Category Archives: Business news

Sacramento: Keeping Local Employees Safe

Business news

One of the most important components in a job is safety.  Not job security per se (although obviously that is a factor) but being able to go to one’s job every day and feel safe.

Unfortunately, in the hospitality industry that has often been lacking, especially for those dealing with hotel guests.  it is hard to offer protection to employees cleaning rooms.  until now hotel owners have hoped that guests would behave with respect and kindness and left it at that.  But that is not enough to prevent hotel guests assaulting or harassing staff as they clean their rooms.

According to local organization United Here Local 49 President’s Chris Rak:

“Too many housekeepers have to worry every day about inappropriate guest behavior that could be lurking behind any hotel room door. We’re glad the city of Sacramento is taking steps to make these jobs safer.”  

Thankfully in the new year, there may be a solution for that for those in Sacramento since an ordinance has been approved by the Sacramento City Council Committee to require hotels to have panic buttons.  According to retired architect and frequent traveler Moshe Victor Keinig, this is definitely a great first step.

“I’ve seen so many types of people check in and out of all sorts of hotels and I’ve often wondered how staff are being treated behind the scenes by these individuals.  Giving them a mobile panic button is a great idea.”

Another retired frequent flyer, Victoria Vans-Queys, who often comes to Sacramento to see her mum re-iterated this point. She said:

“Since you can’t vet the people visiting your hotel there simply has to be some kind of protection for staff members.  I’m shocked that they have been left unprotected for so long and am just glad that at least the Sacramento City Council is starting to take action.”

Hopefully this action will have a significant impact and will result in all employees feeling safe to attend their jobs each day.

New Innovation Coming to Sacramento

Business news, Economy, Education, Employment, Finance, , ,

The City of Sacramento announced a partnership with Berkeley SkyDeck, the startup accelerator program from the University of California (“UC”) Berkeley. Through this cooperation, SkyDeck will introduce seven startup companies to Sacramento to pursue investment and advancement opportunities.

SkyDeck accelerator to work with City of Sacramento

SkyDeck will work with the Sacramento Urban Technology Lab (SUTL) to navigate the city’s business landscape, aiming to establish new, local, high-paying jobs.

When SUTL launched in 2018, it focused on developing, piloting, and growing technology in the city environment. According to the agreement, Berkeley SkyDeck will refer program alumni to the city at no cost. All of the founders of SkyDeck are alumni of one of the UC campuses. Startups accepted to the program go through a rigorous screening process.

Sacramento Welcomes Odd Cookie

Business news, Community, Culture, Entertainment, Restaurants, ,

Downtown Sacramento is now home to a new – and eccentric – bakery.

Odd Cookie Bakery Cafe and Bar has moved into the old home of the Bar Rouse on 9th Street near J Street. An opening is set for mid-December.

cupcakes topped with crispy bacon

The locally owned business will offer unexpected food and drink combinations: cupcakes topped with fried chicken, deep-fried calzones, sweet and spicy cocktails, and so much more. Traditional treats will also be available for less adventurous eaters. Yum!

Sacramento Incubator Calling for Businesses to Join Spring Accelerator

Business news

The CoWo Sacramento Campus is looking for companies to apply to be part of its spring accelerator, offering a $10,000 first place price to the most deserving company.


The accelerator will have a limit of 15 companies. They will participate in a 10-week series of courses to prepare them for investment so they can scale into larger firms. Founder of the CoWo Campus, Kuks Singh, explained:


“We are open to any feasible business idea that is working and making money,” he said.


He added that the accelerator will also help the businesses find ways to grow successfully and quickly. All kinds of companies are welcome to join, including fashion, art, technology, food and beverage. Singh said, “It’s kind of cool to see what everyone is doing.”


Cash prizes of $10,000, $7,500 and $2,500 will go to the first, second and third place businesses. The final pitch by each business will be made in front of an audience composed of possible investors in June.


Interested businesses have until January 31 to sign up. The participating firms will be picked in February, and the accelerator will begin in March.

Raley’s Closing Many In-House Pharmacies

Business news,


November 5 is the deadline to close about 30% of Raley’s in-store pharmacies. The grocery chain, based in West Sacramento, said the closures are permanent, and will begin on October 26. The store added that about 100 employees will be affected by this move, providing transfers to other Raley’s locations and transition support when needed.


“This was a proactive decision so we can avoid bleeding and long-term challenges to those stores,” said Chelsea Minor, a spokeswoman for the company. “We remain committed to operating at those 69 locations.”


Minor said the pharmacies were facing pressure from “industry consolidation, low reimbursements and high operating costs.” In addition, high drug prices and low Medicare and Medi-Cal reimbursements and private health insurers made it extremely hard to stay competitive and turn a profit.


People with prescriptions in the Raley’s pharmacies affected by the closures will have them transferred to Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy and Rite Aid nearby. Out of the 27 pharmacies scheduled to close, about 15 will be either next door to, or across the street from, one of those stores.

Sacramento’s Best Farmers Markets

Business news

October 12, 2019 was National Farmers’ Day across the U.S. It was a day to honor all farmers and pay tribute to great agriculturalists of the past.

Farming contributed $132.8 billion to the U.S. economy in the previous year, according to Business Insider, and according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) one American farm feeds 166 people annually. So farming is definitely something worth celebrating.

Fresh produce and great prices at Farmers’ Markets

Sacramento boasts some of the greatest Farmers Markets including: Sunday Farmers’ Market, Midtown Farmers Market, Davis Farmers Market, Farmers’ Market Thursday, and Oak Park Farmers Market.

Besides the fun of a Farmers Market, filled with glorious colors and friendly people, there are many additional benefits to buying from farmers. You will get the freshest seasonal ingredients; produce purchased from a farmer is always fresher and usually organic. When buying directly from Sacramento local farmers, you are contributing to the local community and economy. Your money goes directly to people living in Sacramento and ensures that local businesses continue to thrive. Shopping locally also means that the environmental costs of the products you consume is greatly reduced. The produce doesn’t have to travel to get to you and you aren’t paying too much in gas to get there. The best products to buy from farmers are: eggs, milk, honey, jams, fruit, vegetables, cheese, flowers, grains, and organic soaps.

More Bargains Coming to Sacramento Via Grocery Outlet

Business news,

The Grocery Outlet, a food-store chain headquartered in Emeryville near Oakland, is opening one more branch in the Sacramento vicinity.

Grocery Outlet on 185th in w:Hillsboro, Oregon. Photo courtesy M.O. Stevens


Well-known for its rock-bottom prices, Grocery Outlet is making its new home in North Highlands on Elkhorn Boulevard, inside the Watt Towne Center.


Although Kyle Noble, the senior manager of regional marketing and communications said that indeed, Grocery Outlet signed a lease for the store, no additional information was forthcoming.


The chain already has several stores in the greater Sacramento area, and others are also just in the planning stages. Stores already in the area include:


• Citrus Heights
• Folsom
• Orangevale
• Rocklin
• Sacramento (3431-Watt Avenue)
• Sacramento Pocket
• South Natomas
• South Sacramento
• West Sacramento
• Rancho Cordova
• Rosemont


New stores in the planning stages include in Sun Hills of Lincoln and close to Cal State University Sacramento.

The Sacramento Waterfront

Business news, Community
Sacramento Waterfront. Photo courtesy Nan Fry

The Old Sacramento waterfront will be getting an upgrade. Ideas on how to update the area have been submitted by professionals as well as the public.

This hybrid process—when both the public and professionals submit proposals—is a unique one. According to Carlos Eliason, a creative specialist in the city, the process has generated a lot of positive attention.

“We have a lot of new ideas, and energy and momentum are starting to build up,” Eliason said. “We want people to think of Old Sac as a place where emotion and imagination can combine … and this is kind of where it starts.”

In January, five professional design team were invited to submit proposals for the riverfront. The public was also invited to submit designs, and a children’s design competition was launched.

Voting is open to the public. The children’s competition will offer several prizes of $100, and the winning proposal can win up to $6,000.

Plans for a California Community

Business news,

Natomas, a community in northwestern Sacramento, is the last area of Sacramento that isn’t fully developed.

This may be about to change, since there are plans to build on fields just southeast of Sacramento International Airport.

The new community could be home to 25,000 people. The plans feature an urban-style community that includes residential and commercial buildings. Early designs include 10,000 dwelling units and retail space that equals the size of five malls.

Concerned citizens are protesting the development, worried that it will affect traffic while threatening wildlife and increasing pollution.

Teacher Shortage in California

Business news

California is an expensive state to live in, and this may be causing problems in public schools.

Due to the high cost of living, many teachers can’t afford to live in California. In 15 California counties, mortgage payments on a typical home would cost nearly half a teacher’s salary.

In many areas of California, the median home price is over a million dollars. This cost is unaffordable to most teachers. In some counties, mortgage costs may actually equal a teacher’s entire annual salary.

California is suffering from a teacher shortage, and this may explain why. Other industries that pay mid-to-low range salaries may also struggle to retain employees in California.