For Lake Tahoe’s small businesses, just keeping the doors open is no small feat.

“Surviving in this town is not the easiest thing to do,” said Patrick Atherton, owner of Lake Tahoe Chocolate Factory.

Atherton’s a veteran chocoholic: He’s been in the chocolate business for 19 years.

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And sometimes, the only way to survive is to join forces with another like-minded entrepreneur. This particular collaboration is a mighty sweet deal, indeed.

The Chocolate Factory and Upper Krust Gourmet Pies have combined forces. They now sell their treats from a new location at 152 Highway 50, between the Lakeside Inn and Dart Liquor.

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Atherton and Linda Van Dam, who owns Grocery Direct and Upper Krust Gourmet Pies, began talking one day and batted around the idea of joining businesses. Van Dam has owned the pie shop for three years.

So they combined their talents, and Van Dam is hoping the collaboration results in a lot of customer foot traffic, she said.

“If one thing isn’t working 100 percent, you need to give people another reason to walk in the door,” she explained.

Upper Krust is adding cheesecake as a little extra enticement to its staples of apple pie, turtle pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie and sweet potato pie. For the holidays, Atherton said the shop will make a white chocolate and candy cane cheesecake, along with others.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (775) 588-4686.

The Local’s Choice haircutting salon is celebrating its 25th year of business in South Lake Tahoe.

Co-owner Peggy Bentley has been in the salon business for 45 years; her daughter Shelby keeps the salon’s books and greets customers. Bentley charges $10 for a haircut and only accepts walk-ins.

The shop offers five cosmetologists and a barber, Shelby said. Bentley hired a barber more than a year ago to appeal to some male customers, she said.

Over the years, The Local’s Choice has cut three generations of hair. Parents have brought in their kids, then they grow up and bring their kids in, Shelby said.

One of the shop’s cosmetologists was even a customer as a child, Peggy Bentley recalled. “I remember putting her in a booster seat to cut her hair,” she added.

The Local’s Choice, at 2540 Highway 50 in the Swiss Chalet Center, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (530) 541-7282.

Rudy Garcia opened Precision Detailing – a mobile vehicle detail service – three months ago. He details vehicles at locations including customers’ workplaces, homes and marinas. Garcia works on vehicles including cars, RVs, limos, boats and private jets.

Garcia, 20, said his prices for detailing vary because each vehicle is different, and he works with customers to offer competitive prices. Precision Detailing is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call (530) 318-5595 or (530) 318-0019.

Massage at Tahoe has moved to a new location at 2197 Lake Tahoe Blvd., No. 8.

The new building provides more space for its customers and offers two rooms so friends or couples can make appointments together, said owner Kae Reed.

The business now also offers more options for customers, Reed said. Spa packages consist of massages, foot treatments, facial cleansings and body scrubs, Reed added. The shop is open seven days a week by appointment. Call (530) 318-4806.

– Have information on your business that you’d like to share? Contact reporter Sara Thompson at (530) 542-8009 or sthompson@tahoedailytribune.com.