Pet names and office vacancies pick Broncos

Jan. 31--Unconventional game forecasts are by now a staple of Super Bowl week. Prognosticators range from the Prediction Machine, a math formula, to Buffett, a manatee living in Sarasota, Fla. Here are some of the wackier forecasts offered by Orange County companies, which all seem to agree with the manatee that Denver will beat Seattle.

Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. in Brea analyzed its database of 500,000 insured pets to predict that the Broncos will take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The company looked for pet names that might be related to either team's name, quarterback, defensive star, head coach or mascot.

Kelley Blue Book, an Irvine-based provider of car information, surveyed U.S. adult visitors to its kbb.com website, and 71 percent of those who answered agreed that Denver will prevail.

Jones Lang LaSalle, a commercial real estate services firm with an office in Irvine, found that teams in cities with more available office space have won 62 percent of the past 13 Super Bowl games. Based on that logic, Denver, with its 13.9 percent office vacancy rate, will beat Seattle, with 12.5 percent. The firm's executive chairman for the Americas is former Dallas Cowboy and Super Bowl winner Roger Staubach.

Other Orange County ties to this year's Super Bowl include a one-minute commercial from Irvine-based Kia Motors America that is scheduled to run during the third quarter. The K900 luxury sedan stars with Laurence Fishburne, who reprises his role of Morpheus from "The Matrix" film trilogy. And BigRentz.com, a construction-equipment rental network based in Irvine, was contracted by Fox Sports to provide equipment that will be used during the game.

On the move

Newport Beach-based RSI Development LLC appointed Peter Boutros president and chief operating officer of The New House, an RSI company that builds an energy-efficient home on an existing lot in no more than 90 days. Boutros previously served as worldwide president at Total Immersion.

Ben LaFleche is executive chef at Shades Restaurant & Bar, which serves American fusion cuisine at the Waterfront Beach Resort, a Hilton hotel in Huntington Beach. He previously worked on the executive cooking team at the Hilton Bonaventure in Montreal.

Also filling the role of executive chef is Ashley Santo Domingo, who has joined 24 Carrots Catering and Events in Irvine. She previously held the executive chef title at Whole Foods Market in Laguna Niguel. Santo Domingo also appeared on "Top Chef" on Bravo TV.

New ventures

Taking a cue from Slater's 50/50, Jack in the Box has introduced the Bacon Insider -- a burger patty that blends beef and bacon. The San Diego chain is airing a Super Bowl ad tied to the new product, which costs $4.99. Also in the burger: creamy bacon mayo sauce, bacon slices, lettuce, tomato and American cheese served on a brioche bun.

Slater's owner Scott Slater, whose restaurants are known for their 50/50 blend of ground bacon and ground beef, joked that it's nice to be a test kitchen for Jack in the Box. "It's certainly not going to affect our business. When people think of bacon burgers they think of Slater's 50/50. We are happy about getting extra press from Jack in the Box," Slater said.

Orange County's two biggest tourism industry groups -- the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau and the Orange County Visitors Association -- are teaming to promote local hotels and attractions. The joint effort will include sharing their tourism community partnership base; coordinating destination communications, public relations and marketing; expanding education and training opportunities; and seeking out new markets, including China, Mexico and the Middle East. "Orange County has a multitude of assets to showcase and we believe that blending the strengths of both organizations will create a higher return for all involved," said Ed Fuller CEO of the OCVA.

Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a Newport Beach-based provider of natural gas transportation fuel, opened its first liquefied natural gas fueling station in Florida, in the city of Jacksonville. The company also recently opened stations in Fontana and Pontoon Beach, Ill.

Coming up

A free workshop to help entrepreneurs develop a business plan will take place Thursday at the Heritage Park Regional Branch of the Orange County Public Library in Irvine. The session is presented by Jim Chamberlain of SCORE, a nonprofit group affiliated with the U.S. Small Business Administration. He'll explain what should be included in a plan, how to capture a reader's interest and the difference between financial statements. Registration begins at 5 p.m., and the workshop runs 5:30-8:45. The library is at 14361 Yale Ave. Call 714-550-7369 or email [email protected] for details.

Overheard

"I think a lot of them sign up because they think it's an easy way to make extra money, and they find out along the way that it's really hard." -- Charles "Chuck" Martin, UC Irvine trustee and CEO of Mont Pelerin Capital LLC in Newport Beach, talking to the Register about the school's Polaris Investment Competition, a yearlong program in which teams of MBA students invest in real companies with real money. Teams that beat the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index receive a scholarship.

Staff writers Nancy Luna and Mary Ann Milbourn contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 714-796-3589 or [email protected]

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