SACRAMENTO, Calif — Attempts to revitalize Del Paso Boulevard in North Sacramento continue daily, but a boulevard staple is closing its doors after five years in business. SouthPaw Sushi will close next weekend, and now business owners say they're concerned about the future of their business.
SouthPaw Sushi announced its closing after struggling with low sales and rising costs. Two months earlier, Universal Clothing Boutique also closed its doors after a series of break-ins.
"It's a little worrisome. We hope we can keep some lights on the boulevard," said John Fierro.
Fierro is the owner of Lil Joe's, another staple along the boulevard for more than 70 years. He says SouthPaw was a beacon in this neighborhood and worries about the future of his business.
"I've been losing money. There's no money in this business. If it wasn't my pension from the fire department, I wouldn't be able to stay here," he said.
Interim District 2 Councilmember Shoun Thao says he hears these business owners' frustrations. He believes the success is dependent on more housing in the area.
"We have a lot of housing development that's coming up. One is the 440 Arden Way, that's going to come to council this Tuesday. And so that was going to bring in 124 units to this area," said Thao.
Thao says he'll also look into grants for these small business owners that may have been on hold.
"A couple of grants for façade improvements and the transformative grant and that's something that we're following up on to make sure that it's allocated correctly," he said.
Even with SouthPaw closing, business owner Naz Begum says she's ready for the challenge by opening Sammy's in a few weeks.
"People ask me aren't you scared? Like you know, everybody's leaving, and no, no. We're gonna do all we can to survive here and do the best we can," she said.
Thao says he'll continue to fight for resources for these business owners and help solve the homelessness issue in the district.
WATCH ALSO:
