By Katherine Wang, Saturday, October 3, 2020. See the article in full here. The Covid-19 shutdown has crippled the live entertainment industry, and a whopping 90 percent of arts spaces are not expected to survive it, according to a survey by the National Independent Venue Association. Although the government has enacted programs to support small businesses, clubs and . . . read more
Sometimes the Shuttering of a Café is More Than Just a Business Closing by Joseph Levendusky, originally published on The Left Bank of the Charles Review The endearing little red building on Bow Street Each succeeding generation of Harvard Square roustabouts claims to have known the real, authentic Square. It begins, if you peruse Mo Lotman’s . . . read more
This year, CLF is partnering with Economic Development Division staff in the Cambridge Community Development Department (CDD) to produce the upcoming edition of the City’s Cambridge Business Diversity Directory. We’re reaching out on behalf of the City to encourage eligible businesses and entities to sign up here to be listed in the 2021 Cambridge Business . . . read more
Please find below a list of all of Cambridge’s closed businesses. Email theodora@cambridgelocalfirst.org for additions or questions. 2nd Street Cafe Abigail’s Restaurant Alley Ann Taylor (Harvard Square location; their location at Cambridgeside is still open) The Automatic Barismo Cafe (Third Street location; their location at ) Bo Concept (Cambridge location; their location at Newbury St. . . . read more
By Veer Mudambi / Cambridge@wickedlocal.com Aug 5, 2020 at 4:45 PM; Updated Aug 6, 2020 at 2:10 PM. See the article in full here. With the rollout of Phase Three reopening, the staff at Christopher’s in Porter Square had begun preparations to return to indoor dining: replacing air filters, separating tables, offering new training for staff. But plans suddenly ground to a halt when the . . . read more
By Christina Ru, July 30, 2020. Small businesses are struggling all over the country. As all business plummeted in March, small business owners began to fret. They knew that they were in a harder position than national companies or chains. For starters, small businesses tend to operate with much less cushion in their accounts. They . . . read more
As lawmakers negotiate the details of a Phase 4 Covid-19 relief bill, local chambers of commerce are pleading for financial assistance. Here’s why. BY CAMERON ALBERT-DEITCH, REPORTER, INC. View the full article at Inc. At the local visitor’s center, you’ll learn a few things about Latrobe, Pennsylvania: The city of 8,000, just east of Pittsburgh, is the original home . . . read more
By Anqi Zhang, originally published in Sampan on July 24, 2020. At this very moment when the Black Lives Matter movement nationwide encountered the long-lasting Covid-19 pandemic, the situations of small local businesses, especially Black-owned businesses, have been brought to the forefront of public awareness. The restaurant industry in Mass. is approaching $5 billion in . . . read more
By Lina Cho (CLF), originally published in Cambridge Day on July 22 Michael Kanter, co-founded the Cambridge Naturals health and wellness store in 1974. (Photo: Cambridge Naturals) Michael Kanter, of the store Cambridge Naturals in Porter Square, is sick of hearing the terms “new normal” and “pivot.” Kanter founded the natural wellness and health store as Cambridge . . . read more
By Lina Cho (CLF), originally published in Cambridge Day on July 14, 2020 Irving House at Harvard, in Mid-Cambridge, was allowed to reopen to guests June 8. But a reopening doesn’t fix everything. In a time of lockdown and travel restrictions, it is hard to imagine many businesses affected more harshly by the coronavirus epidemic . . . read more