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Over the last year, Santa Clara County has cited hundreds of businesses—big and small—with fines that now add up to more than $5 million for violating COVID-19 restrictions. The county put that money into a grant program to help struggling businesses—but those with violations say they’re not getting financial help. Dung “Calvin” To has cut...
SVO rebrands to San Jose Chamber of Commerce
San Jose’s largest business organization got a facelift with a new CEO in the spring. Now it’s changing its name too. The Silicon Valley Organization, a business chamber that represents more than 1,000 companies in the city, will now be called the San Jose Chamber of Commerce—bringing the city’s name back into the organization for the...
Facing displacement by Google, San Jose businesses seek financial help
As Google begins the early stages of development for its 80-acre campus in downtown San Jose, businesses in the tech giant’s footprint face an uncertain future. More than a dozen small businesses that operated for years in the area have little choice but to move—or shut down. “We don’t have a plan as far as where...
San Jose worker protests heat, wage theft at Burger King
A San Jose worker is blowing the whistle on Burger King for forcing employees to work in dangerously hot conditions and denying them rest breaks. On Friday, Rosa Vargas protested in front of a Burger King on Almaden Road for allegedly failing to protect her and other employees from excessive heat and wage theft. Vargas,...
Art installation could bring economic growth to downtown San Jose
San Jose is counting on a new art installation to help spark economic growth downtown. City officials hope the Serpentine Pavilion, a curvaceous, temporary structure constructed of fiberglass blocks, will revitalize the downtown area by attracting art shows, speaker series and other performances. Originally designed by Bjarke Ingels for the annual Serpentine Galleries architecture competition in London, developer...
Higher business taxes in San Jose: Five years later
Five years ago, San Jose created Measure G, a tax to make businesses pay for the increasingly expensive costs of living and inflation. Businesses have seen a tax hike this year because of the measure, but city officials say they’re also seeing positive effects. Measure G updated the city’s 30-year-old tax code to better address...
These San Jose nonprofits received the most PPP loan money
The federal Paycheck Protection Program awarded roughly $122 million to more than 360 nonprofits in San Jose this past year to weather the pandemic, according to recent data from the Small Business Administration. As COVID-19 shuttered social gatherings and in-person services, local nonprofit leaders said the loans were vital to prevent layoffs and cuts to programming. “Getting...
Some San Jose bar owners requiring proof of vaccination
If you want to grab a drink in San Jose, you might soon have to show you got a COVID-19 shot — just like San Francisco. Haberdasher, a speakeasy-themed bar in downtown San Jose, announced a day after the state reopened it would require proof of vaccination to enter. A banner on the bar’s website...
Santa Clara County nail salons still reeling from pandemic shutdown
When Santa Clara County lifted some COVID-19 restrictions on nail salons and barber shops in late summer of last year, Louie Pham thought she could finally get back to work. Pham, the owner of Orchid Nail Lounge, said she was eager to come back after months of no work. The industry is a cornerstone of the Vietnamese community...
Santa Clara County leads in job losses as unemployment rate rises
The unemployment rate in Silicon Valley saw a slight increase in June, signaling that the region still has a way to go before returning to pre-pandemic levels. The regional unemployment rate increased from 4.6% to 5.1% between mid-May and mid-June, according to a study released this month by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a nonprofit that analyzes...