A Danish twist – Solvang keeps curious visitors coming
By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Sunday, April 5th, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on A Danish twist – Solvang keeps curious visitors coming
Don’t be fooled by the puff pastries and windmills. The whimsically Danish town of Solvang is a lot stronger than it looks. The Santa Ynez Valley community of 5,000 is defying the recession, roping in more and more visitors — and tourism dollars — as the economy sinks. “Tourism is our bread and butter — Read More →
Facing the music – Area theaters scale back their budgets
By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Sunday, March 29th, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Facing the music – Area theaters scale back their budgets
Performing arts centers in Santa Barbara have managed to keep steady attendance rates, but the trickle of ticket sales hasn’t been enough to save them from slashing staff and postponing productions. “This is a time when we, like many others in the performing arts, have very real challenges in terms of staying a viable business,” Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Sunday, March 22nd, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on A
Whole Foods, the upscale organic and natural foods retailer, has made it official: it’s putting down roots in Santa Barbara. “The decision was made very recently,” said Keith Creighton, Whole Foods marketing director for the southern Pacific region. “All the information is still coming together. Whole Foods spent a lot of time looking for the Read More →
Hold on tighter – Fairs expect smooth ride but smaller budgets
By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Sunday, March 15th, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Hold on tighter – Fairs expect smooth ride but smaller budgets
While many organizations are revising their business strategies as they feel the financial pinch get tighter, county fairs have adopted a no-sweat attitude, opting to stick with a tried-and-true business plan: family entertainment at affordable rates. “We’re doing the same kinds of things this year as we have done in previous years: cutting costs and Read More →
Schools scrape by – Region
By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Friday, March 6th, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Schools scrape by – Region
Hundreds of tri-county teachers may get pink slips by the end of the month, as districts prepare to make millions of dollars in budget cuts. In an attempt to eliminate a $42 billion state deficit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger released a budget proposal last month that includes $8.6 billion in cuts to public schools and a Read More →
Chaos to commerce – South Coast troops aid Iraq
By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Friday, February 20th, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Chaos to commerce – South Coast troops aid Iraq
BAGHDAD, IRAQ — After decades of sanctions and six years of conflict, the sprawling neighborhoods of Iraq’s largest city are understandably in poor shape. But as security improves, Iraq’s densely-packed urban areas are coming back to life. With them have come the retail businesses that were all but given up for lost in the post-2003 Read More →
A passion for fashion
By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Sunday, February 15th, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on A passion for fashion
As female celebrities show off their high-end couture at the Oscars on Feb. 22, Ann Deal will likely watch from home smiling. That’s because she’ll know that her company — Ventura-based Fashion Forms — made the bras many stars have hiding beneath their dresses. “Silicone bra pads or adhesives pads or anything to keep that Read More →
