Business

CAPITOLA—Pier 1 Imports announced Tuesday that it will close all 540 of its stores nationwide, sell its inventory and liquidate its assets. The sales will begin at the Capitola store as soon as the Santa Cruz County Health Department allows it to open. The company’s website...

El Pájaro Community Development Corporation (El Pájaro CDC) has entered into a partnership with Staff of Life, a natural foods market that recently opened its new store in the East Lake Shopping Center. El Pájaro CDC, which aims to support small business entrepreneurs by...

SANTA CRUZ—Far West Fungi mushroom farm of Moss Landing is branching out. They recently opened their first-ever store in downtown Santa Cruz.  In the works for the past two years, the new spot will feature about 16 varieties of fresh mushrooms, dozens of dried mushrooms,...

Tim Silva has a great love affair with pizza. He knows what it takes to build a good pie, especially having worked with Pizza My Heart for the past 36 years. Silva, who is still part owner of the popular local pizza chain, recently ventured off...

For the past 30 years, Bargetto Winery, one of California’s oldest wineries, has grown grapes at Regan Estate Vineyards, a plot in Corralitos overlooking the Pajaro Valley. With 40 of the property’s 53 acres planted, Regan is one of the largest and most diverse of...

WATSONVILLE—About 200 people disembarked three large charter buses on Green Valley Road in Watsonville early Wednesday morning as part of the EcoFarm Bus Tour, a kickoff to the EcoFarm Conference in Pacific Grove this week.  The tour was visiting Strong Agronomy, a management company that...

WATSONVILLE—Staff of Life has delayed the opening of its Watsonville location until next year, according to spokeswoman Hollie Wendt. The Santa Cruz-based natural foods store was set to open its second location in the East Lake Village Shopping Center sometime in the fall. “After much discussion...

APTOS—As a young man, Bapcha Murty moved from his native Chennai, India to attend UC Los Angeles and become an engineer. He went on to a career in the Silicon Valley tech industry that spanned more than two decades in several companies. But when Murty...

The Bagelry, situated in three locations in Santa Cruz County, has been a pillar in the restaurant world for the past 40 years. First established in 1977 on Seabright Avenue at Soquel Avenue, the sit-down/take-out eatery has continued to grow, not only wi