URBAN ENTHUSIAST – OCTOBER 2014

10/06/14
Joe Vergara, along with his sister, founded, after moving to Las Vegas from Chicago, SasaSweets, an award winning dessert manufacturer. Last December they opened the store front operation, Chillspot, in Downtown Container Park to sell their custom frozen treats.
What made you want to open up shop in DTLV and more specifically Container Park?
I believe in the power of people to create a world they want to live in. I’ve lived in transitional neighborhoods most of my adult life and have seen first-hand just how amazing the transformations can be. Downtown is on the cusp of this. This time I didn’t just want to witness or experience it. I wanted to be a bigger part of it. Container Park, from its very inception, is a place that highlights undiscovered talent so the world can experience beauty that might have gone undiscovered.
What are some of your favorite attractions of the neighborhood?
There are two things I love about Downtown. The fantastic food (and drink) and the people. Again, it’s all about the undiscovered talent. I can really say I’ve enjoyed my visits to all of the downtown eateries. Every eatery downtown has unique offerings not available anywhere else. The people are awesome too.
What do you think sets DTLV apart from other neighborhoods in Las Vegas?
There is more going on Downtown now and on the horizon than any other neighborhood. This isn’t just a shopping mall or a new “retail experience.” This is about actual real change, change on a level that actually affects lives as much as it transforms neighborhoods.
What do you think DTLV does differently?
What’s interesting is that the change happening Downtown is accelerated. It’s different than other transitional neighborhoods I’ve experienced. Those neighborhoods evolved from desolation to vibrancy over a course of 5 to 10 years. It’s happening much faster here, and as a result, it’s a different kind of energy. This is literally one of the greatest social experiments ever.
What do you want people to know about downtown?
I would like to reach out and ask the people of Las Vegas to take ownership of the fantastic neighborhood that is evolving right now. Don’t just watch the change from a screen, listening to sound bites on the news. Come Downtown. Own Downtown. Be Downtown. Together, we are Las Vegas.
Photo: Joe Vergaras by Lucky Wenzel