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WHY PASADENA
With 145,000 residents in the city and over 500,000 within a 5-mile radius, Pasadena is a premier location in the heart of Los Angeles County & the San Gabriel Valley. We are a city full of creatives, entrepreneurs, CEO’s and actual rocket scientists. Herein, we shine the light on those people who are inventing, and reinventing, what it means to live & thrive in Pasadena every day.
NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

National Hispanic Heritage Month was observed from September 15 to October 15. The month is marked by celebrating the history, culture and contributions of those whose ancestors originated from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America.  September 15 is a significant date because it is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16, and September 18, respectively.  The City of Pasadena commemorates National Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting family-friendly activities, such as a Latino Heritage parade on October 1, and a chocolate skull-making activity on October 8.
 
HAZMAT RULES MODIFIED IN EFFORT TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT MORE LIFE SCIENCE BUSINESSES

On August 8, the City Council changed the City’s Municipal Code to align with the State of California Fire and Health and Safety Codes related to the handling of hazardous waste, an issue of significance for the City’s life sciences industry.  Instead of requiring these businesses to report any amount of hazardous waste, the changes require greater than or equal to 55 gallons of liquids, 500 pounds of solids or 200 cubic feet of gases to be reported.  Pasadena has a growing number of these businesses and with recent changes to the City’s code, has positioned itself to attract even more.

 
PASADENA HOTEL & POOL OPENING

The Pasadena Hotel and Pool recently opened for business along the Rose Parade route on Colorado Boulevard.  Formerly known as the Dusit Hotel, the property was recently acquired by MCR, the 4th largest hotel owner-operator in the U.S.   With offices in NYC, Dallas, Chicago and Richmond, Virginia, MCR has invested in and developed 180 hotel properties operated under 30 brands.  MCR offers 21,000 guestrooms in 145 hotels across 37 states and 102 cities.
A soft opening was held in June 2022 and extensive renovations to the lobby and bar areas are currently nearing completion.
AMAZON FRESH OPENING

Amazon opened a new grocery store in Pasadena on September 15.  Amazon Fresh, located at 3425 E. Colorado Bl., offers shoppers a cashier-less grocery shopping experience where their purchases are tracked as they put items into their shopping carts.  When customers are finished shopping, they simply leave the store.  Their items are automatically charged to their credit card and a receipt is emailed to them.  The store also offers online shopping for pickup or delivery, with same-day service available to Amazon Prime members.
According to Councilmember Gene Masuda, “It means a lot. First of all, the residents will have another new and exciting place to go shopping and a different experience. They’ve been looking forward to it.”
Amazon, which also owns Whole Foods, opened its first brick-and-mortar store in 2020 and currently has more than 40 stores in the U.S. 
KITCHEN UNITED HEADQUARTERS OPENED ON S. FAIR OAKS AVE.


Kitchen United, which operates ghost kitchens for restaurants across the U.S., recently opened its headquarters on South Fair Oaks Ave. after securing $100 million in Series C funding from investors including The Kroger Co. and Restaurant Brands International.
Founded in 2017 in Pasadena, Kitchen United features locations in Santa Monica, San Jose, Chicago, Austin and New York City. Each location houses chefs from about a dozen restaurants and provides them with necessary equipment and amenities.  Their MIX ordering platform facilitates orders at each location and integrates with popular delivery applications to schedule pickups and cook times so orders from multiple menus can be paid with one bill.  Their Pasadena location on Madison Ave. features offerings from Stonefire Grill, Mason's Dumpling Shop and The Halal Guys, among other restaurants.
PLAYHOUSE VILLAGE PARK OPENING

On September 17, the newly-built Playhouse Village Park located at 701 E. Union Street had its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.  The park offers a 48-space parking lot, a shaded children’s play area, small and large dog areas and a stage named the Van Halen stage in honor of the eponymous rock band, which was formed in Pasadena in 1972. 
The design was created through a joint effort by the city of Pasadena’s Public Works department, the landscape architecture firm MIG Inc., the Playhouse Village Association, City Council representatives from Districts 3 and 7, Pasadena residents and business owners.
BED BATH AND BEYOND TO REMAIN OPEN

Despite a recent announcement of store closures across the U.S., Pasadena’s Bed Bath and Beyond location will remain open at this time.  On August 31, the New Jersey-based retailer announced that it will close stores and lay off workers to address its business challenges.  Although some of the affected stores are in California, the Pasadena store, located in the Hastings Village shopping center, is not one of the stores slated for closure.
FOGO DE CHÃO NOW OPEN

Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian churrascaria, recently opened on Colorado Blvd. and Marengo Ave. in the Pacific Southwest Trust & Savings Bank building constructed in the early 1920s.   Known for their all-you-can-eat continuous tableside dining experience, Fogo de Chão operates three other restaurant locations in the Los Angeles area.  In addition to a full bar and dry-aged meat lockers for in-house aging, the Pasadena location features an open-air churrasco grill where patrons can watch as chefs hand-carve and grill high-quality cuts of meat over an open flame.



 

PASADENA'S LATINX-OWNED BUSINESSES
    
The City of Pasadena is proud to support its Latino and Latina-owned businesses.  Retailers and restaurants owned by Latinos add to the diversity and culture of the city and offer delicious dining options as well as unique shopping opportunities.  A popular Latinx-owned spot in Old Pasadena is Amara Chocolate and Coffee, a Venezuelan café specializing in locally roasted coffee and Spanish churros.   Mercadito Monarca, a Mexican cultural arts shop, is a relatively new business to Pasadena and offers Mexican artwork, clothing and gifts.

Cerveceria Del Pueblo is an independent brewery offering unique beer selections in their taproom for those who wish to be a little adventurous.  For anyone with a sweet tooth, Drips Cheesecake features chocolate-dipped cheesecake slices coated with a variety of toppings.  The taco sampler at Guisados is a fan favorite and listed as a “must-try” in customer reviews.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
   

The Economic Development Division of the City Manager’s office reported that in comparison to the same period (June-August) in 2021, collected sales tax increased by 28% in 2022.  All business type categories, with the exception of New Motor Dealers/Auto Lease, showed significant growth from the prior year.  There has been some slowing in tax revenue generated from online retailers as a post-pandemic shift back to brick-and-mortar locations takes place.
After a recent citywide walking survey, Economic Development staff determined that there were 79 vacancies in the City out of a total of 988 storefronts, slightly less than 8%.
Several prominent locations in the City are undergoing construction.  A new four-story, 100,000 square-foot medical office building, which will be occupied by  Keck Medical Center of USC, is being constructed on Fair Oaks Ave.  The law firm Lagerlof is expanding to an additional 18,000 square feet on North Lake Avenue. Huntington Hospital has also submitted plans for their proposed 100,000 square-foot, four-story medical office building on Fair Oaks Ave. that is expected to open in 2024.
There is also new leasing activity going on in the City.  Narrative Ads recently signed a lease for 22,000 square feet at the Pasadena Technology Center in Northeast Pasadena, and Reliance Steel & Aluminum has relocated from Downtown Los Angeles to a 16,000 square foot space at Pasadena Towers.
 
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Start and grow your business with resources offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Contact your local district office at (818) 552-3201. Click here for more info. 
 
For more business assistance and training information, please visit our business toolkit page here.

NEW BUSINESSES

    
New York Chicken & Gyro (Halal): Restaurant, 961 E. Green St.
Brooklyn Square Deli: Restaurant, 61 S. Fair Oaks Ave. Ste 110
The George: Restaurant, 1615 E. Washington Blvd.
Marina: Restaurant, 841 Cordova St.

SHOP LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY



Support Pasadena businesses and give back to the community by shopping small and dining local.  Those who visit select businesses on November 26 will receive a free gift courtesy of Visit Pasadena and the City of Pasadena (while supplies last).  List of participating businesses to be announced in November newsletter.
#ShopPasadena
 
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