The 2024 awards gala hosted by the Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce is to celebrate businesses around our area. Six business categories are being honored. The winners will be announced Friday at the chamber’s award gala. Redwood News introduces the nominees in the small business of the year category.
“Most importantly, we’re going to be honoring a number of really fantastic businesses and leaders in our community, which is such a privilege to do,” said Nancy Olson, Eureka Chamber CEO.
The 2024 Awards Gala, an evening of intrigue and wonder, will have a short program, musical guests, a live auction with Senator Mike McGuire and a dance party. Now, let’s take a look at the Small Business of the Year category nominees.
“We have a number of different categories for our awards, including our Eureka Small Business of the Year,” Olson said. “That’s for companies and organizations that have less than ten employees. In that category are Belle Starr, Café Waterfront, Celebration Boulevard, Foggy Bottoms Boys and Pupuseria San Miguel.”
We spoke with a few nominees of this category and all are excited and honored for the recognition.
Belle Star
“We’re really thrilled to be sort of recognized as a small business of the year candidate because this is one of the awards chosen by other local businesses,” said Sue Mcintyr, the owner of Belle Star. “We always have a lot of customer service surveys and that’s really exciting to be nominated when your peers in the community value and recognize you as being a strong business in the community, that’s really exciting for us.”
Celebration Boulevard
“It’s exciting to have people that I work with other business owners and companies feel that we do good enough work that they would nominate us,” said Carole Crossley, the Celebration Boulevard owner.
Foggy Bottoms Boys
“We’re really excited to be nominated for Eureka Chamber Small Business of the Year,” said Cody Nicholson Stratton, co-owner of Foggy Bottoms Boys. “It’s such an honor to be in with such a great company, other businesses that have contributed to the community and we’re really looking forward to the gala and really appreciate just the recognition for the efforts and work that Foggy Bottoms Boys have done this year for local foods and visibility of the LGBTQ community.”
Pupuseria San Miguel
“It’s an honor just to be mentioned in the same group, in the same category with, you know, the other nominees,” said Gino Granados, the Pupuseria San Miguel owner. “You know, we’re a small business, two years into it, almost two years. So just to be nominated and acknowledged and have the community say, hey, we’re doing something good, feels pretty good.”
The Café Waterfront is also nominated for Small Business of the Year for the 2024 award gala.
