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Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Business

The Easter Bunny is coming to the MainPlace Mall

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MAINPLACE MALL ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY EVENT SERIES FOR SPRING; EASTER FESTIVITIES KICK OFF MARCH 30

• Free events throughout the month of April include a Bunny breakfast, pet photos, Easter egg hunt, crafts and more.
• MyPerks members receive free admission to Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

SANTA ANA, Calif., (March 21, 2019) – MainPlace Mall, Orange County’s leading shopping, dining, and entertainment destination for families, has announced a series of Spring events to celebrate the Easter season with families and friends in the community.

Pictures with the Easter Bunny

Beginning Saturday, March 30 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the Easter Bunny is hop, hop, hopping to the shopping center, complete with a festive Easter set comprised of colorful eggs, spring flowers, and of course, Mr. Bunny himself. Community members are invited to visit the Easter Bunny from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays through April 20. Photo packages are available for purchase starting at $24.99. Guests are invited to skip the line and save time with a Bunny Fast Pass. To learn more, click here.

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

Looking for more quality time with the Easter Bunny? On Saturday, April 6 from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., MainPlace Mall invites members of its loyalty program, MyPerks, to a complimentary breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Applebee’s, located on The Patio (level two). Festivities include a flapjack breakfast, an Easter egg hunt, and crafts. This is a ticketed event, and RSVPs are required. To reserve a space, click here.

MainPlace Mall Gives Back with Bunny Cares

In partnership with Autism Speaks, MainPlace Mall is hosting a sensory-friendly Bunny event for people with special needs and their families on Sunday, April 7 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Guests will enjoy a special meet-and-greet with the Easter Bunny, and a private photo session. The event will take place at the Easter Set in Macy’s Court, and Bunny helpers will be on hand to provide guests with a number so families do not have to wait in line. To reserve a complimentary ticket, click here.

Pet Nights with the Easter Bunny

MainPlace Mall also invites the community to bring their furry friends to join the fun and pose with the Easter Bunny. Pet photo nights will be held on Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 16 from 5 to 8 p.m.

About MainPlace Mall

MainPlace Mall is part of the Centennial Collection, managed by Centennial Real Estate Management Company, LLC. The center offers a wide array of name-brand shopping, dining and entertainment options all under one roof in the heart of Orange County. Conveniently located off the 5, 55 and 22 freeways, the shopping center welcomes millions of shoppers each year, providing an un-matched experience for families, tourists and locals alike. MainPlace is anchored by Macy’s and JCPenney, with 200 specialty retailers and 26 restaurant and eateries. Shopping Hours can be found online here. For more information, call 714.547.7800 or visit the company website. Follow MainPlace Mall on Facebook at @MainPlaceMall, Twitter at @ShopMainPlace and Instagram at @ShopMainPlaceMall.

About Centennial

Centennial is a national owner of retail real estate with a portfolio of assets including regional malls, urban retail, and community centers. Founded in 1997, Centennial is deeply rooted in retail and focuses on creating dynamic community-focused shopping, dining and entertainment destinations. For more information, visit centennialrec.com.

Is it time to start up a new Santa Ana Swap Meet?

Posted on by Posted in Business, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana 3 Comments

There used to be a swap meet in Santa Ana, many years ago, that was held at Eddie West Field. That was a long time ago but the City of Santa Ana is broke now and our city would greatly benefit from having a Swap Meet once again.

I found an old Los Angeles Times article about the shut down of the old Santa Ana Swap Meet that noted “Outdoor swap meets began to fall out of favor in the city in 1987, when it shut down a popular swap meet held at Eddie West Stadium after receiving complaints from neighboring homeowners about excessive trash and noise.”

That article also cited a Santa Ana Planning Agency report that stated that “outdoor swap meets in the city have historically resulted in parking problems, theft, noise, trash and “neighborhood intrusion” by swap meet customers.”

I think we know by now that what happened in 1987 was probably more of a racist reaction to the Swap Meet than anything else. Remember back then the folks running the City of Santa Ana, including most of the appointed and elected officials, were white. They were for the most part very uncomfortable with the city’s growing Latino population.

Today Santa Ana residents have to drive to other cities to participate in Swap Meets, including Santa Fe Springs and Costa Mesa.

Besides possibly generating income for the City of Santa Ana, it turns out there are other benefits too such as:

  • Swap Meets can help residents to learn how to develop and grow small businesses. I am reminded of a friend of my son, when they were both at Godinez High School, whose father sold shoes at the Costa Mesa Swap Meet. That fellow raised his family with that income! He would go to the garment district in Los Angeles, buy the shoes at wholesale, then sell them at the Swap Meet at good prices but with enough of a mark-up to raise his family.
  • Swap Meets are great incubators for residents interested in food-related businesses. They can sell their homemade foods there, such as baked goods or tamales, and figure out how to progress to a larger enterprise such as a restaurant, food truck or catering business.
  • Swap Meets celebrate diversity! Imagine how awesome a Swap Meet in Santa Ana would look like now with Latino, Asian and African American vendors that reflect our community today. The food offerings alone would be incredible!
  • Swap Meets keep stuff out of our landfills. Remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!
  • Swap Meets allow folks with limited incomes to buy neat stuff at much lower prices than the stores – including used items that are still in good shape.

Isn’t it time to launch a new Santa Ana Swap Meet already? Orange Coast College has one in Costa Mesa. Why not Santa Ana College too?

The 6th Annual Santa Ana Plaza Navideña event and Tree Lighting Ceremony is set for Nov. 17

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City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Advisory: KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON AT THE CITY OF SANTA ANA’S 6TH ANNUAL PLAZA NAVIDEÑA EVENT AND TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY

SANTA ANA – The City of Santa Ana will be hosting the 6th Annual Plaza Navideña event and Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, November 17, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Plaza Calle Cuatro on the corner of Fourth and French Street in Downtown Santa Ana.

This free event is open to the public and will include the annual tree lighting ceremony, live entertainment including mariachi and folklorico dancing, piñatas for children, and, of course, a special visit from Santa Claus! Along with the festivities, tasty treats will be available for purchase. Continue reading→

There has been a line at Harvey’s Seatbelt bags since yesterday for a Nightmare Before Christmas release party

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Pandemonium has broken out at Harvey’s Original Seatbelt Bags as fans are lining up outside their Santa Ana location for an event that won’t even take place until tomorrow, Sep. 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Harvey’s is apparently going to host a  Nightmare Before Christmas release party on tomorrow at their retail store. These goods will also be available online on Monday, 9/24 at 8 a.m. PST. Continue reading→

The Children’s Business Fair is coming to Downtown Santa Ana on Sep. 1

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Children’s Business Fair Comes to Downtown Santa Ana

Location: West End of Downtown Santa Ana, California on The First Saturday of the Month on September 1st.

Could a 10-year-old invent the next best service or product? Find out at the Santa Ana Children’s Business Fair where businesses are created and launched entirely by children.

Children’s Business Fairs are the largest entrepreneurship events for kids in North America and even in some parts of the world such as Central and South America, Africa, Malaysia, and India. Continue reading→

Take a course on starting a food business in Santa Ana starting on Aug. 1

Posted on by Posted in Business, Food, Food Trucks, Restaurants, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana

Community: The Whole Kitchen Sink: A 6-Week Crash Course on Starting a Food Business & Becoming a Food Entrepreneur

The City of Santa Ana in partnership with the 4th Street Market, and the Orange County/Inland Empire Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network invite food entrepreneurs to participate in “The Whole Kitchen Sink”, a 6-week crash course on starting a food business.

The program in intended for individuals looking to start a food truck, sell homemade food products, or open a brick and mortar restaurant. In this hands-on program, participants will learn to start their business and use a commercial kitchen space. Continue reading→

Find out how the MainPlace Mall will transform itself at a public meeting tonight

Posted on by Posted in Business, Development, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Every time I visit the MainPlace Mall I see more and more empty stores. It is very disheartening! The owners of the MainPlace Mall understand they have a problem so they are hosting a MainPlace Transformation Project meeting tonight, May 31, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the empty shell of what used to be their Nordstrom store, on the 2nd floor at 2800 N. Main St., in Santa Ana.

The owner of the MainPlace Mall stated in a recent flyer that they the proposed MainPlace Mall Transformation Project “seeks to preserve the mall as an iconic local shopping destination while evolving the center to meet the needs of today’s consumer. In addition to maintaining and improving more than one million square feet of retail space, the master plan integrates mixed-use to create a dynamic community destination in Orange County with a modernized MainPlace Mall at its core. This holistic approach to update the site plan with residential development will be ideal for live-work spaces, serving nearby workers in retail, hospital and government. This project proactively addresses the issues facing retail properties across the nation, creating a thriving MainPlace for generations to come.” Continue reading→

New Asian-inspired coffee and teahouse Macchiato is now open in Santa Ana

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By First District Supervisor Andrew Do

On Wednesday, the Asian-inspired coffee and teahouse Macchiato opened its first location in Orange County at 1935 E 17th St., in Santa Ana, next to Gold’s Gym. OC Board of Supervisors Chairman Andrew Do’s office congratulated owner Jason Tsai and manager Paris Zhang with a certificate of recognition for the occasion. Continue reading→

Learn how to use Google Marketing Tools to increase your sales at a free Santa Ana workshop

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City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community: Workshop: Increase Sales with Google Marketing Tools/ Taller: Usa Digitales de Google Para Crecer Ventas

The City of Santa Ana and Delhi Center in collaboration with Google Digital Coaches Program invite you to attend a free business workshop. Learn about Google digital marketing tools to jump-start your business through a Google Digital Coach.

Register Today! Continue reading→

The O.C. Marketplace will host a grand reopening on March 31

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EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE AT YOUR ORANGE COUNTY MARKET PLACE

GRAND REOPENING MARCH 31

Costa Mesa, CA – Experience the Difference at your new Orange County Market Place during its Grand Reopening on Saturday, March 31, 2018. Spectra, managers of the OC Market Place, are hosting this free community gathering and relaunch event from 8AM to 3PM.

The Grand Reopening includes a full day of activities featuring a ribbon cutting supported
by the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce followed by a performance by the Costa Mesa High School Band. The day is dedicated to the Orange County community with a fundraiser and live entertainment event, Taste of the Arts, supporting the Community Outreach Alliance. COA artists will perform on the stage in the South Event Space and host art installations and experiences, alongside a car show with the Cadillac Kings Car Club. Continue reading→

The Knowlwood Restaurant on E. 17th Street has shut down

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A Knowlwood Restaurant on E. 7th Street in Santa Ana has closed, according to the O.C. Register.

In 1957, the husband and wife team of Roy and Fay Knowlton, together with Gene Wood, started a restaurant called Knowl-Wood at the old Orangewood Ranch in Anaheim, according to their Facebook page.

The company has remaining locations Anaheim Hills, Irvine and a cafe at the Santa Ana Zoo.

The Yelp reviews for the Santa Ana location were not good, including: Continue reading→

Simply Sweet Cakes is now offering freshly made cakes, cupcakes, pastries in Santa Ana

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Simply Sweet Cakes is now open in Santa Ana, at 2128 N Tustin Ave., Ste A. They offer freshly made cakes, cupcakes, pastries and coffee. They specialize in custom cakes, cookies, pastries  and sweet treats for any event!

They will be having a Grand Opening on March 31st. There will be free samples to try out along with a free cupcake with $5 purchase on Grand Opening day. There will also be a $1 raffle to win a $50 cake for any day of the winner’s choosing. Continue reading→

Superior Grocers dealing with workers’ comp violations and wage theft allegations

Posted on by Posted in Business, california, Courts 3 Comments

Superior Grocers Fined for Workers’ Comp Violations, Second Investigation by the State of California Ongoing

Janitorial watchdog uncovers massive wage theft at Southern California grocery chain

LOS ANGELES—The state of California has cited and fined Superior Grocers and its janitorial subcontractor for violating a workers’ compensation law and a second investigation into wage theft is ongoing.

Investigators for the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, a janitorial industry watchdog that has found $70 million in unpaid wages in the past 20 years, first uncovered rampant and systemic wage theft at the Southern California grocery chain that has 45 stores. Continue reading→

Free cybersecurity lunch and learn set for Jan. 18 at C3 Technology in Santa Ana

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Did you bring a hacker into your home this Christmas? Even toys aren’t safe from cybercrime!

Attend C3 Technology’s FREE event Jan. 18 to learn about the 7 MOST CRITICAL IT Security Protections Every Business Must Have in Place Now. Lunch provided. Continue reading→