johnson, and she's wonderful.
And she has all these crystals.
Oh, she's great.
So she's not open like youknow, uh eight hours a day.
She kind of comes in for herappointments.
She says her children lookforward to this Halloween
haunting on Friday, October24th, from 4 to 6:30.
Um that her children lookforward to this every year, and
(32:52):
I was like, oh, that's cool,thinking they must be a little
bit older.
She's got little kids and theywould prefer to pass out candy
than go trick-or-treating andget their own candy.
So cute.
Christine (33:02):
That is so cute.
That is so cute.
Okay, so businesses uh goingback to the other events just
real fast because I have this onmy mind, and since it's on my
mind, since I don't know what Ijust did a few minutes ago.
Businesses that are not indowntown Arcadia, how uh do they
have to pay to have a booth tocome in?
(33:23):
Yes, yeah, okay.
I just want to make it.
Donna Choi (33:25):
So they can come in and pay a fee and have access to
everything that we do with the15,000 people at our Lunar New
Year festival, our 8,500 peopleat our holiday fair.
Um, they get a space and theybring everything that they need.
So we don't have rows of boothsthat are all white and they all
look the same, and you can'teven tell what anybody's doing.
(33:47):
These are all different, itlooks really unique, it's really
fun.
It's a great way to get infront of a bunch of um Arcadians
and the local community.
Christine (33:55):
And how many people to get in front of these people?
How many people show up to likejust say the holiday fair since
that's coming up?
Donna Choi (34:01):
That's over 8,000 people.
Christine (34:02):
Yeah, see, that's a lot.
And I I I want to say this as aas a testimonial because he's
also a client of mine.
I built his website, Woodworks.
Yeah, David.
David Lamb Woodworks David LambWoodworks, and he comes to, he
loves.
In fact, I just talked to himthe other day.
He's gonna be at the holidayfair.
He says he said, heck yeah.
He loves it.
(34:22):
Why?
Because he sells his chocolutieboards.
He'd be so proud boards.
That I said that right.
Jacuterie boards, uh, boards,cutting boards.
He has it all set up.
They are gorgeous.
I have one in my house.
I have look all if you ifyou're watching, I your desk the
desk here.
This is made by him?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
This is made by him.
Oh my god! And our shelves.
This is made by him.
He does beautiful work.
Christine (34:48):
I have ten pieces of furniture in this office built
custom made by David Lamb.
He is so good.
And he he loves, I just want tosay that to encourage other
businesses.
How the benefit of having abooth, and especially if you're
selling something.
Yes.
Donna Choi (35:08):
Well, and the other thing about David, so he's come
for a a few events now.
Um, I mean, I've known him fora while, even when he was doing
his CPR business, because he'sas you probably ex fire service
person.
Yeah.
Um, and so I've I've lovehaving him there.
His energy and he's really fun.
But his product is gorgeous.
(35:29):
Yeah.
And so he's come and I've hadhim there.
And now this time I'm mappingeverything out.
I'm like corner spot, primelocation.
And that's another thing thatyou get by being a repeat person
with us.
I know a little bit more aboutwhat you do and who you are, and
can really put you in exactlythe perfect spot.
There's a lot of thought thatgoes to that.
Christine (35:46):
And that just goes to show if if you're not getting
this with Donna and MJ, they areaware.
They see you, they know, theyremember.
It's about connection.
That's what I love aboutdowntown arcade.
That's what I love being here.
It is a dream.
It is a dream come true.
Okay, there's so many thingsthat I gosh, I don't even know.
Oh, okay, we'll get to that injust a second.
(36:09):
There's so many things I wantto talk about.
New businesses.
You did mention um all IndianCafe.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Love, love, love, I love, love them.
Oh my gosh.
Christine (36:17):
Confession again.
MJ and Donna kept telling me,you gotta go try it.
I'm not an Indian food person.
I'm Italian, I'm Mexican.
Let me just stick to myburritos and lasagna.
MJ's all like, you gotta go,you gotta go.
So I go in, meet the owners,try their food.
I'm addicted.
I'm like, I go, I ask theowners.
(36:38):
I'm in there almost every week.
In fact, I'm going to lunchafter this podcast to meet up
with Cena.
MJ Finstrom (36:44):
Nice.
Oh Cena, the lawyer.
Christine (36:46):
I love Cena.
If you need a divorce, he wouldbe the one to take care of it.
He has a family.
Exactly.
I've seven clients.
So we're and we're gonna gothrough the all Indian cafe.
That's how much I love thatbusiness because it's all Indian
and they they have a culturalplethora of different Indian
foods.
Donna Choi (37:05):
Well, and if you haven't tried, they have
something called the Frankie,which is like an Indian burrito.
So there you go.
I haven't even.
And then the other thing theyhave, like an Italian food, one
of my favorite things is cocoade pasta.
It's bow thai pasta withcoconut curry.
Oh my gosh, I gotta try that.
MJ Finstrom (37:24):
I'm gonna try that for lunch.
Please.
It's on their street foodmenus.
Yes.
Yeah, it's great.
Oh my gosh, I gotta try that.
Oh, yeah.
Donna Choi (37:29):
And then the other thing we have is one of the uh
best Taiwanese restaurants,which is Monja Tiker.
Christine (37:36):
Oh my gosh.
Donna Choi (37:36):
And they're right on um Huntington.
I mean, we really have so yeah,Huntington just east of first.
I mean totally just east.
Christine (37:45):
It's right next to the what fix for you.
Donna Choi (37:48):
Yes, exactly.
I fix for you.
I fix for you.
Christine (37:51):
Some of these names sometimes like okay, I fix for
you, I know you, I don't knowyou.
Uh come get a massage, maybe amassage.
MJ Finstrom (37:58):
Well, the cool thing about All India Cafe is
like they have a very solidhistory in the culinary world.
Not an Arcadia, it's it'sactually a gift to Arcadia that
they brought them.
They chose us, right?
So it's really, reallyspectacular.
There's a new I don't know if Ican talk about it, but another
big restaurant coming in nextdoor to them.
(38:19):
And it's gonna be uh fantastic.
But you know, the the father,he was the um head head chef, I
think, at Bombay Cafe in SantaMonica on Third Street, and they
have two other restaurants inGlendale and Pasadena that are
just wildly popular.
And for them to choose Arcadiais it's a really big deal.
Downtown downtown Arcadia,yeah.
(38:41):
It's a big, big deal, andthey're just amazing.
They couldn't be nicer, buttheir food, like you know, it's
just different.
You know, even if you don'tlike Indian food, you can have
like a chicken and rice, it'sjust fantastic, you know.
We tried the barani rice theother day, and it was just
amazing.
Oh my gosh.
Christine (38:59):
It is good.
I ate that stuff.
And you know when I go in therenow and they know what I like,
so they almost kind of serve itup for me.
MJ Finstrom (39:05):
Yeah, they do the same with me.
Yeah, yeah.
Christine (39:06):
And the reason why we're mentioning all Indian
cafes so much is because they'rethe ones, if you if you can
donate your candy to them, andif you do, they'll give you 10%
off a lunch.
MJ Finstrom (39:18):
Or cheeseburger dinner promotions.
This is great news.
Thank you.
Christine (39:23):
Thank you.
Thank you.
So, but yeah, it and it istrue.
You take take the candy inthere and you'll get and and sit
and have a meal.
You will love all Indian Cafe.
And uh so what was the otherrestaurant that's uh Monja
Titan.
Oh my gosh, I love it.
Donna Choi (39:39):
Um, one other thing about the candy donations that
I'd like to say a lot of peopledon't have kids, and they're
like, but I would like to helpand be involved and give back to
the community, help with whatyou're doing.
What can I do?
And we've never really had thisopportunity, and we thought,
well, if people want to help, weneed help.
And I will always take help.
And so people have been verygenerous in donating candy, and
(40:02):
it's a real way to be involved,even if you can't volunteer, you
can't sponsor, you can't have aboot all of those things, you
can still donate candy.
MJ Finstrom (40:09):
Area we need the help in because we run out of
candy sometimes.
We do, so the more candy wehave.
Oh my gosh, we do the betterthe event is because you know
you try to plan.
I think the first year we'relike, we'll have 500 kids there.
Oh, I'll never get thatthousands of kids showed up.
Donna Choi (40:27):
It was like the kids were like little zombies.
I was like, ah! You know what?
Christine (40:30):
I I was there for that first one.
MJ Finstrom (40:32):
Yeah, and the first one we didn't expect such a
turnout.
Christine (40:35):
And it was funny because I remember you saying,
Oh, we'll probably have 500kids, I hope.
MJ Finstrom (40:40):
We're crossing our finger.
We don't know, you know?
And people love Halloween, theylove to dress up.
Um but I do want to point outthat the candy is for the kids.
Okay, so not the adult.
I do have to answer.
Oh my gosh, I'm doing it.
Christine (40:55):
Let's answer this live on the air.
Sina Mohajer (40:56):
Okay.
Christine (40:57):
Okay, it it is hello.
Sina Mohajer (41:00):
Hello?
Christine (41:01):
Hello, um, Sina.
You you are live on ArcadiaFYI.
Sina Mohajer (41:06):
Hey, hey, hey, hey, what's up, Arcadia?
Christine (41:12):
In studio, I have with me MJ and Donna with
Downtown Arcadia, and we're weare doing a show talking about
the Halloween haunting.
Are you ready to be are youready to be scared in a couple
of weeks?
Sina Mohajer (41:22):
Oh my gosh, I'm so excited for the Halloween
event.
Downtown Arcadia always puts onan amazing event which everyone
shows up to, so I'm superstoked.
Christine (41:32):
Yeah, he and now I got to say that Sina not only
can help you um with thedivorce, he is the president of
the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce.
Yeah, we love it.
Donna Choi (41:41):
So great when he rocks the mic, you will not be
able to contain yourself.
He's hilarious.
MJ Finstrom (41:46):
And he always dresses up in something.
I'm I'm wondering what you'regonna be this year, Cena.
Sina Mohajer (41:51):
I'm I'm wondering the same thing.
Christine (41:54):
Well, you can always go to polka dots.
But anyway, okay, Sina, let mefinish this up and I'll meet you
at All Indian Cafe at 12:30.
Sounds good.
Okay.
All right.
Bye.
Donna Choi (42:05):
So there you go.
What a great.
Can I uh mention somethingbefore we're done?
We were talking about therestaurants.
We have a new campaign we'redoing Dine in Downtown Arcadia.
Oh, let's talk about it.
Because we have the mostamazing restaurants.
We have, we've talked about thefact that we have Denny's, we
have Chengdu Impression, whichis uh Michelin-starred and
amazing.
(42:26):
Uh we have Monja, we have uhMatt Denny's, we have Outback,
we have the boiling point.
We have boiling point'sdelicious for hot.
We have Fresh Delicious, whichthey do um like uh the what's
the chicken uh nugget?
What do you call those?
Popcorn chicken.
Popcorn chicken.
Oh my gosh, everybody lovesthat.
(42:48):
Hyper coffee.
We have uh ABJ water for allyour candy and all the treats
that you might want.
So we have a lot of reallygreat restaurants concentrated
in this small area.
Another reason to come visitdowntown.
Christine (43:02):
Clairos, we can't forget about Indian Cafe,
Clairo's, Matt Denny's, and youcannot forget Vendome.
I mean, come on, right, right.
Oh, and Goki Cafe.
Donna Choi (43:14):
See, there's so much that it's like Cafe is amazing,
yeah.
Yeah, Gokie will um and WhiteSprings Cafe will be at the
holiday fair.
So keep supporting ourbusinesses, keep supporting
these small business owners.
Christine (43:26):
You could see all these questions I still want to
get to.
Um, you will come back inNovember after Thanksgiving to
talk about the holiday.
Well, probably before then,huh?
Man, holiday fair is gonna be.
Whatever Christine wants.
I know.
I just hope there's snow at theholiday fair.
Um I wanted to see if it if thefarmers market was ever gonna
come back.
Will that ever come back?
Maybe?
No.
I don't know.
A couple people are talkingabout it.
Okay, okay.
(43:46):
Well, we'll stay tuned forthat.
Yes.
All right.
Halloween haunting right here.
Friday, October 24th.
Um, it starts at 4 p.m., goesuntil 6 30 p.m.
Uh, candy, visit the the shops,the restaurants.
There's so much.
And then after that will be theholiday fair, and we'll talk
(44:07):
about that on another show.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for coming in.
Thank you so much.
My little pretty! So okay.
It's been a pumpkin of a time.
MJ Finstrom (44:20):
It's been a pumpkin of a time.
I love it.
It looks so delicious.
Christine (44:24):
Thank you so much.
All right, I cannot forget aswe end, I want to thank our
sponsors.
Longo Toyota, Lexus and ElMonte.
Have you guys ever been there?
I bought my car there.
No, you did?
I love it.
I've teached.
My dream is a Lexus.
I keep telling Mike and Brookethat.
I want a Lexus.
Star Seven Financial withFrancine Chiu.
Love her.
MJ Finstrom (44:44):
Love her too.
Christine (44:45):
Santa Anita Park.
Don't forget, Enchant is comingup.
And uh we're gonna be giving uhDonna and MJ, the downtown
Arcadia will be giving a familyfour pack to Enchant and the
Le Méridien Hotel in Arcadia andPasadena.
Until next time on Arcadia FYI,make it a great day and be
(45:05):
blessed.
Hello and welcome to Arcadia FYI.
I'm Christine Zito.
I I may look a little spooky,but I'll give you, I'll tell you
why here in in just a second.
The show is focused oncommunity here in the city of
Arcadia and outside the city ofArcadia because I do like to
think of us as, you know, onebig happy family.
(00:25):
As you can tell, we are one bighappy family.
And I want to say thank you forall the emails and the Facebook
messages that have been uh sentto me.
I really do appreciate it.
And I do like to hear that youlike the show.
I even like to hear thecriticism of the show.
I'm not afraid of any of thatstuff.
But maybe right now I might bebecause it's that time of year.
(00:48):
I like to thank our sponsors,Longo Toyota Lexus in El Monte.
You know, I'm gonna say, whatam I gonna say?
I know look at all the cars andeverything that if you're on
YouTube, you can see that.
Say hi to Brooke and Mike.
I want to thank you so verymuch.
Also, I like to thank Star 7Financial with Francine Chiu.
I know I'm a little biased, butshe is the best um financial
(01:11):
advisor that I think.
I mean, when she gives meadvice, it's excellent advice.
The Santa Anita Park.
Did you like that interviewwith Pete last week?
I know it's so much stuffhappening at the park.
The Olympics coming and all theraces.
Oh, Enchant is coming up in afew weeks.
That's really, really cool.
And the Le Méridien Hotel inArcadia and Pasadena.
(01:33):
Alright.
You hear the music?
Let's get started with thisbecause it's really spooky.
And if you're watching onYouTube again, you can see the
witches are in the house.
I know.
Because something really fun iscoming up in a couple of weeks.
It is the Halloween haunting indowntown Arcadia and in studio.
Uh you can see MJ there.
(01:56):
That's MJ Fin.
Uh I want to say this right,Finstrom.
Finstrom.
Yeah.
MJ Finstrom.
MJ is all you need, really.
I know.
MJ is great.
Perfect.
I know.
Thank you.
That was Donna.
Choi, right?
Donna Choi Yeah, see?
Get all the, you know, I'mthese are such good friends, and
I should know their last names.
But you ever you ever it uh tryto introduce someone to uh
(02:19):
their your mom and then youforget her name?
Have you ever has it everhappened to me?
MJ Finstrom (02:22):
Well, I don't think I know your first name.
I just call you Zito.
Christine (02:26):
There have been times I'll be like, hey, this is my
mom.
This is MJ.
This is Donna.
And I I forget her name becauseshe's mom.
There you go.
So, of course, Donna Chow.
Choi, I'm sorry.
See?
She is the uh now your title.
I want to make sure I get yourtitle correct.
(02:47):
You are the CEO, you are thebig boss of Downtown Arcadia.
I'm gonna let you keep goingbecause I like where you're
going to be.
The queen, the head witch.
Donna Choi (02:58):
Oh finally, we found the right one.
Um I serve as the executivedirector and I produce the
events that we have in downtownArcadia.
Christine (03:07):
All four of them.
I know.
We're gonna be talking aboutthat.
And MJ, she is the marketingguru with the social media, but
you also help with organizingthe events, right?
MJ Finstrom (03:18):
Yeah, yeah.
I serve as marketing director.
Also have my own business, andso uh I this is my community, so
I love to be involved.
Well, what's your business?
Hut dogs.
Christine (03:29):
Hut dogs.
It's a hut, not a hot.
And Hut Dogs does what?
MJ Finstrom (03:35):
We help people get a little more creative with
their marketing and we um getexposure for things traditional
marketing, social mediamarketing, email marketing.
Christine (03:43):
Email marketing.
MJ Finstrom (03:44):
Yeah.
Christine (03:44):
I I am really getting into the email marketing aspect
of it with my clients becauseit is so important.
It is so important.
MJ Finstrom (03:51):
So important to downtown Arcadia.
We have an email list of almost15,000.
I don't know, excuse me.
15,000 with about a 50 to 60percent open rate.
Christine (04:01):
Wow, this pumpkin is really getting bigger now.
I like it.
I like this.
Okay.
So let's get into some uh somewell, you know what?
I don't know if some peopleknow you guys enough.
So, Donna.
Yes, were you raised here inArcadia or were you raised in
some other planet?
On some other planet.
Donna Choi (04:21):
It might seem like I'm an extraterrestrial in many
ways, but yes, I I'm born andraised in California.
So all over, uh, born in WestCovina, and my dad was in the
fire service, so we moved allover.
We were in San Jose.
They call it Las Gatos.
I say it's Los Gatos becauseI'm from LA.
So um, but I now I live in LosAngeles and I work here in
(04:44):
Arcadia and I just love thecommunity.
It's so great and interactive,and everybody's so dynamic.
It's really good.
Christine (04:51):
Married?
Donna Choi (04:51):
Oh, yes, I am married for so many years.
I think I lost count.
I didn't happily so.
And two lovely little kittens.
So I'm wearing long sleeves, soyou don't see all the marks.
And I also have five spookychickens in the backyard.
Get some free eggs.
You bring some dozens.
They you know, wouldn't that benice?
(05:13):
Right now, five, and I got oneegg yesterday.
What the ratio's off, but thankgosh, I love them like I do my
cats.
Christine (05:20):
Oh okay.
So, what are all your chickens'names?
Do they have names?
Donna Choi (05:24):
Chick, chick, chick, chick.
Oh, absolutely not.
I've got Betty, named after amovie called Betty Blue, because
she's got blue legs.
I've got olive.
She's supposed to lay olivecolor eggs, but no, they are
brown.
I've got um strawberry, becauseshe's strawberry blonde.
I've got Sable, who's Sable,and then I've got Sarla, who's
(05:46):
named after a city in France.
Oh my goodness.
Nancy.
Wow.
I don't think I've ever heardof chicken names like that.
I've got what are your cats'names?
Oh, well, they're Venus andMars because Venus is the
goddess of love.
She shows that love all over myarm.
Christine (06:03):
Now we know where the witchy part of you comes from.
Donna Choi (06:06):
Yes.
MJ Finstrom (06:08):
MJ.
Christine (06:09):
Yes.
Married, single.
Yes.
I'm very married.
Very married.
MJ Finstrom (06:14):
Been married for since the dawn of time.
Christine (06:18):
That's what, what, three billion years?
MJ Finstrom (06:20):
I think so.
I think I've been with the sameguy a very long time.
Christine (06:24):
Very nice guy, too, by advanced.
MJ Finstrom (06:28):
But that's another story.
Yeah, married, and we have akid, and we raised her in
Arcadia.
Christine (06:35):
But now she now your kid is in this in is in this
very horrible place.
She's a point of called.
MJ Finstrom (06:44):
How terrible.
Christine (06:44):
You guys are terrible parents.
MJ Finstrom (06:46):
It's terrible to have to go over there.
Gosh, I can't.
Christine (06:51):
I know.
So um, any dogs, cats, anychickens?
MJ Finstrom (06:55):
I do have a sweet little dog.
Yes, who we adopted fromactually a local rescue here.
And what's your dog's name?
Hand and paw.
Um, Hazel.
Hazel?
Hazel, yeah.
She's so cute.
She's a cute dog.
Christine (07:08):
I I I live in a place where I can't have any pets.
Oh.
MJ Finstrom (07:11):
I'm so sad.
Hamster?
Christine (07:13):
No hamster.
I you know, I'm thinking aboutgetting a couple of fish.
MJ Finstrom (07:15):
Nice.
Christine (07:16):
That you can do.
That I could do.
They'll and and they'll loveme.
That's very relaxing.
I know the water and all ofthat stuff.
And you know, and then plusthis year I can what what what
can fish be dressed up as forHalloween?
Donna Choi (07:28):
Oh.
Um, what's the one that Ellende Generis did?
Oh, Dory.
Christine (07:34):
Dory!
Donna Choi (07:34):
Thank you.
Christine (07:35):
Dory, yeah, there you go.
There you go, Dory, and you soI'm dressed as a pumpkin, if you
haven't noticed.
I like it.
She's a pumpkin dressed like awitch.
Donna Choi (07:43):
So that she can be with us.
MJ Finstrom (07:44):
Oh, I like a witch hat on there and everything.
Here in the season.
Christine (07:49):
My friend Jennifer.
My friend Jennifer Stone wassaying I look like uh uh a
warlock with uh pumpkin orsomething like that.
Donna Choi (07:56):
We need a warlock in our witch coven.
Christine (07:58):
So but uh okay, so as we do this, I am gonna take off
this hat because it's okay.
How's my hair?
Does my hair look okay?
I do have to show, I do have toshow my shirt.
The Don Jar Show! Okay, let meput let me zip myself back up.
All right, let's get into this.
The events in downtown Arcadia,I mean, they are huge.
(08:20):
And how in the heck do youorganize such events?
Donna Choi (08:25):
Donna?
MJ Donna?
Well, I I'll start.
I mean, I'm I'm I'm theproducer of the event, but it
doesn't happen without apromoter like this.
I know.
MJ, you know, she talks aboutthe email marketing.
I just cannot believe how wellthat works.
Christine (08:41):
What I I heard it was something like 15,000.
Donna Choi (08:44):
Yeah, but uh it people really respond.
You know, it I think withsocial media, you it's easy to
scroll past, it's in your inboxwith email, and people really
respond.
So I I really credit the amountof people that come to the
event as all MJ.
So I bow down to MJ for sure.
Um, and and she's always comingup with new promotional
(09:08):
vehicles for us.
You know, we do a lot ofdifferent things, we partner
with a lot of people, all of ouruh local groups that we love,
including the Chamber ofCommerce, the Arcadia Unified
School District, is a hugepartner for us.
And we love partnering witheveryone, and I think that
really helps us to not onlyspread the word but keep it
community.
Christine (09:29):
That's is what's most important is bringing people
together because we are a divdiverse community, and the way
that you bring everythingtogether, it's admirable.
MJ Finstrom (09:38):
Oh, thank you for thank you for recognizing that.
You know, the one thing youasked, how does it all happen?
Well, it's kind of a miraclebecause we have su we're a very
small skeletal crew.
We do not have a large, largestaff.
We're on the downtown Arcadia,people don't realize it's a
non-profit.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yeah.
MJ Finstrom (09:56):
And it doesn't have a big budget for things, but we
do big things.
And I think that's, you know,sometimes people think, because
we're a well-oiled machine rightnow, you know.
We we've done this for a while.
It's not our first rodeoanymore, and it just gets kind
of better and better each time.
And sometimes the perceptionis, oh my god, they must have a
really big, big team down there,you know.
(10:19):
They don't need money or theydon't need donations, but we do,
we really do.
And to Donna's credit, um, shegoes out and raises a lot of
money.
She's a she's a miracle maker.
I mean, she makes it rain.
I don't know how she makes itrain, but she does, and she's
she's very good at that, as wellas just organizing.
And there, if you've everplanned an event, a lot goes on
(10:41):
behind the scenes.
That's right.
Christine (10:43):
I that's and you know, speaking behind the
scenes, how many volunteers doesit take to run an event?
Donna Choi (10:50):
Well, such a good question.
For if for each event we have adifferent amount, but and we
have a lot of high schoolvolunteers who come out.
Sometimes we'll have up to ahundred people coming out.
It's fantastic.
What's really important are thevolunteer managers because you
can have all the volunteers youwant and they come, they don't
know what to do, and nobody'sorganizing it and uh giving them
(11:13):
assignments.
So I, you know, I will reallytout Diana Bacero, who uh works
with us.
She's the chair of theHalloween haunting, she's chair
of the holiday fair, and sheputs a you know a sign up for
all of the volunteers, shemanages them, and she never is
stressed.
She's always so excited, andit's really cute.
(11:34):
Sometimes I'll go up and I say,Hey, we need somebody to pass
out stuff, and she's like, Thesevolunteers are really shy.
They're just they're not atthat level yet.
And it's so great because sheknows exactly what they're able
to do.
So the volunteer managers arereally super important.
And and and to MJ's point,yeah, we're a skeletal crew.
I mean, our board of directorsis 10.
(11:55):
10.
So it's not a lot, but with allof the people who partner with
us, um, as long as we give themlike really great instruction,
they're they're prettyindependent.
And you know, and you know, whoneeds sleep before an event?
I do.
Christine (12:13):
Sleep, what is that?
Donna Choi (12:14):
Right?
Holidays?
What is that?
Christine (12:17):
Day off?
What is that?
Donna Choi (12:18):
MJ and I, you know, we're on the phone with each
other.
I I I'm not gonna embarrassourselves by telling you how
early and very often very late.
But um we just get, you know,we we we kind of obsess about
making sure it's right and safeand fun.
Yeah.
Christine (12:34):
Well let me ask you this, now that you brought this
all up and the promotion uhaspect that goes into all of
this, sure.
How do you okay, 15,000 peopleon your email list?
I mean, uh businesses wouldprobably pay for that.
And some and some people do toa certain extent.
Donna Choi (12:52):
And people have tried to pay us for the list.
Christine (12:54):
Oh yeah.
We d I do want to say, I haveto say, I did build the website,
and I can say from a personalpoint of view and from a
business point of view, dude,they do not sell the email list.
MJ Finstrom (13:05):
So the list is not for sale.
Christine (13:07):
It's not for sale.
The people are not for sale inthat way.
How do you even get a list likethat?
And because this is as you guysare skeletal, five people on
the on the board, you have ahundred volunteers, more or
less, give or take, and you havethis great promotion, and
(13:30):
thousands, thousands of peoplecome.
Yes.
How do you do that, MJ?
Let me let me get it.
Let me write this all down.
MJ Finstrom (13:38):
It's a mix, you know.
It's it's it's not aneither-or, it's not black and
white.
It's you know, it's you gottago where people where the people
are, and sometimes they're noton email, they don't want any
emails, so then you gotta sing,well, where else are they?
Well, they're driving down thestreet, and we always put a
street banner up.
Yeah um, and they're we haveflyers, just like this flyer
(14:01):
here.
Beautifully designed.
So there's some old school, newschool marketing.
We've got social media, and thenature of social media, if you
want to really reach an audienceon social media, it's pay to
play.
Um, we might have about 3,000people who are actually part of
our community on social media,but we pay to play, so we have a
little budget for that, and weend up reaching 80,000 there.
(14:24):
But you know, it's like afiltering out and the email
list.
Um, when I started, there wasonly 50 people on the list.
Oh my good wow.
Over the years, I mean it'staken a while to build it up and
and a lot of strategy.
But one of our secret sauce iswe are known for our big
giveaways, and we have greatpeople like Steve Re who will
(14:45):
give great prizes.
We have the Hilton, uh, LayMeridian that also give one
night stays to our events, andpeople want those prizes, and we
have bikes that we give away.
We don't give away, you know,hey, come get a logo a cup with
your logo on it.
Nobody wants that stuff.
You know, they're not gonnagive away your their email for
that, but they will give awaytheir email for a chance to win.
(15:09):
And then the other thing is wealso are very um mindful of
providing good helpful contenton our page.
That's where we have verystrict policies of you know,
making sure it's helpful and youknow, we'll share something
that that might be communityrelated or from one of our
partners.
We really believe in the powerof collaboration, especially in
(15:30):
this community.
Collaboration is really the newcommerce, you know, and and
when you don't collaborate withother people and you just live
in a silo, you're missing out onso many opportunities.
I mean, there's so many uhthey're all listed here, all
these wonderful organizationsthat love to play with us and
sometimes we'll give away uhtickets to one of their events,
(15:52):
and then everybody wins.
We've done that with theChamber of Commerce, we've done
that with the Arcadia PerformingArts Center, and then it
becomes a true collaborationwhere now everybody's growing
their list and their outreach.
And then people get to chooseif they want to stay on a list
or not.
That's just the way emailworks.
Christine (16:08):
What did you say?
It's the new the collaborationis the new commerce.
I love it.
That is that's interesting.
That's a good way of it.
Because you know, uh if I cansay it with artificial
intelligence, even you know,it's we gotta remember it's
artificial.
Sure.
And sometimes it's not veryintelligent.
Yeah.
And the human touch is whatalways wins.
(16:32):
So I love that.
Yeah.
Donna Choi (16:34):
I love what always wins.
So we're talking about hot dogsfor a minute, um, MJ's company.
I've been lucky enough to taketheir AI class that they've had.
That's I've only had two, andthe great thing is she always
talks about AI and HI, humanintelligence.
So artificial will neverreplace the human.
(16:55):
No, it just never.
Christine (16:58):
And I do want to say this that on these flyers, you
will see one side that'sEnglish, and the other side look
at this.
Now, you want to talk aboutconnection?
Yeah, it's in Mandarin.
Now, now see that's mindful.
Donna Choi (17:12):
Totally on purpose.
MJ Finstrom (17:13):
Um you did this on purpose?
That's it.
The other part of that is wehave people who are on different
channels that just reach theChinese population, and they
because we have goodrelationships with them, they
share it for us.
And that's the that's the otherthing.
We're creating things thatpeople want to share and want to
be involved in, and it givesthem a little escape from you
(17:35):
know, whatever else is going onin the world.
We won't get into that, but youknow, I mean, it just kind of
gives them an escape.
What world?
I don't know.
Where are we?
Donna Choi (17:44):
You know, uh two other things I wanted to add.
Um, when MJ says, you know,nobody's gonna want to have that
logo pin as the big grandprize, correct.
Like I'm not gonna like sign upand come and wait for a logo
pin.
But I was gonna if you are a ifyou have a booth at our event
and you have a spinning wheel,people are gonna spin to get
(18:07):
that pin.
Now, if you try to hand themthe pen, they'll be like, Yeah,
yeah, I don't need it.
But come spin the wheel for thepin.
Oh my gosh.
MJ Finstrom (18:14):
Yeah, awards and prizes are are different.
So great.
Christine (18:17):
I know it is funny.
Yeah, and perception iseverything.
Donna Choi (18:20):
Yeah, and um the other thing we were talking
about who we partner with, andyou had mentioned Enchant at uh
Santa Anita.
That's coming.
I'm happy to report, we aregiving away a family four pack
of tickets to Enchant at theholiday fair.
Christine (18:33):
Have you have you seen the promotion?
MJ Finstrom (18:36):
Ice skating ring.
It's gonna be amazing.
Christine (18:39):
I mean, it is beautiful the way they set up
all the lights and stuff likethat.
I can't wait to see how theytransform the Santa Anita Park.
So excited.
Oh my god.
So excited to partner with you.
And you're giving away a familyfour pack?
Donna Choi (18:50):
Yes, indeed.
How do I get involved?
The holiday fair on December13th from 11 to 4.
And you can always find moreinformation about us at
downtownarcadia.org.
That is right.com.
Christine (19:04):
And we will put that all on arcadiafyi.com so people
will know.
MJ Finstrom (19:08):
I'm loving it.
Christine (19:09):
And I'm back on your screen right now.
Wait, there's more.
There's more.
You can get a family four-packof tickets to Enchant at the
Santa Anita Park.
And uh and and and you get toshake MJ's hand and Donna's
hand.
The booths that you talkedabout.
Okay, now these booths are arebasically businesses, business
(19:30):
booths, and uh those businessesthat are in downtown Arcadia,
what's the benefit?
Donna Choi (19:38):
Oh, I'm so glad you asked.
Well, first let's talk aboutthe booths that are there.
We have a mix.
We have businesses that are inthe district, we have businesses
that are outside the district,we have nonprofits like our
friends at AUSD or FoothillUnity Center who feeds our
neighbors in need.
Um so we have a real mix.
There's a lot of differentstuff going on.
This year we're going to have amagician.
(19:59):
No, it's gonna be so fun.
We have neighborhood musicschool doing a concert.
So there's all kinds ofdifferent things going on.
So if you're not into that, goshop for jewelry.
If you're not into that, golook at a police vehicle.
You're you know, that's for theholiday fair.
Exactly right.
Yeah, holiday fair.
Now you're asking what are someof the benefits if you're in
downtown Arcadia.
(20:20):
Um, and there are many.
Uh, you certainly have thesupport of downtown Arcadia to
help you with anything you need.
We've written letters ofsupport to city council, we've
done all kinds of things to helpthem individually.
But as a business, you get fourevents a year.
We have the Lunar New YearFestival.
This uh 26, it'll be umFebruary 22nd, 2026.
(20:45):
Um, we have the PatrioticFestival and Drone Show.
Christine (20:49):
Well, I was gonna ask you if you're gonna do the four
fireworks.
Donna Choi (20:51):
We don't know which one we're gonna do yet.
It's it's surprise.
Stay tuned.
Okay.
Sign up at arcadiad.com and youwill be in the note.
Yes.
Uh we have the Halloweenhaunting and we have the holiday
fair.
Right.
So we have four events a year.
Um, Downtown ArcadiaBusinesses, and let's talk about
where that is.
Okay.
It's on Huntington Drive fromSanta Anita to 2nd, and on First
(21:13):
Avenue from California to St.
Joseph.
Right.
So you, my friend, are rightsmack in the middle of Dream
Come True.
We're talking about pure mediamarketing.
Christine (21:24):
Dream come true for me.
It is a dream come true.
Donna Choi (21:26):
So um, I'm so glad to hear you say that.
We love having you here, andthe work you do is so uh
stellar.
I mean, it's great.
Your podcasts are really fun.
Um, so you you get four eventsa year, you can have a booth for
free at those events.
You need to bring everythingthat you need.
Uh, we have our monthlynewsletter that how many people
does it go out to, everyone?
I don't know, let's let'sguess.
(21:47):
15,000.
And you can have an ad in ournewsletter for free.
And you also get listed on ourwebsite for free.
Christine (21:58):
I'm there.
Donna Choi (21:59):
And what have I left out anything, MJ?
Promoter MJ.
Christine (22:04):
I know I'm trying to.
MJ Finstrom (22:09):
We do have some materials for you that outlines
everything that Donna said.
And I should get that up onsocial media so people can see
that.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
That's okay.
MJ Finstrom (22:18):
But yeah, it it's just fantastic what we offer,
especially new businesses comingin, and we like to support
them.
And and I know you've takenadvantage of the newsletter.
We don't it's not every month,because sometimes we take a
couple months off to um promotejust what's happening.
Christine (22:33):
That's because you're in Hawaii.
I can't believe that were true.
MJ Finstrom (22:38):
We would probably never have a newsletter because
somebody gets to go prettyoften.
I take my laptop everywhere Ishow it.
Donna Choi (22:45):
Yes, yes.
Christine (22:45):
No, you you have every right to take a vacation.
Donna Choi (22:48):
Um we always call them working vacations.
Yeah, I know.
Christine (22:53):
I'll be leaving.
I have to say, my birthday ison Halloween.
That's Halloween.
My birthday's on yeah,Halloween baby, and I do like
wine, red wine, just in case ifyou would like uh to send me
anything.
Donna Choi (23:05):
Do you like something really jammy, like a
Barolo, or are you a little bitmore like a Cabernet from
California girl?
Christine (23:12):
I am a mi red mix, and I like deep red wine.
Only because my family used toraise and and make red wine
growing up.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
Oh, I think that's a good idea.
Christine (23:23):
And it was yeah, it was and it was lean more towards
Zinfandel.
So I have a real appreciationfor deep red wine.
Love it.
Oh, good.
Donna Choi (23:32):
Where was that?
Christine (23:33):
It it was my parent uh, you know, right off
Huntington and Popular in LA.
Uh my my grandparents livedright off the that right off
Huntington, and um in theirbackyard they would grow the
grapes.
And our my sisters, and theystill remember it to this day,
we would get into the barrelsand step on those grapes.
(23:53):
How crazy.
We would step on them and theywould go into the process and
they would yeah, they would doall the production, put them in
barrels and hide them underneaththe house.
No, not hide them, but put themunderneath the house for about
a year.
Donna Choi (24:06):
Wow.
Christine (24:07):
Then they come out and it's super strong, and then
they do some more fine tuning.
Fine tuning and things likethat.
So that's what they did.
We did I love it.
That's why I love red wine.
That's why anytime you will seeme at an event when they have
booths, we're gonna talk aboutthe Halloween haunting here and
how that's all set up.
But I'm always serving wine.
Donna Choi (24:26):
Holiday fair.
We always have to get you inearly so that you can serve and
then you can partake.
Christine (24:32):
That's what I do.
I don't, I have to confess, Ido I do love serving, and I do I
love the events.
That's why I want to volunteerearly because I like to serve
the wine and then go enjoy theevent walking around with my
wine.
And you can walk around withthe alcohol, but you have to
stay within the event.
You can't leave, or the policewill chase you.
They've chased me many times.
MJ Finstrom (24:52):
Yes, but we don't do wine at the Halloween
haunting.
Christine (24:55):
No, no, no drinks at the Halloween haunt.
Let's talk about that for asecond.
So the Halloween haunting isset up, like you said, in the
downtown district area.
That's right.
And so, well, you explain it.
I mean, I see it in my head.
Cool.
Donna Choi (25:09):
Okay, so uh trick-or-treating at district
businesses and at communitygroups on the and sponsors on
the sidewalk.
We also this year have movedour trunk or treat to the
Citibank parking lot, which isso cool because it's on First
Avenue, uh just south ofHuntington.
The event takes place righthere.
(25:30):
On that's uh you might bethinking of Chase.
Citibank is a little bitfurther down on First Avenue.
Got it.
I think it's so the event takesplace on First Avenue from
California to Wheeler.
We do not cross Wheeler becausewe do not want to get near the
trains with little kids in theircostumes where they can't see
or whatever.
So uh, and then we're onHuntington from set Outback
(25:53):
Steakhouse, Matt Denny's toDenny's and Wah Meat Market.
Christine (25:57):
Yeah, all those businesses are open serving
candy.
I think I was just pluggingsome of our businesses.
I know.
We're gonna get to thebusinesses here.
I mean, there's so much to talkabout.
We're gonna come back for theholiday fair, but okay.
So now we now did you get thatnow from now Wheeler, which is
where the post office office isat, down to what did you say,
California?
(26:17):
California.
She's I'm I'm mounting.
Donna Choi (26:22):
Yeah, I know.
Yes, California.
Christine (26:25):
California, which is where the school is at.
Yes.
Okay.
First Avenue, First Avenue uhelementary school or elementary
junior high middle.
Junior uh First Avenue MiddleMiddle School.
Then you have from I like that,Outback, Matt Denny's, to
Denny's Denny's restaurant.
Donna Choi (26:43):
And Wall Meat Market, which is across the
street.
I don't know if you guys havebeen in there, but boy.
Christine (26:47):
Oh, they have great meats.
Amazing.
It is really and it's fresh andit's great.
I've I've actually eaten someof the the meats.
Um, because I'll be I I'll I'llconfess, I'm really leery of
type, you know, meat in whereyou can see it through the glass
and all of that, because I getscared.
Scary.
But not them.
Donna Choi (27:05):
They're it's Halloween.
It's scary, yeah.
You just don't know when youknow and they have cuts of meat
that you can't get other places.
Like um, I do a lot of Koreancooking because I'm Choi.
Yeah.
And they have those types ofthings.
Yeah, your husband is um gonnabe Korean.
Christine (27:26):
I love Korean food, so I love the Korean barbecue,
that's my favorite.
MJ Finstrom (27:29):
Do you think that's a good one?
Well, the other thing too aboutthis event is I'm a walker.
I walk like so much.
Probably people see me aroundtown, I'm always walking.
But if you think about thestrategy behind all of our
events, really, they're walkingevents.
And from a business point ofview, you know, when I walk, I
always tell people, you reallycan't get a feel for a place
(27:50):
until you walk it.
You can drive through it, ridea bike, but when you walk it,
you see all the nuances and allthe businesses.
So, what it does for thebusinesses, the community
groups, even the police and firethat come out and that are that
are there passing out candy,um, it gives people an
opportunity to have an intimateexperience with downtown
Arcadia.
And they're like, Oh, like Iwas over at Outback the other
(28:13):
day and they I said, Thank youfor having our Halloween flyer
there.
Oh, we love that event becausepeople come here and eat
afterwards, all the little kids.
And that is why we do it.
We don't just do it becausewe're having a party.
I mean, yes, we do it.
I mean, it we make it as fun,it is we make it fun, but there
is a reason behind that.
(28:34):
So I think it's important forpeople to remember because you
know, somebody like, well, whatis this group?
And why are you, you know, justfor fun?
No, it's to get exposure toplaces that don't have that kind
of exposure.
You know, where else can youget 5,000 kids passing by your
restaurant?
Yeah.
And then it's up to thebusiness to take advantage of
that if they want to or not.
But we love it when we see aline coming out of hyper coffee.
(28:58):
We love it when uh mamadownstairs at White Springs Cafe
is is like packed and they'reall dressed up and celebrating.
And now we have a new business,All India Cafe, who has agreed
to collect candy donationsbecause we are a nonprofit, um,
for the event, which will bedistributed throughout the the
footprint of the event.
But it's great because it getspeople in there and they're
(29:21):
they're so excited to see what'sgoing to happen.
So hopefully lots of peoplewill walk by as they're passing
out can and go, what is thisplace?
I've never even noticed it whenI'm driving by, you know.
Christine (29:30):
And these are probably the only times when
you're walking that you get toactually walk into these
businesses like this becausethey're they open up the
business.
And my business is in downtownArcadia.
You would have to comeupstairs.
But you are more than happy ifyou like, because I'm gonna be
there.
I don't know where I'm gonnabe, but I am gonna be there.
Um I probably won't be dressedas a pumpkin.
(29:50):
I can't I can't tell you, butI'm gonna be, but when I show
up.
All right, I'm gonna be No, Ican't.
I can't see.
Oh my gosh, I wanna know.
Yeah.
I I will I can't, I can't sayit yet.
But uh another reason topretend.
Oh my god, I can't say it.
Because once once once you seeit, you're gonna be like, oh my
okay.
MJ Finstrom (30:08):
So anyway, uh Well one thing, if you don't know
what you're gonna be, this isgonna be a shameless plug for
polka dot's costumes.
Oh they are having baggedcostumes for kids 50% off.
And they've got great stuff.
I was in there and they'rethey're doing things in bulk
because they are gonna go out ofbusiness, sadly.
So I was like, I need a stufffor them.
Yeah, I need a tutu.
(30:28):
And she's like, Well, I don'tknow.
I know I'm gonna need a tutusomewhere in life, and she has
all these great tutus on her.
I want to see.
So instead of buying one tutu,she goes, Well, you can get a
bulk rate on five tutos.
And I'm like, I'll take allfive tutus, and she packs it up
in this big bag, and I know thatsomewhere, somehow, a group is
(30:52):
gonna be part of it.
Well, you know, and that wasCarrie?
Yeah, the owner.
Yes, yes.
So but definitely go in therewhile you can because that is a
treat.
It is amazing, and they'll beopen on uh the 24th when we're
having our event with theirsale.
Christine (31:08):
Yeah, I'm sad to see them.
Ugh I you that they're such agreat business, great people.
They have 100% they they servethis community for for years.
Absolutely love.
You have to go on theirwebsite.
I got to build their websiteand learn their histories.
Great job.
Yeah, learn their history andhow it all got started with the
mother.
But anyway.
Yeah, we have that story onthere.
(31:28):
Yeah, it's gonna be great.
But I was gonna say, if youyou'll know you'll know who I
am, but if you want to come upand see the studio and check it
out, you're more than welcome onthat day.
Oh, fun.
Yeah, so I think that will besomeone's calling me.
No one ever called me.
I wonder if I should answer itwhile I'm on the air.
Donna Choi (31:42):
Something nice you're doing a podcast.
Christine (31:44):
Oh, yes.
Hi, hi, hi, Miss Streisand.
Donna Choi (31:47):
Oh, she's calling you.
You know, um the the thingabout uh polka dots, yeah.
Uh, you know, I don't want toleave it on a sad note that oh,
they're closing.
Because yes, that is sad forus.
Yeah, for us, it's not sad forthem.
It's what they want to do intheir life, it's where they're
at in their life.
They've been such an asset, anduh boy, we've bought a lot of
(32:08):
costumes from them.
Love all of them.
Um so yeah, I always say Ithink it's kind of funny.
Like we've had other businesseswhere they do something
different in life, but then youget new businesses that come in,
like All India Cafe.
Yeah, yeah.
Um or the what the other onethat kind of cracks me up is
downstairs there's uh the chakracenter of Arcadia and uh Ginger
(32:30):
Johnson, and she's wonderful.
And she has all these crystals.
Oh, she's great.
So she's not open like youknow, uh eight hours a day.
She kind of comes in for herappointments.
She says her children lookforward to this Halloween
haunting on Friday, October24th, from 4 to 6:30.
Um that her children lookforward to this every year, and
(32:52):
I was like, oh, that's cool,thinking they must be a little
bit older.
She's got little kids and theywould prefer to pass out candy
than go trick-or-treating andget their own candy.
So cute.
Christine (33:02):
That is so cute.
That is so cute.
Okay, so businesses uh goingback to the other events just
real fast because I have this onmy mind, and since it's on my
mind, since I don't know what Ijust did a few minutes ago.
Businesses that are not indowntown Arcadia, how uh do they
have to pay to have a booth tocome in?
(33:23):
Yes, yeah, okay.
I just want to make it.
Donna Choi (33:25):
So they can come in and pay a fee and have access to
everything that we do with the15,000 people at our Lunar New
Year festival, our 8,500 peopleat our holiday fair.
Um, they get a space and theybring everything that they need.
So we don't have rows of boothsthat are all white and they all
look the same, and you can'teven tell what anybody's doing.
(33:47):
These are all different, itlooks really unique, it's really
fun.
It's a great way to get infront of a bunch of um Arcadians
and the local community.
Christine (33:55):
And how many people to get in front of these people?
How many people show up to likejust say the holiday fair since
that's coming up?
Donna Choi (34:01):
That's over 8,000 people.
Christine (34:02):
Yeah, see, that's a lot.
And I I I want to say this as aas a testimonial because he's
also a client of mine.
I built his website, Woodworks.
Yeah, David.
David Lamb Woodworks David LambWoodworks, and he comes to, he
loves.
In fact, I just talked to himthe other day.
He's gonna be at the holidayfair.
He says he said, heck yeah.
He loves it.
(34:22):
Why?
Because he sells his chocolutieboards.
He'd be so proud boards.
That I said that right.
Jacuterie boards, uh, boards,cutting boards.
He has it all set up.
They are gorgeous.
I have one in my house.
I have look all if you ifyou're watching, I your desk the
desk here.
This is made by him?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
This is made by him.
Oh my god! And our shelves.
This is made by him.
He does beautiful work.
Christine (34:48):
I have ten pieces of furniture in this office built
custom made by David Lamb.
He is so good.
And he he loves, I just want tosay that to encourage other
businesses.
How the benefit of having abooth, and especially if you're
selling something.
Yes.
Donna Choi (35:08):
Well, and the other thing about David, so he's come
for a a few events now.
Um, I mean, I've known him fora while, even when he was doing
his CPR business, because he'sas you probably ex fire service
person.
Yeah.
Um, and so I've I've lovehaving him there.
His energy and he's really fun.
But his product is gorgeous.
(35:29):
Yeah.
And so he's come and I've hadhim there.
And now this time I'm mappingeverything out.
I'm like corner spot, primelocation.
And that's another thing thatyou get by being a repeat person
with us.
I know a little bit more aboutwhat you do and who you are, and
can really put you in exactlythe perfect spot.
There's a lot of thought thatgoes to that.
Christine (35:46):
And that just goes to show if if you're not getting
this with Donna and MJ, they areaware.
They see you, they know, theyremember.
It's about connection.
That's what I love aboutdowntown arcade.
That's what I love being here.
It is a dream.
It is a dream come true.
Okay, there's so many thingsthat I gosh, I don't even know.
Oh, okay, we'll get to that injust a second.
(36:09):
There's so many things I wantto talk about.
New businesses.
You did mention um all IndianCafe.
Speaker 2 (36:15):
Love, love, love, I love, love them.
Oh my gosh.
Christine (36:17):
Confession again.
MJ and Donna kept telling me,you gotta go try it.
I'm not an Indian food person.
I'm Italian, I'm Mexican.
Let me just stick to myburritos and lasagna.
MJ's all like, you gotta go,you gotta go.
So I go in, meet the owners,try their food.
I'm addicted.
I'm like, I go, I ask theowners.
(36:38):
I'm in there almost every week.
In fact, I'm going to lunchafter this podcast to meet up
with Cena.
MJ Finstrom (36:44):
Nice.
Oh Cena, the lawyer.
Christine (36:46):
I love Cena.
If you need a divorce, he wouldbe the one to take care of it.
He has a family.
Exactly.
I've seven clients.
So we're and we're gonna gothrough the all Indian cafe.
That's how much I love thatbusiness because it's all Indian
and they they have a culturalplethora of different Indian
foods.
Donna Choi (37:05):
Well, and if you haven't tried, they have
something called the Frankie,which is like an Indian burrito.
So there you go.
I haven't even.
And then the other thing theyhave, like an Italian food, one
of my favorite things is cocoade pasta.
It's bow thai pasta withcoconut curry.
Oh my gosh, I gotta try that.
MJ Finstrom (37:24):
I'm gonna try that for lunch.
Please.
It's on their street foodmenus.
Yes.
Yeah, it's great.
Oh my gosh, I gotta try that.
Oh, yeah.
Donna Choi (37:29):
And then the other thing we have is one of the uh
best Taiwanese restaurants,which is Monja Tiker.
Christine (37:36):
Oh my gosh.
Donna Choi (37:36):
And they're right on um Huntington.
I mean, we really have so yeah,Huntington just east of first.
I mean totally just east.
Christine (37:45):
It's right next to the what fix for you.
Donna Choi (37:48):
Yes, exactly.
I fix for you.
I fix for you.
Christine (37:51):
Some of these names sometimes like okay, I fix for
you, I know you, I don't knowyou.
Uh come get a massage, maybe amassage.
MJ Finstrom (37:58):
Well, the cool thing about All India Cafe is
like they have a very solidhistory in the culinary world.
Not an Arcadia, it's it'sactually a gift to Arcadia that
they brought them.
They chose us, right?
So it's really, reallyspectacular.
There's a new I don't know if Ican talk about it, but another
big restaurant coming in nextdoor to them.
(38:19):
And it's gonna be uh fantastic.
But you know, the the father,he was the um head head chef, I
think, at Bombay Cafe in SantaMonica on Third Street, and they
have two other restaurants inGlendale and Pasadena that are
just wildly popular.
And for them to choose Arcadiais it's a really big deal.
Downtown downtown Arcadia,yeah.
(38:41):
It's a big, big deal, andthey're just amazing.
They couldn't be nicer, buttheir food, like you know, it's
just different.
You know, even if you don'tlike Indian food, you can have
like a chicken and rice, it'sjust fantastic, you know.
We tried the barani rice theother day, and it was just
amazing.
Oh my gosh.
Christine (38:59):
It is good.
I ate that stuff.
And you know when I go in therenow and they know what I like,
so they almost kind of serve itup for me.
MJ Finstrom (39:05):
Yeah, they do the same with me.
Yeah, yeah.
Christine (39:06):
And the reason why we're mentioning all Indian
cafes so much is because they'rethe ones, if you if you can
donate your candy to them, andif you do, they'll give you 10%
off a lunch.
MJ Finstrom (39:18):
Or cheeseburger dinner promotions.
This is great news.
Thank you.
Christine (39:23):
Thank you.
Thank you.
So, but yeah, it and it istrue.
You take take the candy inthere and you'll get and and sit
and have a meal.
You will love all Indian Cafe.
And uh so what was the otherrestaurant that's uh Monja
Titan.
Oh my gosh, I love it.
Donna Choi (39:39):
Um, one other thing about the candy donations that
I'd like to say a lot of peopledon't have kids, and they're
like, but I would like to helpand be involved and give back to
the community, help with whatyou're doing.
What can I do?
And we've never really had thisopportunity, and we thought,
well, if people want to help, weneed help.
And I will always take help.
And so people have been verygenerous in donating candy, and
(40:02):
it's a real way to be involved,even if you can't volunteer, you
can't sponsor, you can't have aboot all of those things, you
can still donate candy.
MJ Finstrom (40:09):
Area we need the help in because we run out of
candy sometimes.
We do, so the more candy wehave.
Oh my gosh, we do the betterthe event is because you know
you try to plan.
I think the first year we'relike, we'll have 500 kids there.
Oh, I'll never get thatthousands of kids showed up.
Donna Choi (40:27):
It was like the kids were like little zombies.
I was like, ah! You know what?
Christine (40:30):
I I was there for that first one.
MJ Finstrom (40:32):
Yeah, and the first one we didn't expect such a
turnout.
Christine (40:35):
And it was funny because I remember you saying,
Oh, we'll probably have 500kids, I hope.
MJ Finstrom (40:40):
We're crossing our finger.
We don't know, you know?
And people love Halloween, theylove to dress up.
Um but I do want to point outthat the candy is for the kids.
Okay, so not the adult.
I do have to answer.
Oh my gosh, I'm doing it.
Christine (40:55):
Let's answer this live on the air.
Sina Mohajer (40:56):
Okay.
Christine (40:57):
Okay, it it is hello.
Sina Mohajer (41:00):
Hello?
Christine (41:01):
Hello, um, Sina.
You you are live on ArcadiaFYI.
Sina Mohajer (41:06):
Hey, hey, hey, hey, what's up, Arcadia?
Christine (41:12):
In studio, I have with me MJ and Donna with
Downtown Arcadia, and we're weare doing a show talking about
the Halloween haunting.
Are you ready to be are youready to be scared in a couple
of weeks?
Sina Mohajer (41:22):
Oh my gosh, I'm so excited for the Halloween
event.
Downtown Arcadia always puts onan amazing event which everyone
shows up to, so I'm superstoked.
Christine (41:32):
Yeah, he and now I got to say that Sina not only
can help you um with thedivorce, he is the president of
the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce.
Yeah, we love it.
Donna Choi (41:41):
So great when he rocks the mic, you will not be
able to contain yourself.
He's hilarious.
MJ Finstrom (41:46):
And he always dresses up in something.
I'm I'm wondering what you'regonna be this year, Cena.
Sina Mohajer (41:51):
I'm I'm wondering the same thing.
Christine (41:54):
Well, you can always go to polka dots.
But anyway, okay, Sina, let mefinish this up and I'll meet you
at All Indian Cafe at 12:30.
Sounds good.
Okay.
All right.
Bye.
Donna Choi (42:05):
So there you go.
What a great.
Can I uh mention somethingbefore we're done?
We were talking about therestaurants.
We have a new campaign we'redoing Dine in Downtown Arcadia.
Oh, let's talk about it.
Because we have the mostamazing restaurants.
We have, we've talked about thefact that we have Denny's, we
have Chengdu Impression, whichis uh Michelin-starred and
amazing.
(42:26):
Uh we have Monja, we have uhMatt Denny's, we have Outback,
we have the boiling point.
We have boiling point'sdelicious for hot.
We have Fresh Delicious, whichthey do um like uh the what's
the chicken uh nugget?
What do you call those?
Popcorn chicken.
Popcorn chicken.
Oh my gosh, everybody lovesthat.
(42:48):
Hyper coffee.
We have uh ABJ water for allyour candy and all the treats
that you might want.
So we have a lot of reallygreat restaurants concentrated
in this small area.
Another reason to come visitdowntown.
Christine (43:02):
Clairos, we can't forget about Indian Cafe,
Clairo's, Matt Denny's, and youcannot forget Vendome.
I mean, come on, right, right.
Oh, and Goki Cafe.
Donna Choi (43:14):
See, there's so much that it's like Cafe is amazing,
yeah.
Yeah, Gokie will um and WhiteSprings Cafe will be at the
holiday fair.
So keep supporting ourbusinesses, keep supporting
these small business owners.
Christine (43:26):
You could see all these questions I still want to
get to.
Um, you will come back inNovember after Thanksgiving to
talk about the holiday.
Well, probably before then,huh?
Man, holiday fair is gonna be.
Whatever Christine wants.
I know.
I just hope there's snow at theholiday fair.
Um I wanted to see if it if thefarmers market was ever gonna
come back.
Will that ever come back?
Maybe?
No.
I don't know.
A couple people are talkingabout it.
Okay, okay.
(43:46):
Well, we'll stay tuned forthat.
Yes.
All right.
Halloween haunting right here.
Friday, October 24th.
Um, it starts at 4 p.m., goesuntil 6 30 p.m.
Uh, candy, visit the the shops,the restaurants.
There's so much.
And then after that will be theholiday fair, and we'll talk
(44:07):
about that on another show.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for coming in.
Thank you so much.
My little pretty! So okay.
It's been a pumpkin of a time.
MJ Finstrom (44:20):
It's been a pumpkin of a time.
I love it.
It looks so delicious.
Christine (44:24):
Thank you so much.
All right, I cannot forget aswe end, I want to thank our
sponsors.
Longo Toyota, Lexus and ElMonte.
Have you guys ever been there?
I bought my car there.
No, you did?
I love it.
I've teached.
My dream is a Lexus.
I keep telling Mike and Brookethat.
I want a Lexus.
Star Seven Financial withFrancine Chiu.
Love her.
MJ Finstrom (44:44):
Love her too.
Christine (44:45):
Santa Anita Park.
Don't forget, Enchant is comingup.
And uh we're gonna be giving uhDonna and MJ, the downtown
Arcadia will be giving a familyfour pack to Enchant and the
Le Méridien Hotel in Arcadia andPasadena.
Until next time on Arcadia FYI,make it a great day and be
(45:05):
blessed.
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