City Times

Restaurant owner taps his network for help to survive pandemic

Owner of Birrias, Chivos & Cheves struggled to keep the doors open

Susana Serrano, Multimedia Journalist • June 23, 2021

In a small shopping center where Highland Avenue connects with 24th street in National City, a Mexican restaurant called Birrias, Chivos & Cheves stands between a pizzeria and a nail salon.

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Family-owned advertising and marketing business finds ways to survive during the pandemic

Family Decals in National City transitioned to its garage to continue filling customer orders

Gabriel Schneider, Multimedia Journalist • June 23, 2021

Family Decals is located in National City inside a Price Breakers outlet located where Highland Avenue and Plaza Boulevard meet.

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Tortilleria struggles to keep up with declining sales during COVID-19 pandemic

Owner of El Grano de Oro tried to apply for government grants but was unsuccessful

Susana Serrano, Multimedia Journalist • June 23, 2021

The smell of freshly made corn tortillas was in the air of Tortilleria El Grano de Oro, a family-owned business on Seventh Street and Highland Avenue that has been open for 33 years.

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National City entrepreneur balances two different businesses during the pandemic

The owner of a flower shop and novelty gift store gets creative to keep customers coming back

Gabriel Schneider, Multimedia Journalist • June 23, 2021

In a corner lot on Highland Avenue and E 16th Street sits a circular-shaped flower store called Angel Petals, which shares a parking lot with Dream Crystals Gifts that sells many eclectic merchandise.

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GALLERY: A tour of Highland Avenue’s small businesses

The street is home to small, locally-owned restaurants, barbershops and markets

Vicky Pineda, Multimedia Journalist • June 23, 2021

Highland Avenue was once known for lowrider car cruising. Now it is National City’s downtown, a strip where small businesses reside.

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About The Highland Avenue Project

The multimedia project takes in-depth look at pandemic’s impact on National City’s family-owned small businesses

Katia Pechenkina, Vicky Pineda, Gabriel Schneider, and Susana Serrano • June 16, 2021

The coronavirus pandemic hit underserved communities in the United States the hardest and Latinx entrepreneurs had to adapt to new challenges to keep their businesses open.

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BREAKING: Police activity causes three SDUSD campuses, City College to close

Students are to remain off school grounds for safety

Gabriel Schneider, Editor-in-Chief • April 13, 2021

San Diego Unified School District closed San Diego High, East Village Middle College High and Garfield High school today due to police activity, wrote the district in a tweet.

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