Santa’s a Businessman : But Sometimes Idealism Motivates St. Nick

Jim Lewis strokes his snow-white beard as he speaks, and his eyes twinkle.

“Santa sells,” said Lewis, who for years has portrayed St. Nick at several Orange County stores and festivals.

“My bookings are up this year,” he said. “I’ll make a nice income.”

But no one should go into the Santa business just for the money, he says.

“You can’t just put on a red suit, shout ho, ho, ho! and think that’s being Santa,” he said.

Lewis’ words have an authoritative ring. Even dressed in a plain white shirt, shorts and sandals, he gives off the aura of St. Nick.

Lewis takes seriously the business of playing Santa, and his dedication to portraying the jolly old elf as a kindly man of integrity and warmth is paying off. Although he would not reveal exact amounts, Lewis said that he will earn thousands of dollars during this holiday season. The rest of the year, the 60-year-old Lewis works as a professional storyteller.

“This is the first year I’ve made a living working exclusively as a storyteller and Santa,” he said.

Along with playing Santa at department stores, festivals and even plant nurseries, Lewis portrays St. Nick in print advertisements. This year he has also accepted jobs as the voice of Santa in radio commercials.

Lewis said his almost sacrosanct belief in Santa is not diminished in any way by his profitable endeavors.

“I don’t find a dichotomy in believing in the integrity of Santa and then doing advertisements,” he said. “True, there are things that I won’t do, like having Santa with his pants down and boxer shorts showing. No, I won’t do anything that makes Santa look silly or undignified.”

Lewis first donned his red velvet suit six years ago. The business world, however, has been using the image of Santa Claus for decades to hawk everything from soda pop to electric shavers.

Despite the sluggish economy, the Santa business in Orange County is up this year, according to agencies that book Santa stand-ins.

“We were down last year because of the recession,” said Dixie Lee Hibbard, owner of A Dixie Doodle Entertainment in Orange. “But then as it got closer to Christmas, people just said, ‘What the heck,’ and started calling us for Santas.

“So far this year, we’re up in our bookings. I’m still expecting even more to roll in once Thanksgiving is over.”

Hibbard’s company has a roster of about 16 Santa stand-ins, 12 of whom have real beards. All of the Santas provide their own costumes, whether owned or rented.

“They take better care of them when it’s their responsibility,” Hibbard said.

Santa’s helpers are in such demand that some other agencies contacted for this story were too busy to return queries.

Lewis noted that children today are sophisticated when it comes to Santa’s attire.

“I had one little girl tell me I was obviously the real Santa Claus because I had real snow boots,” Lewis said. “Patent leather just won’t cut it with children anymore.”

Most of the Santa requests are for parties, either corporate or at private homes, Hibbard said.

Canon Business Machines Inc. in Costa Mesa has booked Hibbard Santas for the past three years for its Christmas party for employees’ children. The celebration is viewed by Canon’s management as one of the benefits of working for the company.

“We try to do things for our employees to make them feel happy to work at Canon,” said Yasuko Takahashi, assistant manager of human relations at the company. “So we have the Christmas party for the children, and children expect Santa.”

There are also requests for shopping mall Santas, but Hibbard is reluctant to send her Santas off on such grueling assignments. Although her husband, Preston, is the head Santa at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Hibbard said, his main task is not selling photography packages to parents, but listening to the children.

Many Santa mall operations are set up mainly to sell pictures of children with Santa. Hibbard, however, said she is interested in having a roster of high-quality Santas.

“Those type of mall Santas are there from 9 in the morning till 10 at night,” Hibbard said. “I don’t have enough (Santas) to staff that kind of operation.

“Even if I did, I don’t want to get involved with that kind of Santa business. I’ve turned down requests for magician Santas and DJ Santas. Maybe it’s just me, but I like old-fashioned Santas who are there to read stories and pay attention to the children.”

Lewis also eschews the mall photo stands, preferring to spend his Santa time concentrating on the children.

“Santa is a way of thinking, of believing in the goodness in us all. And it’s a responsibility,” Lewis said.

Because many mall Santas are pressed to make the photography packages profitable, Lewis said, he thinks youngsters are sometimes shortchanged.

“You must really listen to the child, look them in the eye and really converse,” he said. “For a lot of children, I may be the only adult who listens to them, and that’s a sad commentary.”

Some retailers agree that Santa’s visits do not need to be a money-making venture. At Nordstrom in South Coast Plaza--where Lewis has portrayed Santa for the past six years--the appearance of St. Nick is viewed as a public service, not a money-making venture.

“I know it may sound trite,” said Peter Devin, store manager, “but we feel our customers benefit from having Santa here, not to sell merchandise but as an experience.”

Operators of the Sawdust Festival Winter Fantasy in Laguna Beach also want patrons to enjoy the spirit of Christmas.

Parents can take their own pictures of their tots sitting on Santa’s lap, which means they then have more money to spend on the crafts sold at the festival.

“We want Santa to be a part of the good feelings of Christmas,” said Patti Jo Kiraly, entertainment director for the festival.

“We’re not looking to bombard people with the commercialization of Santa.”