Quick Take

An opening date for the luxury beachfront La Bahia Hotel & Spa and more local hospitality updates, why Santa Cruz is building rentals instead of condos and funding for a UCSC-grown startup – all that and more are in Jessica M. Pasko's weekly look at Santa Cruz County business.

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.

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

La Bahia Hotel & Spa eyes Sept. 1 opening; new executives on deck for other local hotels

The long-awaited La Bahia Hotel & Spa on Beach Street in Santa Cruz is on track for a Sept. 1 opening, and reservations are now being taken online, according to the hotel’s general manager, Markus Krebs.

The hotel, which broke ground in the summer of 2022, aims to be the most high-end vacation hotel between Half Moon Bay’s Ritz-Carlton and Carmel’s swankiest accommodations. It’s owned by Long Beach-headquartered Ensemble Hospitality, which also owns the nearby Dream Inn. Read more here on the development.

Speaking of the Dream Inn, Lydia Bates has taken over as director of sales and marketing there, replacing Dan Smart, who left to become the hotel manager at La Bahia. Bates previously served as director of sales and marketing at Hotel San Luis Obispo. Her new position marks a return to Santa Cruz; she was senior sales manager at Chaminade Resort and Spa from 2012 to 2016. 

In other local hotel news, the Hotel Paradox in Santa Cruz hired Troy Christian as its new general manager. Christian most recently served as the managing director of the Los Angeles Athletic Club and the Aster Hollywood. In Aptos, Seascape Beach Resort has named Josh Chirinos its new managing director. Chirinos previously served as director of lodging operations at the Santa Cruz Seaside Company, owner of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. 

ICYMI: Why Santa Cruz builds rentals, not condos — and what it means for first-time homebuyers

The three structures being built by Owen Lawlor along the San Lorenzo River are designed as condos but will be leased, at least initially, as rentals. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

As housing construction continues in Santa Cruz, the focus has been on rentals rather than homes for purchase. 

The City of Santa Cruz has permitted more than 850 new units over the past decade, with more to come. But no new condos have come on the market, mirroring statewide trends, as Christopher Neely reported in his recent story. Christopher took a closer look at why housing construction projects have focused on rentals, what’s preventing more condo development and the impact this has on first-time homebuyers.

UCSC-grown genomics startup gets funding for Canadian expansion

A genomics company that started as a research project at UC Santa Cruz has received more than $1 million from a Canadian nonprofit to expand its work to help people identify pathogens and rare species, and assess ecosystem health. eDNA Explorer was developed as a project of a University of California-wide consortium called CALeDNA, which is directed by Rachel Meyer, an assistant professor at UC Santa Cruz who also serves as the company’s chief science officer.

eDNA Explorer uses what’s known as environmental DNA (eDNA), which is genetic material shed by animals and plants into soil, seawater, air and other environments. eDNA Explorer’s platform is able to generate insights from this collected material that can then help organizations run studies to assist with conservation efforts, public health initiatives and land and water management projects. Projects for which eDNA Explorer has been used include investigating the factors leading to poor marsh conditions in California’s Bay-Delta and monitoring the habitat of the endangered tidewater goby in Marin County’s Tomales Bay.

Earlier this month, nonprofit Genome British Columbia awarded the company $1.1 million to launch its platform in Canada and build new tools to help scientists and other organizations glean insights from environmental DNA. Since its founding in late 2023, eDNA Explorer has worked with entities that include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife.

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

Novedades San Miguel on Main Street in Watsonville. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Watsonville businesses struggle among ongoing immigration concerns: Amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and protests nationwide, flea markets, food distributions and some businesses in South County are seeing less turnout. Lookout correspondent Tania Ortiz spoke recently to business owners in Watsonville to learn more about what they’re experiencing.
  • Three Santa Cruz County restaurants to be featured on Bay Area food show: Hanloh Thai Food and Sampa Brazilian Kitchen in Santa Cruz and Home in Soquel will appear on KQED’s restaurant review series, “Check, Please! Bay Area,” next month. The episodes, which air July 10, 17 and 24, are part of the series’ three-part spotlight on the Monterey Bay dining scene.
  • Aptos-based sports bra company launches new grant for women athletes: Lume Six, a sports bra company born out of its founder’s frustration with finding athletic wear designed for high-impact sports, has launched a new grant program for female athletes. The company will award four $500 grants, plus Lume Six products, to help U.S.-based female athletes pay for race entry fees, equipment, travel expenses or other costs associated with their current athletic goals. Grants are open to athletes of all levels. Applications are being accepted here through July 6, with finalists announced July 8. 

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

Want more? Browse all openings on our job board. | Hiring? Post your job today!

Save the date

  • Wednesday, June 18: Surfboard shaper Bob Pearson of Pearson Arrow Surfboards will be at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History to unveil new replica surfboards as part of its upcoming summer exhibition, Princes of Surf 2025. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the museum. 
  • Wednesday, June 18: Leadership Santa Cruz County will host a graduation ceremony for its 38th cohort at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Details and registration here. The Leadership Santa Cruz County program, founded in 1985, educates, fosters connections and increases participation of individuals in leadership roles in the county. Training is facilitated by Executive Director (and former Santa Cruz County supervisor) Ryan Coonerty, along with more than 100 community members working in different fields.
  • Thursday, June 26: CIONIC, a biotech company focused on creating devices for people with limited mobility, will host a demo day at its facility on Green Hills Road in Scotts Valley. Executives will talk about the company’s work and demonstrate its neural sleeve, a wearable fabric device that uses sensors and electric signals to help stimulate muscle movement. Those interested in attending and seeing a demo should email maddi@cionic.com.
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Santa Cruz resident Charles Duhigg (right) with Lookout's Wallace Baine
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Santa Cruz resident Charles Duhigg (right) with Lookout’s Wallace Baine during a 2024 event at Lookout’s offices on Pacific Avenue. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • Thursday, June 26: Leadership Santa Cruz County, in partnership with Bookshop Santa Cruz, will present a talk with New York Times bestselling author Charles Duhigg about his new book, “Supercommunicators: Communicating in a Complicated World.” Tickets are $19.95 or $49.95 with a copy of the book. The event takes place at the Rio Theatre on Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz, starting at 7 p.m. More details and tickets here.
  • Thursday, June 27: The Santa Cruz Small Business Development Center will host a workshop to help entrepreneurs and small business owners secure funding, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be held at the center, 6500 Soquel Dr. in Aptos. Additional details and registration are here.
  • Wednesday, July 16: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will join forces with Santa Cruz County Parks and Santa Cruz Public Libraries to host the next “business after hours” event at the Live Oak Community Center at 979 17th Ave., next to the Simpkins Family Swim Center. The event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. For more details and to purchase tickets, go here.
  • Thursday, July 17: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its next Women in Business luncheon at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The featured speaker is Morgan Lukina, managing broker and CEO of David Lyng Real Estate. Tickets can be purchased here.
  • Saturday, July 26: The Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture will hold its annual awards dinner and auction. The event takes place from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Details and tickets here.

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

Business news worth reading

Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.

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...