Biz Buzz: Airline that flies through Santa Maria expands to Hawaii

Allegiant Travel, the Las Vegas parent company of discount commercial carrier Allegiant Air, is expanding its service into Hawaii.

The low-cost carrier currently offers regional service from Santa Maria to Las Vegas twice a day, according to schedules published online by the Santa Maria Public Airport District.

The company is buying six Boeings over the next few years at the cost of up to $90 million to start the service, according to a company announcement.

“The 757 is a new aircraft type for Allegiant, but we otherwise see this program as consistent with our existing business model,” said Andrew C. Levy, Allegiant President and CFO.

Although company spokeswoman Sabrina LoPiccolo said the company was not ready to announce whether or not Santa Maria would have the new service, she did say Allegiant planned the nonstop Hawaii service for smaller city markets that could include Santa Maria.

The service to Hawaii could start the end of this year or beginning of 2011, she added.

— Melanie Cleveland

Yogaflirt opening second location

Yogaflirt, a fitness and pole-dancing yoga studio, is opening a second location at 3592 Sacramento Drive, No. 170 in San Luis Obispo after seeing high demand for classes at its Atascadero location at 7075 Morro Road, where more than 100 women attend classes each week.

Founder Cathy Weiss and seven instructors lead yoga workouts with a pole that include strength training, cardiovascular exercises and exotic dance moves.

Yogaflirt evolved from a popular pole fitness class at Yoga in the Vines, a Hatha yoga studio that Weiss opened in its Atascadero location in 2007.

In 2009, Weiss and her husband, Michael Weiss, sold Yoga in the Vines — which moved to a new location — to create Yogaflirt.

Classes are open to women only, 18 years and older, and there is no nudity. An open house event at the new location raised more than $600 for the Women’s Shelter Program of San Luis Obispo County.

“My goal is to ... make it safe for women to feel connected to their authentic, feminine self while getting a great workout,” Weiss said.

— Julia Hickey

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The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce was honored with a 2009 Web Site Award from the Western Association of Chamber Executives at a conference this month.

The chamber, selected from more than 100 entries, was lauded for its slochamber.org, slo-business.com and visitslo.com sites. The site was judged by four individuals who rated the overall design, content and search-engine optimization.

— AnnMarie Cornejo