Business

Chantal Vaughan was at work as a manager at Felton Feed & Pet Supply on May 23 when her world was shaken—figuratively and literally—by a driver who lost control of his car and careened into the front of her store, leaving shattered glass and...

The fallen branches have been neatly arranged along a rock border next to the La Placa Family Bakery parking lot as the sun streams down through the redwoods to the red translucent awning, but here along Highway 9 in Ben Lomond, the storms are...

For the past few years, more often than not, you could find Alan Strong perched on a folding chair on break from his janitorial duties at La Placa Family Bakery, sitting under the redwoods, gazing out at the one-story restaurant with the fountain on...

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on May 11 voted unanimously to delay a 25-cent fee for disposable cups at businesses in the unincorporated parts of the county until January 2022. County officials crafted the ordinance to reduce the amount of disposable cups that...

Scotts Valley is a glimpse of Americana right here in Santa Cruz County. From hotels and restaurants to Fourth of July parades and banners of high school graduates adorning Scotts Valley Drive, the city seems to bend and flex with the times. Visitors can...

These days, everything is “smart.” Smartphones. Smartwatches. How about a smart laundromat? Behold The Mat in Boulder Creek, formerly the Village Wash. Run by third-generation laundromat owner Brandon Parker and his fiancé Erin Hexem, it’s the first smart laundromat in Boulder Creek, and one of...

Mo L’Esperance got her start into food service at a pizza place in Southern California. “I got hired as a cashier,” she recalled. “Within two weeks I was in the back cooking, because it was more fun.” And after stints “back-of-house” in San Francisco, along the...

San Lorenzo Valley residents, rejoice! Our taste buds have been invited to dance with two new restaurants: Aroma in Ben Lomond and The Grove in Felton. Read on to learn more about each. Aroma presents local flare Chef Mario Ibarra is a well-known and beloved part...

Over the past year, the financial world has been playing the big guessing game of what will happen to interest rates as authorities seek to calm inflation without causing too much pain. School officials had been zoned-in for just such an exercise here in...

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The county’s tourist hotspots—along with its restaurants and hotels—can expect a slight uptick in business this summer from Californians seeking to hit the road for short road trips, according to a survey released Wednesday by Visit Santa Cruz County (VSCC). This prediction is...