ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) — In the stillness of the Callisto Tea House in Altadena, empty chairs say everything about a community that’s still trying to rebuild nearly a year after the devastating Eaton Fire.
“This time of year, especially around the holidays, before the fire, we would have had a fair number of people in here, even on a weekday,” said co-founder Nathan Epstein.
“These days, the shop is lucky to see a few customers.”
With more than 9,000 structures lost in the fire, many of which were homes, the businesses in Altadena that survived lost more than customers: they lost their community.
“At this time of day, all of our regulars would be here having a cup of tea, whether they are working or journaling or reading or catching up with folks,” said co-founder Wendy Chen. “It is usually very lively in here.”
The Altadena Chamber of Commerce is leading efforts to revive small businesses, urging residents and visitors to support local shops, especially during the holiday season.
“Even though Altadena has had a massive fire with tremendous destruction, we still have businesses that are functioning, and we want people to patronize them,” said Phlunte Riddle with the Altadena Chamber of Commerce.
A business grant helped Bloomfield Creamery, a family-owned business, stay afloat in the months after the fire and remain constant in the lives of its customers.
“People coming in, unfortunately, have these bad stories behind them … kind of nice to see we are kind of able to put a smile on their faces and brighten their day a bit,” said owner Bijan Sadeghi.
For new shops and eateries like The Italian Deli Co. on Washington Boulevard in Pasadena, surviving means building a customer base during one the hardest chapters in the community’s history.
“We have been struggling,” said Chef Lalo Talamantes. “I think with this strong community that we have and knowing what happened to everybody, I think we are going to come back all together.”
This Small Business Saturday, owners are hoping an outpouring of customers will help them rebuild their community.
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