Small business spotlight: Fresno Chinatown looking to become hub for local small businesses

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — “We’re always on the lookout of how to draw more business activity into Chinatown,” Jan Minami with the Chinatown Fresno Foundation says.

Local entrepreneurs are breathing new life into Fresno’s Chinatown.

“There’s a lot of things to be found here and if you’re willing to look past that look and dig deeper into what’s actually in the stores and the restaurants you’re going to find some gems that have been here for years and years,” Judging By The Cover co-owner Ashley Mireles Guerrero says.

Guerrero launched her store online, the indie bookstore highlights historically marginalized authors and rare books.

“We bring in books in Spanish in Hindi in Tagalog in Hmong and books not commonly found in stores like Barnes and Noble and hard to find on Amazon,” Guerrero says.

But with a following growing by the minute, opening a brick and mortar is giving readers the chance to browse the bookshelves.

Located on F Street between Mariposa and Tulare, The Pop-Up Place is giving up and coming businesses a boost. Thanks to a grant, The Chinatown Fresno Foundation is paying their rent and utilities for the first six months.

“It’s going to be beautiful at the end of the tunnel. We’ll have access to downtown once the underpasses are done. We’re getting new trees, new lighting,” Chinatown Fresno Foundation Chair June Stanfield says.

Stanfield opened her barbershop 26 years ago and knows firsthand the struggles of starting up.

“I would like to fill all of the spaces here,” Stanfield says.

In addition to books, old-school looks are available at Vintage Drip Clothing.

“We have vintage clothes from 80s, 90s mainly some collectibles posters and stuff,” Vintage Drip owner Rick Gonzalez says.

The Chinatown Fresno Foundation picked these two stores through an application process.

“When I met with both of them in person, I could see the passion that they had for what they did the love that they had for the business that they wanted to grow and just for the community in itself,” Monica Valero with Community Development says.

“We’re working hard to try and drive community down here and make sure we have a good showing for Chinatown, and hopefully, it continues on beyond the six-month mark,” Gonzalez says.

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