What do you do?
Tonja Gross

Where do you work and what is your title?
       I own and operate, along with my husband Gary, a 50’s theme store in Old Colorado City, called Badda Bing!
What do you do there and/or what are you responsible for?
       I am responsible for everything that involves running a business. You wear a lot of different hats!
How long have you been doing this kind of work (total)? How long on the Westside?
        I’ve been doing this since April of 2001, all on the Westside.
What do you like best about it (other than quitting time)?
       What I like best about my work is being my own boss. I also love meeting and talking to people. I love hearing and seeing people that go crazy over the store! It makes it all worth it.
If you could change one thing (other than pay), what would it be?
       The first thing that came to mind – the economy. But more realistically, I would love to see Old Colorado City “lit up” all year. It is so pretty around the holidays that it would be nice to see that every day.
What part of your work did your training/education never prepare you for?
       I didn’t have training for this type of work – I learned everything as I went.
What makes working on the Westside special?
       There’s no place like the Westside. The charm, the people, just the whole feel of it is very special to me.

“What do you do?” is a regular feature in the Westside Pioneer. If you know someone who has an interesting job on the Westside (but doesn’t live here), he/she might be a candidate for this column! If you know someone who might qualify, give us a call at 471-6776.