Businesses in Santa Monica
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MOST LOVED Businesses in Santa Monica 2020 THE RESULTS ARE IN! A definitive guide to the city’s Favorite Businesses Now Open! 2 Most Loved 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 INTRODUCTION 26 DOCTOR/DENTIST/ 42 LEGACY BUSINESS HEALTH 6 DOWNTOWN BUSINESS 44 VINTAGE/THRIFT/ 28 FITNESS STUDIO/GYM RESALE SHOP 7 THEATRE/ART/ 29 FARMER 45 BUSINESS FOR ENTERTAINMENT PAMPERING 30 HOTEL 8 MAIN STREET BUSINESS 46 GROCERY STORE 32 HAPPY HOUR 10 PICO BLVD. BUSINESS 48 RESTAURANT 33 AUTO RELATED 12 MONTANA AVE. BUSINESS BUSINESS 50 HAIR SALON/ BARBER SHOP 13 PIER BUSINESS 34 NEW BUSINESS 52 PET BUSINESS 15 CLOTHING BOUTIQUE 36 FROZEN DESSERTS 54 SURF/SKATE/BIKE 18 COFFEE SHOP 37 JEWELRY/ACCESORIES/ GIFT SHOP 55 CATERING BUSINESS BAR OR LOUNGE 20 38 INDEPENDENT BUSINESS 56 NON-PROFIT 22 BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH SPOT 40 KID-FRIENDLY ATTRACTION 58 OUTDOOR DINING SPOT 24 EVENT SPACE 41 BAKERY THANK YOU Santa Monica Families and Friends for supporting Swim with Heart for 10 years! 2020 swimwithheart.org 310-625-2974 @swimwithheart Most Loved Most 3 COMING BACK STRONGER THAN EVER Imagine dear reader, a world that seems a lifetime away. Movie theaters were showing the latest releas- es seven days a week. You could walk the Promenade shoulder to shoulder with other shoppers, duck into any store you wanted, regardless of occupancy, and browse to your heart’s content. You could even touch stu without guilt or fear. Restaurants served food inside and you could get a cocktail or a beer just because you felt like it. Hap- py Hour was a marketing tool and not an accurate description of amount of joy in our days. That now nostalgic time was February and it’s also the month that we asked Santa Monicans to name their favorite local businesses. The world has changed in what were previously unimaginable ways since then but in this moment, the annual Most Loved contest and its celebration of community has a newfound importance. It’s a tough time to be a business owner but most businesses have adapted, not closed. Many are charting a course through these stormy waters and every open sign, al fresco dinner, curb-side pickup and tented haircut is an act of faith by mom-and-pop entrepreneurs in themselves and in the community they serve. They believe they can come through this if we support them and we are proud to be able to highlight some of the people and places that make a city thrive. Most Loved isn’t just about the businesses because a business doesn’t support the high school, donate to the foodbank or just keep our friends employed. People do. Whether it’s the people who own a storefront or the people who take your order or the people who delivery the goods, it’s the people who deserve the recognition herein. Most Loved is truly a celebration of the people who make Santa Monica a place worth living in and whenever you’re comfortable heading back into the world, we hope you con- sider visiting some of these people, if only to say hi, exchange a smile and remember the path forward is together. A sad farewell to some of our Most Loved SM finalists of 2020 who did not survive. We will no doubt see more business closures this year to due the severe economic recession and lasting impacts of COVID making it incredibly challenging for businesses to survive. Now more so than ever, we must make an eort to buy local in support of our Santa Monica businesses. Grab your mask, your wallet and show your love and support local whenever and wherever possible. THE PIER IS OPEN Come support your local Pier businesses as they reopen! 2020 Remember, masks are required. Most Loved Most @SANTAMONICAPIER VISIT SANTAMONICAPIER.ORG FOR DETAILS 4 SANTA MONICA COLLEGE Transfers Job Training APPLY Student Support TODAY! #1 smc.edu 2020 SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dr. Nancy Greenstein, Chair; Dr. Susan Aminoff, Vice Chair; Dr. Louise Jaffe; Dr. Margaret Quiñones-Perez; Rob Rader; Dr. Sion Roy; Barry A. Snell; Joshua Elizondo, Student Trustee; Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph.D., Superintendent/President Loved Most 5 Downtown santa monica Downtown Santa Monica has always been the hub of activity for Santa Monica and DTSM businesses have adapted to keep the area a fun, safe place to enjoy a day out with the family. Santa Monica’s open-air shopping center allows visitors to browse five blocks of retail and restaurant options while enjoying sea breezes that keep Santa Monica cool. MOST LOVED DOWNTOWN BUSINESS ” RADIANCE WELLNESS SPA Now more than ever people need self-love/self-care and our sacred space is just the place for that. 1207 4th St. 310-264-2228 drskinhealth.com ” FINALISTS Exotics Racing 120 Broadway Blvd. #103 310-566-4045 exoticsracing.com Salon Tru 2020 614 Santa Monica Blvd. 310-394-0878 salontru.com Santa Monica Homeopathic Most Loved Most 629 Broadway Blvd. 310-395-1131 smhomeopathic.com Radiance Wellness Spa 6 MOST LOVED Theatre | Art | Entertainment The Braid 2020 WINNER THE BRAID JEWISH WOMEN’S THEATRE 2912 Colorado Ave. #102 310-315-1400 jewishwomenstheatre.org From summer concerts at the pier to live to their patrons and friends. Participation is that not a single one of our subscribers and build cultural legacy,” she said. “Our theater at one of several excellent play- still complimentary and open to all, but they asked for a refund. Instead, they told us vision is to leave no Jewish story untold houses, Santa Monica has the arts on lock. ask that members of the community consid- they missed us, wished us the very best while celebrating the truths that connect er donating to support the work of Jewish and couldn’t wait to see us virtually and, all people. Through our pioneering model While the Braid’s live performances have Women’s Theatre during this unprecedent- soon, in person.” of storytelling we revived the centuries of been postponed, they are now oering ed time. Jewish women hosting salons, putting a digital salon shows via Zoom. Their You- Spinak said the organization and the adapt- contemporary spin on creating intimate Tube channel features “Inside our Time” “We asked our volunteers to personally ability of writers and performers has been spaces for dialogue, community building, --stories from the community that illumi- call all the subscribers to our salon shows inspiring. diversity and connection through arts and nate some aspect of what we are feeling to let them know we are working on digital culture. Recently, our traditional theatre and experiencing. They also use Zoom to presentations of our new, original work,” “Our mission is to create, produce and programming has expanded to include an present special events such as art talks, said Ronda Spinak. “We were touched by preserve diverse, living Jewish stories that art gallery, panel discussions, and many author talks and panels on topics of interest the responses we received and by the fact empower individuals, inspire community special events.” FINALIST MORGANWIXSON THEATRE 2627 Pico Blvd. 310-828-7519 Morgan-Wixson.org The Morgan-Wixson Theatre is a historic our community, in the arts, and in theater.” Santa Monica theater on Pico Blvd. Miriam She says that the Theatre’s biggest sup- Billington a Board Member and the volun- port in the coming months will come from teer Publicity Chair says that the theater their patrons and members, who continue “has been bringing top-quality plays, mu- to provide time, energy, and funding even sicals, and performing arts events to our when they cannot attend shows. city for over seven decades!” The theater has been totally shut since March 12th of Miriam says that receiving this award this year due to the pandemic. Miriam Says means the world to her: “It means so much that they have held some online events via because we have been a mainstay of Zoom and have been counting on dona- the Santa Monica arts scene since 1946! tions and reserve funds to “keep the lights Despite the uncertainty and tragedy in on” until the theater can once again invite the world now, we hope to press on and patrons into the historic space. Miriam plan for our historic 75th season next year. says that conversations with patrons have We are also working on increasing our been mostly about how much they miss outreach to include more of our wonderful going to see live theater. “Our members and supportive community in everything Morgan Wixson Theatre have enjoyed attending live play readings we do.” Miriam urges readers to join the 2020 on Zoom and we have been talking about Morgan-Wixson’s mailing list by emailing those plays and others that we might wish [email protected] to produce in the future. We have also begun holding community discussions FINALIST AERO THEATRE about what we can do to fight racism--in 1328 Montana Ave. 310-260-1528 americancinematheque.com Loved Most 7 Main Street santa monica Photo: Sean Paul Franget Santa Monica’s Main Street has led the way for adaptation in this era, transitioning from a busy thoroughfare into a haven for pedestrian dining in a matter of weeks. The street has always had an abundance of personality with quirky retail and restaurants that have become local institutions. That sense of place has blossomed with the expansion of outdoor options as businesses have taken over trac lanes and created a new al fresco capital for the city. MOST LOVED MAIN STREET BUSINESS ” PILATESMITH Thanks to an incredible group of women and great feedback from our community, we’ve been able to keep people moving - wherever they are - and been able to keep the Team working.