Kate Hoots

Johnson’s independent children’s bookstore is seriously thriving, and now, thanks to a $10,000 opportunity grant from Merchant Maverick, she can continue following her small business dreams and building her bookstore.

Shelley and Eric Arndt grew their business in 2020 amid a pandemic and historic wildfires with strength, dedication, and the help of their local chamber of commerce.

As a certified yoga instructor and practitioner, Rachel Lundberg knows a thing or two about flexibility. So in a way, her views on the COVID-19 pandemic are not surprising. Despite the disruptions to business and daily life, she’s grateful for the opportunity the pandemic gave her to take her business, YogaOAK, in an unexpected and […]

When Riviera House opened in October of 2019, General Manager Jeremy McDermott had no way of knowing that before the first quarter of 2020 would draw to a close, his restaurant would face challenges he couldn’t possibly have imagined or planned for. Find out how this Redondo Beach restaurant managed to keep customers coming, maintain staff, and stay in business.

It’s easy to find bad news in the world, even if you don’t go looking for it: hunger, refugees, and catastrophic climate events are just a few. Taken individually or all together, it’s enough to cause feelings of helplessness. So finding an organization that does something to address all these crises and more — while operating at a profit — is a welcome treat. That company is WUNDERgrubs, and they’re changing the world, one mealworm at a time.

Take one vegetarian menu, built around delicious healthy eating principles and local food production. Add dedicated owners who value their customers’ health and their staff’s workplace satisfaction. Stir in two decades’ experience, and you have The Green Temple, a vegetarian haven in the Redondo Beach area. Read more about the Green Temple and how it has adapted to Covid-19.

Take Snappy Dogs, for example. It’s a seasonal mobile eatery built on a landscaping trailer. Of course, Snappy Dogs’ real foundation is the long-time work partnership between owners Lisa Volpe Hachey and Teresa Boyce.

When Michele Jaffe and her husband Michael opened the Milagro Riding Club, the strength of their marriage was the last thing on their minds. While the stress of running a family business took a toll on the couple, Michele has gone on to be a successful business owner despite a difficult divorce. Read on to see how Milagro Riding Club has survived the dissolution of a partnership.

Esty shop owner and quilter Michelle Beyer sells her creations on Etsy and creates custom-order pieces. Beyer has been using the free time provided by the COVID-19 pandemic to hone her craft. Read on for more details about Beyer’s quilting business and how it has adapted to the ongoing pandemic.

Thanks to planning, community involvement, and a hefty dose of luck, Oregon City’s Coin Toss Brewery is thriving even through the pandemic. Read on to see how this popular brewery has pivoted to include home delivery and stoke community interest in craft brewing.