Quick Take

A longtime Santa Cruz stationery and printing store will shutter at week's end, Jessica M. Pasko reports in her weekly look at local business. She's also got word on The Hook Outlet opening its doors at Mission and Laurel and a variety of news, notes and numbers.

Each week, we’re taking a closer look at the movers and shakers, the growth of industries and what’s really driving the Santa Cruz County economy. I’ll be spotlighting some of the biggest areas for opportunity, updates on local development and all things underpinning the regional business scene each Wednesday. The column will take a break next Wednesday, Aug. 20, and return Aug. 27.

Got ideas? Send them my way to news@lookoutlocal.com with “Business News” in the subject line.

Darco Printing & Paper Store to close Friday after 53 years

Darco Printing & Paper Store first opened in 1972; its last day on Doyle Street in Santa Cruz will be Friday. Credit: Jessica M. Pasko / Lookout Santa Cruz

It’s the end of an era for the small, unassuming stationery and printing store tucked away just off Soquel Avenue that’s been steadily operating for more than five decades.

After Friday, Darco Printing & Paper Store on Doyle Street in Midtown Santa Cruz is shutting its doors for the final time. 

Beverly and David Ray first opened Darco in 1972, moving it to its current location near the Whole Foods Market on Soquel Avenue a few years later. 

The pair met at Beverly Ray’s parents’ cabin in Boulder Creek in 1965, fell in love and got married, they told the Good Times in 2023. Beverly joined her husband at the store not long after he opened it, and the couple ran the business side by side, providing custom printing jobs, envelopes, paper and other office supplies to their regular customers. At its peak, the store had five employees, but for the past few years, it’s been just the Rays. 

Following David Ray’s death in June at the age of 79, his widow has decided to shutter the store. Darco’s last day in business will be Friday, Aug. 15, and all sales will be cash only.

“I’m going to relax, I’m going to do my gardening and yardwork,” said Beverly Ray of her pending retirement. “I’m going to take a little time off before that, though.” 

This week, among the dwindling stacks of paper and rapidly emptying shelves, the store was filled with flowers and cards that customers and other well-wishers brought in to mark the store’s pending closure. 

“We’ve had long lines of customers – including many regulars” since announcing the upcoming closure, Ray said. “I appreciate all the support they’ve given us and for letting us be in business for 53 years. And thanks to our neighbors, our local firefighters and our landlord.” 

Darco will remain open through the end of the week, and, a reminder, all sales are cash only. 

ICYMI: Santa Cruz County quietly abandons blockchain program once touted as bleeding edge

When county officials first launched an ambitious program to make applying for (and storing) permits digitally easier, the plan was to start with using it for recreational vehicle permits and eventually expand. 

Now, two years later, the county has shelved the digital wallet program, Christopher Neely reported last week. Officials said the program attracted few users and the tech was too complex. 

The county had introduced the digital wallet program, made possible by Southern California app developer Humbl Inc., in an effort to make county services easier to access, digitize records and better serve constituents without always requiring them to visit government offices in person.

Ch-ch-changes: Openings, closings and other developments

Metro CEO Corey Aldridge. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Metro CEO named to board of public transport organization: Corey Aldridge, CEO of the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District, was appointed to the board of directors of the American Public Transportation Association, a nonprofit organization representing the interests of North American public transportation. 
  • West Coast Community Bank promotes senior vice president: Doug Fischer, who first joined West Coast Community Bank (the new name Santa Cruz County Bank recently assumed) in 2004 when it opened, is now senior vice president, regional president, overseeing all banking activities in Santa Cruz County. He previously served as senior vice president, director of business banking.
  • The Hook opens Mission Street store: A Westside dispensary that prompted renewed discussion over how far cannabis dispensaries should be located from schools officially opened this week. The newest location of The Hook Outlet opened on Mission Street in the former Emily’s Bakery, which closed in 2023 after 41 years in business. The Hook gained approval for the new location from the Santa Cruz City Planning Commission in March 2024, but community opposition regarding its proximity to Santa Cruz High School and Mission Hill Middle School led city leaders to hit pause on owner Bryce Berryessa’s proposal. The new store’s hours are Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. A grand opening celebration is in the works.
  • Santa Cruz tech founder faces federal wire fraud charges: The Santa Cruz-based founder of music tech firm BlueBeat is charged with four counts of wire fraud. Federal officials allege Hank Risan, 70, misrepresented the value of his music streaming company to bilk investors out of more than $3 million.
  • New development manager for Santa Cruz museum: The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History hired Henry Schwab as its new development manager. Schwab previously served as leadership giving officer at UC Santa Cruz, and worked for local clothing company WVN and at Costanoa Coastal Lodge and Camp in Pescadero. Schwab’s hiring comes as the museum looks to renovate and expand its facility on East Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz’s Seabright neighborhood.
  • Three new board members for Boys & Girls Club: The Boys & Girls Club of Santa Cruz County added three new members to its board of directors. Dr. Sophie Logan is an orthodontist and owner of Sea Glass Orthodontics on Mission Street in Santa Cruz. Padraic Smith is a strategic virtual outreach program manager at Google, and Christina Armstrong is the acting associate chancellor and chief of staff at UC Santa Cruz.

Got hires, promotions, or departures to report? Send them to news@lookoutlocal.com with the subject line “Career changes.”

What’s new on the Lookout Job Board

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Looking at the numbers

  • $4.25 million: That’s the asking price for a 14-acre regenerative farm in the Watsonville area that’s earned accolades for its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, preserve rare plant species and conduct other research. The price includes a home, pool, spa, terraced fields, a barn, warehouses and several operational greenhouses filled with more than 100 tropical plant species, according to the listing. Scientist, researcher and teacher David Blume started Whiskey Hill Farms and Science Center with a goal of combining cutting-edge regenerative agriculture and technologies with advanced alternative energy methods. As part of that, the property includes a fully working distillery that Blume was using to convert food waste into a 200-proof alcohol that could be used for fuel. The distillery is available for purchase separately from the property listing.

Save the date 

  • Thursday, Aug. 14: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber’s Community Affairs Committee will hold its next monthly meeting from noon to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. This month will focus on local housing projects, with updates on the proposed mixed-use housing development at Thurber Lane and Soquel Drive, city of Santa Cruz housing measures and more. 
  • Thursday, Aug. 14:  Leaders from the city of Santa Cruz will join Katie Kolitsos, policy consultant for California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ office, at a special session focused on state budget and legislative updates that will affect local housing efforts. The Workforce Housing Solutions Summit, hosted by the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, will be held at the Oldemeyer Center in Seaside from 2 to 5 p.m. Details and registration here.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 20: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce hosts a fireside chat with California’s state treasurer, Fiona Ma, from 2 to 5 p.m. The event takes place at the Back Nine Grill and Bar, 555 Highway 17, Santa Cruz. Registration here.
  • Thursday, Aug. 21: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its next “business after hours” event at Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. The nonprofit’s director of engagement and impact, Kevin Heuer, will share information about board opportunities with the organization. Refreshments and networking are also on the docket from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the organization’s headquarters at 7807 Soquel Dr. in Aptos. Registration and details here.
  • Friday, Oct. 17: Registration is now open for the 2025 State of the Region event, hosted by the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. The event takes place at the University Center at Cal State Monterey Bay in Seaside from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event focuses on economic opportunities and challenges in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties. This year’s speakers haven’t been announced yet. 

Add your business or networking events to Lookout’s free public calendar, BOLO. Click here to add your event.

Business news worth reading

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Jessica M. Pasko has been writing professionally for almost two decades. She cut her teeth in journalism as a reporter for the Associated Press in her native Albany, New York, where she covered everything...