Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.
Local Business
Posted inFood & Drink
Santa Cruz County strawberries weathered heat wave, with potential upside for vineyards
A record March heat wave caused only minor damage to early strawberry crops in Santa Cruz County, with most fruit and other produce left largely unharmed thanks to proactive irrigation. The warm temperatures could even benefit local wine grapes by accelerating early growth and improving conditions for a strong harvest later in the season.
Posted inFood & Drink
Gran Gelato Caffè opens in downtown Santa Cruz, among first businesses in new developments
Gran Gelato Caffè, a new Santa Cruz café from the owners of Pizzeria La Bufala, has opened on Cedar Street, serving house-made Italian gelato, pastries and espresso. The shop is among the first retail tenants in the new downtown developments.
Posted inFood & Drink
Mijo’s, Geisha face long road to recovery after deadly Capitola fire
A week after a deadly Capitola Village fire damaged their building, the owners of Mijo’s Taqueria and Geisha Japanese Restaurant are still waiting on insurance assessments and remain unable to access their red-tagged spaces. With repairs likely to take up to a year, they’re weighing next steps while receiving an outpouring of community support, including a sold-out fundraiser.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Santa Cruz biotech company nets new funding; RiverRow marks city’s first riverfront development
The Westside’s Unnatural Products lands $45 million more for its work to develop treatments for certain types of rare cancers and diseases, Jessica M. Pasko reports in her weekly survey of local business. Downtown Santa Cruz housing plus names, numbers and dates to know are also on the menu.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of March 17
Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.
Posted inFood & Drink
Lily Belli on Food: Good news for salmon fishers; chef Sarah Bargetto’s Venus Beachside feast; Outstanding in the Field’s local 2026 dates
California gives recreational and commercial salmon season the go-ahead for spring, a Soquel-raised chef shines at Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen Beachside in Aptos and where a famous roving farm-to-table dinner series will set up in Santa Cruz County this year – you’ll find all that and more in Lily Belli’s Tuesday newsletter.
Posted inFood & Drink
After years of closure, California salmon fishing set to reopen this spring — with tight limits
After several years of closures due to low populations, California will reopen limited commercial and recreational salmon fishing this spring as stocks rebound. Local fishers welcome the return but say the short, highly restricted season might not be enough to revive the struggling fleet.
Posted inFood & Drink
Pogonip Pizza debuts near UC Santa Cruz with bold toppings and a nod to Santa Cruz bike culture
Fourth-generation restaurateur Ryan Thompson opened Pogonip Pizza on Santa Cruz’s Upper Westside in February, bringing creative California-style pies with seasonal, locally sourced toppings to a neighborhood he described as a food desert.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Wonderfil’s mission to reduce single-use plastics, Tesla dealership coming to Capitola, Joby-Archer feud heats up
A Westside startup making inroads in cutting down single-use plastics, a new tenant in Capitola’s King’s Plaza Shopping Center and the latest chapter in an electric air taxi rivalry are all included in this week’s look at Santa Cruz County business from Jessica M. Pasko.
