Portage’s Chamber of Commerce held their annual Holiday Open House on Thursday night at their headquarters. The event was attended by board members and visitors alike, who were all invited to mix and mingle. There were plenty of drinks and hor d'oeuvres spread along for the attendees to enjoy as well.
New and old members of the Chamber mixed together to celebrate the holidays. Two of the newest members to join the chamber are Douglas Giltrap and Reyna Fasel of Texas Roadhouse, who only opened up their flagship restaurant a little over a year ago. Giltrap said that they were marketing all day and came across a reminder of the event. “I was like ‘Oh, hey! We’ve got the night off!’”
He continued, “We came to see all of the other people involved with the chamber and introduce ourselves because we’re new to town and no one really knows us. Tonight is a great way to get our names out there.”
Not all of the people who attended are members of the chamber - Louise Thompson works on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association saw the announcement for the gathering and decided to come along.
She explained, “My former employer was a member of the chamber so I was very active. I continue to volunteer and come and support them.” That also rang true for many others who came to visit.
The event held it’s mingling successfully. The load roar of many different conversations filled up the small room and kept the air light for such a celebratory function with familiar and unfamiliar company. It was a short night but no less beneficial for those who attended.