Small businesses give the people what they wantSmall businesses give the people what they wantJanuary 24, 2003
While it seems to be the consensus that Oakley is in need of more business to help prosper in the coming years, some may disagree about the businesses that the city should be seeking in the future.
With its young residential population, Oakley has much to offer many types of businesses, and while some may believe that we should be happy to get any business that is willing to build a building, perhaps we as a community should stop and think what type of services we want before we forge ahead and accept just anyone.
When developers build in a city like Oakley, one of the first things they look at is growth potential. Oakley certainly has that. City population estimates show that although Oakley's plans are not to grow as large as Brentwood in the next decade or so, it does plan to build from an estimated 31,900 in 2005 to a potential of 75,000 in 2020. That is tidy sum of people. To top that, the growth within a five-mile radius is expected to rise from 109,000 in 2005 to 250,000 in 2020. Mid-size corporations may find those totals to their liking.
Over the past few years Oakley has been looking for its identity. It seems that has still been hard to find. When it comes right down to it we really are just an ordinary town. We are off the Delta, but can we really call ourselves a Delta community? Our income base is not too high, but just above the median average in Contra Costa County. And Oakley's population is a nice rounded group of ethnic persuasions. So what kind of businesses do you look for?
For one thing we want businesses that are going to last. Over the years there have been quite a few businesses to come and go in Oakley. While it is true there have been those that have held their own for 20 or more years, there are still many more that have left because of lack of patronage from the local people.
Interestingly enough, over the past five years Oakley has opened its doors to a new market that appears to be doing quite well. That market has been servicing the Latino community. In the 2000 Census, Oakley's population totals said that there were approximately 6,400 Latinos living in our community. That compares to approximately 16,500 Caucasians.
While businesses like Little Manuel Restaurant and El Sombrero Liquor and Bait have been in the community for a couple of decades, over the past five years or so some new places are popping up and successfully keeping themselves in business.
One of the most successful is La Costa Taqueria, located next to Centromart. This small business may look like one of the old drive-in restaurants of the '50s, but that just adds to its charms. The food is authentic Mexican style and from what people say they are famous locally for their tacos. There seems to be times of the day when La Costa is busier than its American counterpart, Taco Bell. In a short time the restaurant has built a name for itself that is known throughout Conta Costa County.
Another successful business is the Panaderia La Michoacana, a Mexican bakery that opened five years ago in downtown Oakley. They are popular for baked goods such as Conchas, Polvoron, Cema, Puercos, empanada and guayavas. The owner, Fernando Suarez and his family, cater to the Latino community in the area, but also do a nice business with the other residents of the community.
Early last year, the Casa De Palmar Market moved into the former Oakley Hotel. The market features Mexican spices and food, but is popular for their old-fashioned meat market. There they sell steaks, chicken, handmade sausage and cheese. Again, this company is catering to a special clientele but gets business from all kinds of people.
As in many cities, Oakley's population has a lot to offer developers and successful businesses come in all shapes and sizes. We shouldn't limit ourselves to only those that drift their way in and decide to set up shop. Perhaps the people in Oakley are really what create an identity and although we shouldn't limit ourselves to businesses that would market to only a quarter of our residents, maybe we should take a closer look at who lives here and what types of businesses are best for those people.
Roni Gehlke's column on life in Oakley appears each week in the Brentwood News.
Distributed by the Contra Costa Times