Who's Who in Local Business

Preferring to Stay Small: Tati's Family Daycare

Tatiana Pereira, who started her home daycare in Albany 15 years ago and moved to El Cerrito in 2001, prefers working with a small number of children as opposed to a large group.

Business: Tati’s Family Daycare Owner: Tatiana Pereira, 47 How long have you been working out of your daycare business in El Cerrito? We moved here in 2001, but I was doing the daycare before in Albany. When we bought this house, we moved here and I started working in El Cerrito. It’s great. I like my house, I like the city, it’s fun. The only thing I would change would be having more (accessible) parks.  How many kids do you usually sit? My license is for 12, but I only have four, because, I would need a helper to work. It’s nice to have a helper, but at the same time it’s kind of stressful for the kids to have a big group of kids and two adults giving directions. I work better by myself with a small group of kids; I think it’s less …

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BART Path at El Cerrito Plaza Closing Soon

The Ohlone Greenway (BART Path) behind El Cerrito Plaza will soon be closed as BART's seismic retrofit work on the elevated tracks and path reconstruction moves north, BART officials say.

BART's earthquake retrofitting on its elevated tracks and the accompanying Ohlone Greenway is expected to wrap up in Albany from Brighton to Portland avenues in about three weeks, with the next segment behind El Cerrito Plaza forecast to begin right afterward, according to BART officials. The fences blocking the path on the Portland-to-Brighton section are scheduled to come down in mid-March, said Greg Jacobs, consulting civil engineer to Albany. (Earlier, BART estimated a February end date.) Brighton to Fairmount Right after the Portland-to-Brighton section of the path re-opens, work will move north, and the Ohlone Greenway from Brighton to Fairmount Avenue in El Cerrito will close, said Jason McLean, a community relations liaison for …

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Charles Burress

12:15 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Perhaps you ask the BART contact person named in the story? If you find out, please let us know.   more ›

Kensington Circus Pub Being Sold, Will Continue, Owner Says

The owner of the Kensington Circus Pub on Colusa Circle said he's selling the business to move back to England and that the new owner intends to continue operating the popular English-style bar and restaurant.

The owner of the Kensington Circus Pub said he's selling the business to a new owner who intends to continue operating the popular restaurant and bar. "I'm going back to England," said owner Graham Simpson, who lives in El Cerrito. "I'm selling the pub." The Kensington Circus Pub, started by Simpson nearly 24 years ago, on March 15, 1988, is a prominent fixture with its large blue awning on busy Colusa Circle in Kensington, near where the township meets the corners of El Cerrito, Albany and Berkeley. It is a family-friendly destination with its English-pub food and beer selection, along with a play area for kids. "I'm getting a lot of flak for wanting to go home," Simpson said. Asked why he's pulling up roots in El Cerrito and Kensington …

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"Mom and Pop" Pet Supply Store Holds Its Own in El Cerrrito

Despite competition from big-box stores, PetVet has managed to stay in business for many years.

Business: PetVet Employee: Tom Joneson, 42 How do you like working at PetVet? I love it. I’ve worked here for about 10  years. It’s a little mom and pop store, still owned by the original vets (who opened it). How have you seen it grow over the years? This one has been here for about 25 years; the one in Oakland has been there for about 30 years. I can’t say that it’s grown, but I don’t think that it’s supposed to grow—it’s a little mom and pop business. I think the important thing is that it hasn’t. Even with the Pet Food Express and PetSmarts of the world, we’ve maintained our niche, which is selling the veterinary products to people for less than the vets are charging for them. We help in that way. I think the corporations are forced to…

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Kyrsten Bean

8:31 pm on Friday, February 17, 2012

I was liked the comment about growth, too. I feel like so many businesses seek expansion over all else, but here we have a few steady mom and pops that do well and provide great service without shafting their clients by valuing aggressive expansion over quality.   more ›

Valentine-Making Contest – Many Chances to Win

The Jenny K shop on Stockton Avenue in El Cerrito is sponsoring a Valentine-making contest, with multiple winners able to win gift cards. Deadline is Feb. 13.

Here's a chance to apply your creativity in the spirit of Valentine's Day and possibly win a gift card from an El Cerrito merchant. The Jenny K store on Stockton Avenue is holding a Valentine-making contest.  "The only rule is one entry per person," said proprietor Jen Komaromi. "The Valentine is to be to the 'shops,' and it would be nice if it could hang on the wall." Any material is okay. Entries should have the person's name and contact information on the back. And the chances of winning are good. "We will be giving away $200 worth of gift cards, probably 20 $10 awards," she said. People can submit entries through Feb 13, and winners will be announced on Valentine's Day. The contest is being held in conjunction with the anniversary …

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Crowd Greets Chamber's New Office at Opening Fête

The El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce's new home on San Pablo Avenue glowed with festivity Thursday night as it celebrated its move from cramped quarters on Colusa Avenue.

The El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce hosted an "Open House" party Thursday night to celebrate its move back to the city's main thoroughfare, San Pablo Avenue. Though its five-room new home is more than five times bigger than the tiny office it occupied for the past three years at 406 Colusa Avenue, there wasn't a lot of elbow-swinging room amid the crowd that came to Thurday's "Grand Opening Mixer." The chamber hopes its larger, more prominently located headquarters at San Pablo and Eureka Avenue will serve as "a community hub," chamber manager Mark Scott told Patch. The new space is 780 square feet, compared to 144 at the former space, he said. In the latest issue of the chamber's Byline newsletter, chamber president Judy Pope wrote, ""Now…

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Chamber to Celebrate New Home – Back on San Pablo Avenue

The El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce is hosting a "Grand Opening Mixer" at 5 p.m. Thursday to celebrate its move to a new home on San Pablo Avenue.

"Eureka" – the Greek term for "I have found (it)" – could represent a fortuitous coincidence for the new home of the El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce. It's located at the intersection of Eureka and San Pablo avenues. The chamber, which was relegated to a cramped space next to Sunset View Cemetery on Colusa Avenue the past three years, has found a more spacious home at 10296 San Pablo, just across Eureka from the Guitar Center (which is moving to Emeryville). The chamber invites the community to a "Grand Opening Mixer" at the new office tomorrow, Thursday, from 5-7 p.m. In the current issue of the chamber's Byline newsletter, President Judy Pope contrasted the two offices. The Colusa Avenue space was "a postage stamp sized office that was …

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East Bay Loses 4,000 Jobs In December

The number of jobs took an unexpected tumble even though local unemployment rates dropped.

The East Bay unexpectedly shed 4,000 jobs in December, a month that traditionally sees an increase in employment opportunities. The job loss was in contrast to the region's unemployment rate, which showed slight declines in both Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The jobless rate measures employment among people who live in these communities. It counts people who are willing and available for work. Those who have given up searching are not included. The number of jobs represents what's available in businesses in the region. Some employees come in from outside the area. In December, the total number of jobs in the East Bay dropped from 959,000 in the month before to 955,000. Officials at the state Employment Development Department said over…

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Whole Foods at University Village Wins Council Approval

Four years after being proposed, a University of California plan for a Whole Foods market at University Village has won approval from the Albany City Council.