The end-of-the-year Christmas and holiday shopping season is traditionally a time retailers of all sizes rely on to bring in strong sales, and in some cases, make their entire year a success. But the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to put a damper on the season’s usual good tidings this year as merchants are limited to...
UPDATE: San Jose extends outdoor business hours through winter
San Jose businesses can continue operating outdoors through next spring and summer, thanks to a unanimous City Council vote to extend the city’s Al Fresco program and loosened restrictions on hours of operation. Until now, outdoor activity was required to shut down by 10 p.m. but the new rules allow businesses to operate past midnight...
Economists cautiously optimistic about recovery while Santa Clara County employment improves
As the Bay Area takes more steps to reopen amid the pandemic, a new report is taking a cautiously optimistic approach to the ability of the region’s economy to recover from its biggest shock since the Great Recession more than a decade ago. But, according to officials with the Bay Area Council (BAC), a possible...
‘I know their pain’: Study confirms toll of shutdowns in San Jose
John Zamora, owner of Zamora’s Omelette House, served the last meal at his Alum Rock Avenue restaurant at the end of August, after almost 10 years in operation. “We were trying to hold on,” Zamora said. “We felt we had to give it a try.” Zamora’s experience illustrates the results of a recent economic report...
San Jose business leaders find little to cheer about — except Google
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...
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...