Business

Business

Booms and busts: Silicon Valley economy divided

Silicon Valley’s economy is waiting to see how recent changes like remote work culture and the slowdown of pandemic-driven booms in the tech sector play out, according to a new regional report. Even with that in play, the most consistent indicators show Silicon Valley is still a place of drastic divides, with gaps between the haves...

San Jose franchisees applaud delay in controversial law

Fast-food restaurant owners are breathing easy now that a state law meant to address working conditions among workers is on hold. Efforts to halt AB 257, also known as the FAST Recovery Act, succeeded this month after restaurant and business trade groups submitted more than 712,000 valid voter signatures for a referendum, state officials announced last week. The effort to...

The Biz Beat: San Jose pizzeria unites generations

Founded in 1991, Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza in San Jose is a successful combination of traditional and trendy, with a friendly atmosphere, quality ingredients and an innovative menu that will please families and foodies alike. Take the Willow Burger. It might seem odd that a hamburger is one of the best-selling items at a pizza place, but...

Silicon Valley’s outdoor dining an obstacle for disabled community

For lifelong San Jose resident Michelle Mashburn, there are parts of the city where she can never go. That includes streets like San Pedro Square or Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen, where sidewalks and parking spots have been converted for outdoor dining which isn’t wheelchair friendly. “I just avoid it altogether,” Mashburn told San José...

Tech layoffs won’t hurt downtown San Jose

Recent tech layoffs likely won’t prevent downtown San Jose from becoming a thriving commercial and residential hub. But uncertainty around remote work culture and lengthy timelines for completing major transit and development projects could spell years more struggle for the area and its businesses. Three regional experts said while tech company layoffs have captured big...

San Jose businesses frustrated by homelessness

Reza Farahani immigrated from Iran more than 20 years ago and opened his Lincoln Glass & Mirror business on Kruse Drive in North San Jose. He moved down the block a decade ago when his company expanded, but said in the last two years the surrounding neighborhood has become untenable because of rampant homelessness. Dozens of...

Silicon Valley businesses caught in fast-food law limbo

A landmark state fast-food law to improve worker conditions and wages is stuck in the courts. AB 257, which implements new standards for fast-food workers in California, is temporarily halted as of Friday. The law was supposed to take effect at the start of the year. Also known as the FAST Recovery Act, the law sets...