As the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep people at home nearly seven months after shelter in place began, the once-bright future of San Jose’s downtown core is now overshadowed. But even amid the darkness, San Jose Downtown Association (SJDA) officials say there are some points of light on the horizon. At its annual meeting Oct....
San Jose to give $5,000 grants to help restaurants survive this winter
San Jose restaurants in need of financial support during the pandemic can apply for a $5,000 grant starting Oct. 16 to help them serve customers through the winter. As the weather gets colder, business owners often have steeper heating bills to pay to keep patrons comfortable. The presence of COVID-19 also means restaurants will have...
San Jose’s minority-owned businesses face unique challenges with lingering shutdown
It has been six months since Liz Ruiz saw families skating around the floor of Aloha Roller Rink. The East San Jose-based business owner has watched other businesses reopen across the city without any idea about when she might be able to do the same, pay her employees or welcome back customers. Ruiz had occupied...
Too little, too late for some as Santa Clara County allows more businesses to reopen
California health officials announced Santa Clara County is now in the red tier reopening phase, which allows more businesses to operate indoors. The county is still under a substantial risk for COVID-19 spread, according to state guidelines, and local health officials urge people to wear masks and take social distancing precautions. Here’s a quick look...
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San Jose casinos can reopen outdoors, lawmakers decide
Casinos can now join the ranks of local businesses allowed to operate outdoors and have the potential to restore sorely-needed tax revenue to a struggling San Jose budget. San Jose’s two card rooms, Bay 101 and Casino M8trix, will now follow suit of other open California casinos by entertaining guests outside. The setup would give...
South Bay lawyers predict surge in bankruptcies as stimulus money dries up
South Bay attorneys are bracing for a wave of new bankruptcies from individuals and small businesses that have exhausted their unemployment benefits and federal stimulus money. The number of cases filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court’s San Jose division has declined precipitously over the past five years — plummeting more than 35% to 2,718...
New report outlines steps to economic recovery in South Bay
The South Bay won’t see significant economic recovery unless small business owners and residents hardest hit by the coronavirus shutdown receive more emergency aid and large employers increase wages, according to a new report. The report, by Silicon Valley Recovery Roundtable — a consortium of leaders from tech, labor, education, government and small businesses —...
San Jose merchants in fight of their lives with COVID-19’s second wave
Less than two months ago, consumer experts predicted shoppers, diners and patrons of bars and nightclubs would return to their favorite brick-and-mortar shops by the end of this summer in numbers that matched 2019. Zenreach — a San Francisco tech firm that sells marketing software to traditional retail outlets, hospitality and entertainment venues that allows...
Jobs, social services take hit in Santa Clara County budget
The ax is falling on jobs and social services in Santa Clara County’s next fiscal budget. Struggling to manage a massive deficit, supervisors debated for nearly six hours Aug. 21 before approving the budget 4-1, with Board President Cindy Chavez casting the sole dissenting vote. The budget gap largely stems from decreased revenues from both...
Silicon Valley unemployment sees slight decline in July
People are starting to go back to work in Santa Clara County but unemployment is still alarmingly high. After unemployment reached a historic peak of 11.6% in April, it declined to 9.3% in July, according to a study released Aug. 21 by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a group that provides analysis on the Silicon Valley...