Business

Staff of Life natural food store opened its second location Tuesday, a little more than two years after announcing it would make the move to the East Lake Village Shopping Center in Watsonville. Dozens of local leaders showed to the ribbon cutting ceremony Monday,...

With most people staying close to home during the pandemic, looking for things to do and ways to stay safe, local nurseries have seen an uptick in customers. Stay-at-home orders have prompted many to find new hobbies—and gardening has been a popular choice. Sierra Azul...

It has been 13 years since Jaimi Jansen opened the first location of Santa Cruz Core, an integrated wellness center in downtown Santa Cruz.  At that time, Jansen was just 26 years old and planning to eventually go to medical school. But as the business...

WATSONVILLE—On Nov. 28, Watsonville joined the annual nationwide shopping movement known as Small Business Saturday, which aims to encourage shoppers to support businesses in their community. The event had a number of small stores at the East Lake Village Shopping Center opening for special...

The half-trillion-dollar loan program advertised as a lifesaver for the country’s struggling small businesses is again under fire after the Small Business Administration on Monday released a list containing hundreds of recipients of the program, revealing that several private equity-backed chains owned by members...

A long-standing fitness center—Toadal Fitness—has opened a new location at 25 Penny Lane in Watsonville. With other locations sprinkled around the county including downtown Santa Cruz, Live Oak, Westside Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, the Watsonville location threw a soft opening Monday. “While the previous...

Owner Jim van Lanen said the move comes as an adjustment to the market, especially in that “more people and buying goods online.”

WATSONVILLE—The family that owns Chevrolet Watsonville has purchased two new neighboring dealerships, giving it the lion’s share of the sales on Auto Center Drive. The Cooper family closed the deal on Wednesday for Monterey Bay Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and Mid Bay Ford Lincoln. The family...