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Success stories

MexItalian Restaurant, Santa Cruz

BACKGROUND
Restaurant owner JP Iuliano came to the Central Coast SBDC in 2011 to create a new fusion restaurant for downtown Santa Cruz.  He and his partner Fernando wanted to fuse simple Mediterranean & Latin influences featuring local, organic & sustainable ingredients. These Partners came together almost 15 years ago in the Santa Cruz area, each bringing an important piece of their culture to their new venture; "MexItalian." JP was raised in both France & Italy before moving to the United States in 1993, while Fernando came from Oaxaca, Mexico and worked with JP at his existing restaurant Cafe Mare in Santa Cruz (a previous SBDC client).

Christi's Green Cleaning, Santa Cruz

BACKGROUND
Christi Shaw, a CCSBDC client since 2008, opened a green cleaning business using non-toxic and environmentally friendly  products, as well as 100% recycled paper, reusable bags, and bagless vacuum cleaners with Hepa filtration that removes 99.97% of airborne particles. The cleaning techs are licensed, bonded, and insured, and have been through an extensive training program as well as a thorough background check before hiring.

Nut Kreations, Santa Cruz

BACKGROUND
Mina Feuerhaken is part of the fourth-generation in her family to farm pistachios in the Central Valley. Her business idea of starting a retail nut bar grew out of an experiment she tried with her boyfriend Brody for Christmas 2009. They took orders for pistachios from family and friends and put together 200 packages out of their home. Immediately after getting engaged and confirming wedding plans, a preferred location came up for lease in downtown Santa Cruz.

Companion Bakeshop, Santa Cruz

BACKGROUND
Erin Justus Lampel and Jeremy Lampel had been in the business of making organic sourdough bread from locally grown ingredients for 5 years, selling to local farmers markets & Farm CSA programs. They were ready to expand their business from a community kitchen to their own location with more equipment, so they contacted the Central Coast SBDC for financing assistance to make the move.

The Penny Ice Creamery, Santa Cruz

Artisan Ice Cream Grabs National Attention

BACKGROUND
The Penny Ice Creamery is an artisan ice cream shop licensed to make small batches of ice cream from scratch in house, featuring locally-farmed and organic ingredients. Chef Kendra Baker is a pastry chef who came to the SBDC in 2009 with business partner Zachary Davis.

They went to the Central Coast SBDC for help with financing and business planning for a food establishment. SBDC Business Advisor Keith Holtaway helped them with their business plan to better position them for an SBA loan with The Lighthouse Bank, and helped them with location options in the downtown Santa Cruz area.

Bike Dojo, Santa Cruz

Lifelong Cycling Passion Fuels New Gym

BACKGROUND
Robert Mylls had been teaching his family and friends about bike fundamentals since 2009, and saw a need in the community to provide training and personalized guidance for bike riders of all skill levels.

He visualized a cycling gym and membership community that would offer classes and secure bicycle parking for commuters in downtown Santa Cruz. Mylls called the SBDC in the spring of 2010 and met with Business Advisor Keith Holtaway to develop his business plan, find a location, and obtain financing for the new business.

Lolly Tree Toys, Santa Cruz

Christy Paul, a young school teacher, saw a need in Santa Cruz for a quality educational toys and games store for children under 10.   She wanted both a store for educators and parents, and also for children to play interactively with the products and create in workshops.  She contacted the Central Coast SBDC and became part of the Youth Entrepreneur Program (YEP) to plan her business and obtain financing with the help of Keith Holtaway, SBDC Certified Business Plan Advisor.  Though the economic climate was a challenge to open a retail business, Paul was hopeful the business would be well received.

Artisan Fine Rug Care, Watsonville

After 25 years in family law practice, Margaret Kinda looked forward to her retirement and enjoying her passions including gardening and textile arts. Her son, however, presented an intriguing second career option in 2008: he was ready to partner with her to start an oriental rug restoration and cleaning business. Kinda contacted the Central Coast SBDC to look at options in order to start a successful business in the City of Watsonville.

Data Distributing, LLC, Santa Cruz

Sherman and Marjorie Hauser, majority owners of Data Distributing LLC and John Kettles, CFO and Nancy Fisher, President & CEO, part owners, were very concerned for their employees and their 24 year old business.  The global recession was bringing their Medical data and storage business to the breaking point.  Due to so many budget freezes in the hospital industry, sales were swiftly declining. They were forced to lay off 6 employees, and their bank was canceling their line of credit. Several other banks denied their requests for a new line of credit.  In desperation, the Hausers and Kettles turned to the Central Coast SBDC in November of 2008 for help. 

Finesse Mills LLC, Watsonville

Josie Steigman wanted to develop and brand a line of gourmet products using her Sicilian family recipes, and her husband Steve had companies interested in his formulation and production expertise for tea bagging, pharmaceuticals, natural products and spices. In order to bring together their goals, they formed Finesse Mills LLC. They moved their production operations to a new location in Watsonville from Monterey in April 2006 to expand the business, serve larger clients, and own their property and equipment.