Java.DEC.20162-2

pop of color to our neutral desert terrain. Aside from the
work she does for weddings and special occasions,
Helm also offers curbside flower pickup, floral soiree
classes and elements of home décor.
PRICKLY PEAR PAPER
Founded in 2016 by Mark Johnston and Lauren Elliott,
Prickly Pear Paper combines a passion for graphic
design with fun, adventurous cards and stationery
designed to make people smile. As partners in love
and life, Johnston and Elliot appreciate the small
things, like brightening someone’s day with a witty
card or fun piece of artwork. From start to finish,
Prickly Pear Paper designs, produces and hand prints
unforgettable invitations for big life events, like
weddings. They use a Kelsey King Jobber letterpress,
which leaves impressions in the paper, making it
stand apart from modern digital printing. They also
carry a wide array of curated stationery, greeting
cards and gifts.
THE UPROOTED KITCHEN
Everything created in The Uprooted Kitchen is plantbased
and organic. Chad and Erin Romanoff want
to show that eating healthy foods from the earth
can be can be attainable and affordable. Their open
kitchen further reinforces that point, allowing guests
to witness their meals being crafted. The Romanoffs
want their guests to eat happy, knowing exactly
what is going into their bodies. The restaurant can
accommodate guests with 24 seats indoors and 24
outdoors. Chad and Erin got their start in 2012 serving
out of a 1968 Avion travel trailer transformed into
a food truck, and the interior décor of their Barnone
space is inspired by those humble beginnings, with
lots of aluminum and natural materials.
JOHNSTON MACHINE CO.
Unbeknownst to many, Joe Johnston has several
engineering degrees from Stanford University (bachelor’s
degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering, and
a master’s in industrial engineering), and he worked
in the field for seven years. In 1989, he launched his
first concept, the wildly successful Coffee Plantation
on Mill Ave. in Tempe, which in 1992 alone served
over a million people. Needless to say, Johnston’s
engineering career took a backseat to the string of
successes that would follow, including his visionary
Agritopia community. Johnston Machine Co. is an
opportunity for Joe to get back in touch with his more
scientific side. The space is almost completely filled
by two large prototyping machines (American made,
Johnston is quick to note). I’ve heard that Johnston’s
lineage is tied to the Hobart family, famous for
its commercial food mixers, so it makes sense
that Johnston Machine specializes in developing
“tools and equipment to support the culinary arts,
intended for the professional kitchen and serious
amateur.” Also check out the exquisite terrazzo
flooring and wainscoting in this machine shop. It
looks like Johnston may have blown the budget on it.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
Directly adjacent to Johnston Machine, Final
Assembly is a “place for assembling machines,
a place for people to assemble and a place for
creative ideas to come together.” For lack of a
better description, Final Assembly is like an informal
meeting space without walls. It would be a great
place to put some pieces of a machine together on
the large industrial table or to have a brainstorming
session around that same table. The place is fully
wired for sound and projection, so I could see some
seriously creative assemblies happening here.
JOHNSTON ARMS
Steve Johnston’s identity as a craftsman is tied to
his lifelong love of hunting and the outdoors, which
36 JAVA
MAGAZINE