Small Business | The Contra Costa Pulse

11 Apr

Local Restaurants Invited to Apply for $5,000 Grants

Applications opened Wednesday for the annual Restaurant Cares Resilience Fund which will award $5,000 grants to over 230 restaurants across California....

"Down Home music store cajun zydeco gospel mexican european caribbean world music" painted on beige brick wall with illustration of three seated musicians

06 Jan

Storied Music Store on Richmond-El Cerrito Border Gets Reprieve

Fans of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, the Beatles, early rock, jazz, gospel and bluegrass can expect Down Home Music to remain on the edge of El Cerrito....

man in purple T shirt and glasses at a tablet register with a restaurant kitchen and sign that says big daddy ross's cafe behind him

20 Dec

Big Daddy Ross’s Cafe to Close Sunday, Later Relocate

Big Daddy Ross's Cafe was given an eviction notice on Halloween and closes Sunday after more than 20 years in Bay Point. It'll eventually reopen in Pittsburg....

13 Sep

Agency Gives San Pablo Small Businesses, Economy a Boost

San Pablo City Council on Sept. 3 heard from the city's Economic Development Corporation and moved toward giving its own members a raise....

young woman walking with sign that reads "we are worth more on strike for 15" and another woman holding a sign above her head that reads "america can't survive on $7.25." other people are walking with signs as well. they are passing a KFC

10 Sep

On Your November Ballot: The Pros and Cons of Increasing California’s Minimum Wage

Supporters of California's Prop 32 say a minimum wage increase is necessary because of the cost of living; opponents say it would cost jobs and raise prices....

In the foreground, a bouquet of red roses lying on a counter. in the background, out of focus, a latina woman wearing a striped black and white shirt and black apron

27 Jun

Richmond Flower Shop Continues to Bloom

Tucked between a gas station and a used car lot on San Pablo Avenue is Mariam's Flowers, a family-owned business in a little lavender building....

12 Jun

California’s Small Businesses to Become Stronger, Greener With Inflow of Climate Resilience Funding

Grants exist to make small businesses more resilient to climate change, but many Black entrepreneurs say they don't know about them until it's too late....

Exterior of a business with one sign that reads Jardín de los Sueños Cafe and another that reads bagels, salads, sandwiches, coffee and more. It is right next to a street heading toward an overpass that says Richmond on it.

04 Apr

A Dream Café Blooms in Richmond

Nancy Subias, 38, and her family opened the aptly named El Jardín de los Sueños, or The Garden of Dreams, March 13 on San Pablo Avenue in Richmond....

A balding Latino man with gray beard standing at lectern with microphone

20 Mar

Richmond Business Owners Want Sidewalk Vendors Off 23rd Street

Business owners from the 23rd Street Merchants Association on Tuesday asked the Richmond City Council to do something about ...

A white woman with long blonde hair in braids and a black hat bends over a counter with decorative tiles in a very colorful bathroom. The walls are partly painted with flowers and partly covered with black tile, some of which have other colors partially painted on them.

11 Dec

Baltic Kiss, Renovated for Live Music, Retains Its Ghosts

The Point Richmond space that now houses Baltic Kiss has previously held a speakeasy, brothel, city hall and funeral parlor as well as other restaurants....

07 Dec

Small Businesses and Soccer Fields to Be Among Newest Recipients of Rescue Plan Funds

The Richmond City Council on Tuesday allocated $15.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to city projects, infrastructure and programs for residents....

A Latina woman wearing a black leather-style jacket and black pants

31 Aug

The Jefas Encompasses Latina Beauty and Business

Richmond entrepreneur Aurora Diaz has built successful a beauty industry business — called The Jefas — targeting the special needs of Latina consumers....

Screenshot of a Black woman sitting in front of several framed pictures and articles

12 Aug

Small Business Owners Need a Lift Up, Not a Handout

A small business owner and a U.S. senator were two panelists on the roundtable discussion “Growing Main Street America, One Small Business at a Time.”...

A smiling young Latina woman wearing a black apron and T-shirt holding a plate of tacos and a green beverage in front of a wood-paneled wall with leaves running down it.

04 Apr

Oakland Woman Brings Vegan Mexican Food to Richmond

Marbella Zepeda, a financial advisor and immigrant, opened the Vegan Vibes/Vibras Veganas pop-up to make vegan Mexican food more accessible....

A woman speaking into a microphone. Behind her are two empty folding chairs on grass and a man on a bench