We asked small business owners and city officials whether they think the COVID-19 business initiative will continue beyond the pandemic.
Author Archives: Ricky Rodas
Ricky Rodas is a member of the 2020 graduating class of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. He has spent the last two years reporting on immigrant communities in the Bay Area as a reporter for the hyperlocal news sites Oakland North, Mission Local, and Richmond Confidential. Rodas, who is Salvadoran American and bilingual, joins us through a partnership with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Rodas will be reporting on small and immigrant-owned businesses in Oakland.
Posted inBusiness
Oakland adopts new rules to help local small businesses compete for city contracts
A recent study found that Black-owned businesses are “under-utilized” by the city. New rules aim to change that.
Posted inBusiness
Puerto Rican restaurant La Perla may not reopen because of building code issues
Health inspectors say La Perla’s owner, Jose Ortiz, needs to fix the kitchen floor. Ortiz says he doesn’t have the money to do it.
Posted inBusiness
Chinatown vendors hope to get a boost from Lunar New Year shopping event
The Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce will host a “shopping spree” this weekend to support struggling merchants.
Posted inBusiness
Oakland approves $5 per-hour hazard pay for grocery workers
Grocery workers are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Advocates say they deserve to be fairly compensated for working in hazardous environments.
Posted inBusiness
‘Things are going to turn around’: Oakland hair salon owners are grateful to be back at work
Barbershops and beauty salons have been on a rollercoaster since the start of the pandemic. We checked in with two hair stylists in East Oakland to see how they’re faring.
Posted inBusiness
Oakland small businesses can apply for state COVID-19 relief grants, starting February 2
California will give up to $25,000 to qualifying businesses impacted by the pandemic. Here’s how to apply.
Posted inBusiness
Owners of Phnom Penh Restaurant honor their past by serving Cambodian refugees
Political turmoil in Cambodia split the Do family apart. Running a restaurant in Oakland helped bring them together.
Posted inBusiness
Sammy’s Pupusas serves free vegan food to unhoused seniors in East Oakland
The owners of the pop-up, Samar Nassar and Raul Jacobo, cook healthy meals for residents at Operation HomeBase, a trailer park community.
Posted inNosh
Puerto Rican restaurant La Perla, a hidden gem in Oakland, moves to a bigger location
Chef Jose “Cheo” Ortiz and his sons also hope to expand their business, while staying rooted in Oakland.