Celebrations Fashien. Health . SAVE Food Mart owner Chung-Yi Chang has a wide - variety of fresh. and fragrant exotic flowers on sale just ouiside the front windows of her grocery store. 1400-BLOCK CLYDE AVE., WEST VANCOUVER ali ¢ ld ail Jan-Christian Serensen _. News Reporter . psorensen@nsnews.com THE Urban Garage in West Vancouver has become a roaring suc- : cess for owner and auto enthusiast Duncan Pearce. , The longtime West. Van resident works out of the 1439 Clyde Avenue location witha part-time administra- tive staff and 18-year-old wun- derkind salesman Adriano Sealdaferri, who has been moving cars ata steady clip since he was hired this summer by Pearce. A former commercial mortgage portfolio manager, Pearce said he _ was looking for a nes direction when he’ decided to open the auto bou- ‘tique. “I was longing to do something that I was passionate in. Knowing the neighbourhood and people that live here-1 thought ‘There’s an interest- ing niche here.” =“ P combined my love (for cars) with what I thought was an interest- ing business opportunity.” Te’s paid off. -The Urban Garage. has helped people find over 80 new, used and vintage vehicles since it opened its doors in February. Pearce helps buy- ers locate rare,. luxury and exotic autos and can also secure a wide vari- ety of new cars at fleet prices. "Currently: Pearce has a_ tio of * Porsche 911s on display in his show- room and is néguiiating the sale of a” : 1974 fire- red Ferrari Vino — which | _ eNO will likely fetch $75,000 US. Using their current Web site as a springboard, — Pearce plans te launch a virtu- al auto auction site on the Net — @ la Ebay — to help local aute bufts buy and sell their vehi- cles. The close, at-home feel of the showroom flies in the face of what most people might expect to find at an auto deal- er, said Pearce. Many of his clients still drop by on Saturday afternoons to shoot the breeze and talk shop. “Irs like a clubhouse,” said Pearce. “We wanted to make this place fun and relaxed but profession- al at the same time. We want people to enjoy the process rather chan feel it’s something they have to endure.” Meanwhile, on the corner of 14th and Clyde, things have gone to the dogs — and cats. : the The _ friendly © staff. at ‘Ambleside Animal Hospital will pro- iS for AMBLESIDE Animal Hospital's resident vet Dr. Chris Booth gives a patient a once- over during a routine checkup. vide your pet with the finest in crea- ture comforts, whether it’s for a gen- eral checkup or just to pick up a new bag of chow. Veterinarian Chris Booth leads a troupe of eight full- and part-time employees: at the clinic, which opened in 1964. Inside the clinic, a raft of fuzzy faces stare out from a bulletin board full-to-overflowing with the animal haspital’s roster. of fourlegged clients. And like any good doctor, Booth keeps a computerized patient tile and accompanying photo of each client that trots through the door. Because of the accelerated aging rate for dogs and cats, he recom- mends at least an annual visit to the vet. “Some dogs or cats with medical problems are here obviously a lot more often, but if theyre robust and cruising around [ suppose that’s as often as they need to go.” The hospital also offers feline boarding services, but not so for their canine cousins. Booth is cur- rently planning to expand his facili- ties early next year to make more space for overnighting Pups, howev- er. Just dewn a few doors: is the Daihatsu Japanese Restaurant, a cozy and inviting eatery that features a voluminous menu of tempura, roba- ta, sushi and sashimi selections to tempt the palate. Owner and chef Jason Liu took over the location after immigrating - from Taiwan two years ago, where he spent his time working construction on apartment buildings and office towers, “T like i¢ here,” said the alw smiling Liu. “I like the weather and the people.” While construction worker to sushi chef may seem a stretch, Liu said he has always had a passion for creating exotic dishes of thé finest quality. Daihatsu sports a sit-down sushi bar and over a dozen tables, all sepa- rated by sereens to give diners a bit of privacy while they savour Liu’s fare. The restaurant has attracted a dedicated group of diners that fre- quent Daihatsu for its daily lunch and dinner specials. Daihatsu is pen for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to (2:30 p.m. M fonday to NEWS photos Cindy Goodman DUNCAN Pearce, owner of The Urban Garage, spends his days buying, selling and tracking down new and vintage vehicles for the discerning buyer out of his inviting showroom on Clyde Avenue in West Vancouver. jouse feel Saturday and for dinner from 5 p.m. , to 10 p.m. Monday to Sunday. At Save Food Mart, owner. Chung-Yi Chang presides over a wide variety of fresh produce and flowers which are brought into the store on a daily basis. arden of fragrant and exotic fresh flowers welcomes visitors to this store, where they can also purchase fresh meat and seafood, greeting cards or ice cream. It’s a one-stop _ grocery shop for Clyde Avenue’s fre- quent visitors. Save Food Mart also selis a selec- tion of dried flowers which’ hang - stem-side up in the back of the store. Chang, who has owned the store for 12 years, said she is planning to expand the ‘business in: the coming months. Also on the 1400-block of Clyde Avenue: Dave’s Auto Body; Jody's Fine Foods and Catering;.. The Downstairs Gallery; Wine Kitz; Omegas Hair Boutique; Le Pic-Nic French Breads and Pastry Ltd.;- Mitra’s’ Bulk Food and Deli; Ambleside Cleaners Inc.; Sussex Insurance Ambleside; . Stephenson’s Rental Centre. Commercial Avenues is a monthly feature of the North Shore News’ busi- ness section, While it is by no means a comprehensive guide to any of the areas it focuses on, it seeks to capture a snapshot of the day-to-day life of busi- nesses selected at random that call the street honwe. If vou have a business that. is part ofa unigue or otherwise worth- while block, or know of-any,- please shave it with us. Write to Commercial Avenues, c/o Jan-Christian Sorensen, North. Shore News, 1139- Lonsdale. Ave. North Vancouver V7M 2714: E- mail jsorensen@nsnews.com ne