Summer is Made for Alhambra by John Bwarie

You won’t find a better place than Alhambra to enjoy a summer “staycation” or just take a break from your routine by indulging in a delicious meal with family and friends. That’s why the Alhambra Chamber is delighted to announce our Restaurant of the Week program, featuring the unique tastes of our local eateries. Launching this month, you’ll see the first local restaurants featured on the new, food-centric Alhambra website: AlhambraEats.com. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about truly made-in-Alhambra experiences and support local, small businesses that are the lifeblood of our community and economy.

As part of the celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, Chamber President-elect Christopher Teng Balmaseda and I were delighted to participate in the first gathering of the newly formed Asian Business Leadership Council. This esteemed group of entrepreneurs and business leaders in Alhambra enjoyed networking and exchanging initial ideas on the goals of the Council. As we continue to meet, the insights of this group will provide a stronger foundation for our community’s economic future. Special thanks to Big Catch Seafood House for hosting this event and providing a delectable array of their signature appetizers and refreshments.

In May, we also held the inaugural meeting of the Alhambra Nonprofit Council. Our goal is to increase the communication, collaboration, and coordination between the many community-serving organizations in our community. As the group continues to meet, we look forward to discovering synergies, sharing best practices, and identifying resources that will support their programs and amplify their missions and impact. Alhambra is home to more than 75 nonprofits that provide opportunities to enhance our community through social services, participation in professional

associations, advocacy for arts and humanities, adoption services for companion animals and pets, as well as a myriad of other causes. As we seek to create an even more vibrant Alhambra, our nonprofits are a cornerstone of connection for our community.

We continue to partner with the City to bring new businesses to our community as well as support existing businesses with the goal of expanding and creating greater economic opportunities for entrepreneurs. This includes helping to get businesses opened faster in vacant spaces by working with brokers, businesses, and property owners as we create the ideal win-win-win: a win for the business to find a space, a win for the owner to fill a vacancy, and a win for the community to have another vibrant business as a shopping, dining, or service destination.

Finally, as we celebrate the special holidays that make every day a celebration in Alhambra, I hope you’ll enjoy some of the amazing and delicious egg rolls from one of the many restaurants that offer them(especially as we celebrate National Egg Roll Day this month). We listed five, but there are so many more you can enjoy… like so many amazing things made in Alhambra.

Here’s to summer in the City!