This week in Santa Cruz County business: Watsonville ag tech company acquired, Safeway strike averted

Quick Take

This week, Lookout business columnist Jessica M. Pasko brings the latest on the acquisition of a Watsonville ag-tech firm and a narrowly avoided strike by Safeway workers, along with local business openings, closures and upcoming events.

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.

Watsonville ag tech company acquired by San Jose firm

Amiga, Watsonville ag-tech firm Farm-ng’s flagship farm robot. Credit: Farm-ng

A Watsonville-based agricultural tech company has been snapped up by Bonsai Robotics, Inc., which specializes in software for agriculture.

Ethan Rublee, a former Google roboticist, founded Farm-ng in Watsonville in 2020 to develop robotics and AI-based solutions for small to mid-sized farms. The company’s flagship product is Amiga, a robot designed to perform farming tasks like spreading compost, spreading seeds and harvesting. The 350-pound, four-wheeled robots can be set for speed at up to 5 miles per hour, and are able to carry up to 800 pounds with more capacity for towing.

San Jose-headquartered Bonsai Robotics acquired Farm-ng to unite its software with Farm-ng’s robotic platform with a goal of transforming crop management, the company said. As part of the acquisition, Farm-ng CEO Brendan Dowdle will serve as the chief business officer for the combined company with Bonsai CEO Tyler Niday set to continue in that role. (Rublee is now CEO and co-founder of Space-ng, which is creating software for spacecraft navigation.)

“We’ll orchestrate farmers with tools that help do more, with less stress, fewer compromises and greater control,” Dowdle said of the combined company in a recent blog post about the acquisition.

Bonsai did not release how much the company paid for Farm-ng, and emails and calls to the company from Lookout weren’t immediately returned.

Jennifer Goldston, a spokeswoman for Farm-ng, said the company will continue to operate in Watsonville post-acquisition. She said a few positions were eliminated as a result of the consolidation of the two companies, but declined to give specifics. The combined company has over 50 employees.

Farming technology is a growing industry throughout the Monterey Bay area, which represents one of the biggest contributors to the nation’s agricultural economy. In Santa Cruz County alone, a recent report found the agriculture industry contributed nearly $1.6 billion to the local economy in 2023.

Efforts to further development of technology aimed at this industry also got a boost earlier this year with the launch of the UC Santa Cruz AgTech Alliance, which is aimed at supporting research, education and workforce development in this space.

ICYMI: Safeway workers in Bay Area, Santa Cruz County reach deal to avert strike

The Safeway at the Rancho Del Mar shopping center in Aptos Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

A potential strike by Safeway workers across northern California was averted late Saturday night after the grocery chain reached a tentative agreement with two labor unions.

The agreement came just hours before the strike was set to begin, following five months of negotiations. It would have been the first such strike involving the company in 30 years, according to union officials.

While negotiations continued, approximately 25,000 grocery workers from Kern County to the California-Oregon border were prepared to strike. That includes workers at Safeway’s seven locations in Santa Cruz County and employees of Albertson’s and Vons in other parts of the state. Idaho-based Albertson’s, which owns Safeway and Vons, is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the U.S.

The new agreement includes wage increases, pension improvements, scheduling protections and enhanced healthcare contributions.

A spokesperson for Safeway did not respond to Lookout’s multiple requests for comment or specifics of how many employees the company has in Santa Cruz County.

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

D20 takes over former Westside burger: More than two years after Burger closed its location at Mission Street and Bay Avenue in Santa Cruz, a new pizza spot has opened up. D20 specializes in Detroit-style pizza, known for its thick crust and rectangular shape. Owner Colin Freas is currently only doing takeout, but he plans to fully open this fall, with board games galore. Lily Belli tasted the goods last week.
West End Tap & Kitchen shutters: In a post on the restaurant’s Instagram account, the owners of Santa Cruz-based West End Tap & Kitchen announced that they are calling it quits after 12 years.. West End, located in the Swift Street complex, was reinvented last year as Izakaya West End, a Japanese-inspired gastropub. The restaurant served its last meal Sunday, but the bar will remain open through Thursday.
Santa Cruz’ 515 Kitchen & Cocktails put up for sale: Ready for a new venture? The former 515 Kitchen & Cocktails on the corner of Cedar and Cathcart streets could be yours for $995,000. The popular restaurant and bar closed in 2022 for a remodel, but major structural issues were uncovered during the process. Now, owner Germain Akin has listed the partially-demolished business and building for sale.
Driscoll’s berries win Good Housekeeping award: Driscoll’s “Sweetest Batch” blackberries were among the winners of Good Housekeeping magazine’s 2025 Snack Awards. The Watsonville berry giant’s “Sweetest Batch” breeding program launched a couple of years ago to boost the quality of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, with a focus on sweetness and juiciness.

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

Looking at the numbers

1 in 3: That’s how many Santa Cruz County employees held jobs in either the health care or tourism industries in 2024. The two sectors accounted for 34% of the county’s employees, according to the recently released Santa Cruz County 2025 State of the Workforce report. The tourism sector, which includes hospitality and recreation, grew 22% between 2021 and 2024, adding 2,900 workers.

Save the date

The MAH is maximizing its limited space to create a new gift shop near the atrium. It’s hoping to generate new revenues to address a lingering debt. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz

Thursday, July 31: The Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a grand opening of the new Santa Cruz office for Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The nonprofit organization helps individuals who are blind or have low vision. The networking and ribbon-cutting event takes place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 1509 Seabright Ave., Suite 1, Santa Cruz. Register here.
Friday, Aug. 1: A grand opening will be held for North Coast Tintypes new studio in downtown Santa Cruz’s Squid Row from 5 to 9 pm. More details here.
Friday, Aug. 1: The Museum of Natural History in Santa Cruz marks its 120th anniversary with a special First Friday event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Tyrell Park, next to the Seabright museum. Museum admission will be free and there will be games, arts and crafts, live music, refreshments and story time with local author Taylor Lahey.
Thursday, Aug. 7: A grand opening and ribbon-cutting is set for the new gift shop at the Museum of Art & History in downtown Santa Cruz. The event, taking place from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., includes refreshments and remarks.
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 Drive 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.