Complicating matters for business owners already struggling to find workers is new masking guidance. On Thursday, Gov. Newsom signed an executive order that would expedite the wait time on those rules, giving businesses less time to figure out what to do.
Neil Strebig
Follow Neil Strebig on: Twitter. A chef-turned-journalist, Neil has a track record for covering the hospitality industry and local businesses. Neil joins Lookout as a Report for America Corps member. Previously he worked at the York Daily Record in York, Pennsylvania where he focused primarily on food, business & issues in the hospitality industry.He has written about breaking bread with Amish & refugee families, restaurant workers’ financial struggles and lack of healthcare, in addition to how local businesses have survived throughout the pandemic. His in-depth reporting highlighted problems surrounding state liquor license laws and how the state’s tourism and restaurant industry can recover post-pandemic.Strebig’s work has appeared in USA Today and throughout its network and has earned him multiple Keystone Media Awards. Before joining the USA Today Network, Neil worked on a months-long project diving into the growing threat of news deserts in Western Pennsylvania for 100 Days of Appalachia.He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, and was the managing editor of The Northside Chronicle in Pittsburgh, which earned its first Golden Quill award from the region’s Press Club during his tenure. Strebig holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Pittsburgh’s Point Park University.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
An end to the pandemic hangover? Local businesses brace for what’s next, try to put ‘smiles back on faces’
Local businesses and hotels are seeing an uptick in travel, business ahead of the state’s reopening on Tuesday, but some lingering pandemic aftereffects remain that will still need sorting out.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Business is back, staff isn’t: Santa Cruz businesses navigate worker shortages ahead of June 15 reopening
“Help wanted” signs have become the unofficial calling card for businesses in 2021. Here’s how some local eateries and other outfits are managing the hiring shortage.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Can you imagine aerial taxis landing atop downtown parking garages? Joby Aviation can and is working on it
Santa Cruz’s Joby Aviation has joined forces with REEF Technology and Neighborhood Property Group to transform parking garages into “mobility hubs” — takeoff and landing spots for Joby’s aerial taxis.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
UCSC grad student’s video game makes ‘speech magic’ for children with cleft palate
Jared Duval and the team behind SpokeIt are harnessing language software to provide speech therapy for children with cleft lip or cleft palate with an accessible game coming soon to Apple devices.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
‘Our locals kept us alive’ — and so did outdoor dining: a push for Scotts Valley restaurants to stay outside
With restaurants, politicians and community members seemingly all-in on outdoor dining, bureaucratic hurdles could be the only thing keeping Scotts Valley from making it permanent before a city ordinance expires at year’s end.
Posted inFood & Drink
Fermenting bad behavior? #MeToo craft beer moment hits Santa Cruz, but strong women fight for equity
Recent #MeToo allegations have rocked the artisan beer world — including allegations levied at industry darling Humble Sea Brewing Co. here in Santa Cruz County. Now the allegations are spurring female leaders in the brewing industry to speak up about the culture and push for inclusivity and clearer lines in the workplace.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Tussle over outdoor dining in Capitola looms: Despite a summer extension, permanency is still in question
Capitola restaurant managers and city officials weigh in on the value of making outdoor dining permanent. There will be a hearing for preliminary city council feedback on June 10.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
‘It looked like a bomb went off’: Felton Feed set to reopen after BMW crashes into storefront
Felton Feed & Pet Supply, an institution in the town’s Highway 9 business district, was on course to reopen Wednesday after suffering a direct hit — but no serious injuries — from a motorist Sunday.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Feds kick in $620K for Santa Cruz Wharf redevelopment
Aiming to fuel business growth, the Commerce Department has ticketed $620,000 for Santa Cruz, with the funds to be used for infrastructure improvements on the wharf.