Business

WATSONVILLE—Cafe Ella, 734 E Lake Ave., will soon be rebranding itself with a new name and design. Owners Jennifer DeVault and Erika Conrad will rename the business “Strawberry Patch Cafe” this month. The twin sister team bought the popular cafe in 2019 from founder and...

WATSONVILLE—The makeup kit is out at the 1917 Watsonville Woman’s Club.  Thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Borina Foundation and a generous bid from Prunedale’s Masters Painting, the entire building at 12 Brennan St. is getting a fresh coat of paint. The work, which started...

PAJARO—In a factory centered in a rural stretch of Pajaro, a small team of workers and engineers was busy one Tuesday afternoon hand-building a new line of cross-country racing bicycles they hope one day will be used by Olympic athletes. The work was happening in...

They’ve painted over 1,000 houses in Watsonville. Now the Hernandez father and sons company are on a roll, tackling a massive paint job for one of the most prominent historical homes in Watsonville, the 1901 Porter-Pista home on the corner of East Beach and...

WATSONVILLE—A proposed redevelopment of the vacant Gottschalks building in the heart of downtown will come to the Watsonville Planning Commission during its Oct. 6 meeting. Navigator Schools, the parent organization of local charter school Watsonville Prep, and the Hansen Family Trust are teaming up to...

In 2007 local fashion designer Sindy Hernandez opened Queen’s Shoes & More, a small boutique featuring a mix of her own and other designers’ clothing and accessories.  Hernandez gradually gained a loyal following of customers. And 15 years later, many of them remain, some becoming...

WATSONVILLE—Watsonville will soon see its first cannabis dispensaries set up shop after two businesses received planning commission approval at Tuesday night’s virtual meeting. Berryessa Holdings, LLC and Charlie Mike, Inc. both got the green light by a unanimous vote. The former will serve customers at...

BFF Boutique: Vintage and Repurposed Fashions in Capitola Village will be closing its doors at the end of September.

Todd Guild Freedom Meat Lockers One of my favorite things to do for lunch in Watsonville is head over to Freedom Meat Lockers, which in addition to its high-quality selection of carnivores’ delights, also offers a deli counter. Normally when I hear the word ‘deli’ I cringe,...