Saturday, April 13, 2013

Saturday Stats: San Jose has More Jobs than Before Recession

Only 14 of the 102 top job markets in the US have recovered past where we were pre-recession, and San Jose is one of those markets. We are ranked 9th on the list of raw jobs gained, which brings us to a net gain of 6,600 jobs over our very peak from last decade. San Francisco on the other hand still has a deficit of 71,700 jobs from their peak and New York is not doing much better with a net loss of 65,200 jobs. LA is last on the list with a staggering 301,300 gone versus their pre-recession peak.

Source: SVBJ

MarketPrivate-sector jobs (Nov. 2007)Private-sector jobs (Nov. 2012)Raw changeRankAscendingPercent changeRank
Houston2,230,9002,352,500121,60015.45%2
Austin611,900657,70045,80027.49%1
Dallas-Fort Worth2,608,0002,636,70028,70031.10%9
Pittsburgh1,030,2001,055,00024,80042.41%7
San Antonio694,700715,40020,70052.98%6
Oklahoma City460,600476,70016,10063.50%4
McAllen-Edinburg, Texas165,500174,1008,60075.20%3
El Paso, Texas212,400219,5007,10083.34%5
San Jose824,500831,1006,60090.80%10
Raleigh436,400441,7005,300101.21%8
Knoxville, Tenn.287,500289,4001,900110.66%11
Boston2,217,2002,218,7001,500120.07%13
New Orleans448,400449,5001,100130.25%12
Columbus797,000797,500500140.06%14
Provo, Utah168,900167,800-1,10015-0.65%21
Omaha409,800408,600-1,20016-0.29%17
Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pa.234,300232,900-1,40017-0.60%20
Denver1,085,2001,083,500-1,70018-0.16%16
Bakersfield, Calif.179,200177,400-1,80019-1.00%26
Salt Lake City553,000551,200-1,80019-0.33%18
Rochester, N.Y.440,100438,100-2,00021-0.45%19
Washington2,359,6002,357,600-2,00021-0.09%15
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.207,400205,200-2,20023-1.06%28
Albany, N.Y.346,100343,800-2,30024-0.67%22
Durham, N.C.227,800225,500-2,30024-1.01%27
Allentown-Bethlehem, Pa.305,800303,200-2,60026-0.85%24
Charleston, S.C.246,400242,900-3,50027-1.42%31
Baton Rouge, La.301,900298,200-3,70028-1.23%29
Des Moines, Iowa287,600282,800-4,80029-1.67%32
Harrisburg, Pa.270,300264,800-5,50030-2.04%33
Nashville673,400667,800-5,60031-0.83%23
Worcester, Mass.214,600208,600-6,00032-2.80%41
Portland, Maine172,600165,800-6,80033-3.94%50
Louisville552,600545,600-7,00034-1.27%30
Ogden, Utah159,900152,900-7,00034-4.38%58
Grand Rapids, Mich.357,200349,300-7,90036-2.21%37
Augusta, Ga.172,700163,900-8,80037-5.10%67
New Haven, Conn.246,700237,900-8,80037-3.57%47
Lancaster, Pa.220,100211,200-8,90039-4.04%51
Madison, Wis.269,300260,000-9,30040-3.45%46
Buffalo462,200452,100-10,10041-2.19%36
Hartford473,900463,000-10,90042-2.30%38
Little Rock, Ark.280,000269,100-10,90042-3.89%49
Boise, Idaho235,400224,400-11,00044-4.67%62
Youngstown, Ohio208,400197,300-11,10045-5.33%69
Greenville, S.C.278,000266,700-11,30046-4.07%52
Honolulu362,900351,500-11,40047-3.14%43
Springfield, Mass.251,000239,500-11,50048-4.58%59
Jackson, Miss.209,100197,000-12,10049-5.79%74
Syracuse, N.Y.270,200257,800-12,40050-4.59%60
Fresno, Calif.236,300223,200-13,10051-5.54%71
Modesto, Calif.133,200119,800-13,40052-10.06%98
Chattanooga, Tenn.214,200200,400-13,80053-6.44%81
Tulsa379,500365,400-14,10054-3.72%48
Columbia, S.C.289,500274,900-14,60055-5.04%65
Wichita, Kans.266,700251,800-14,90056-5.59%72
Stockton, Calif.173,400158,000-15,40057-8.88%92
Akron, Ohio294,800278,500-16,30058-5.53%70
Palm Bay-Melbourne, Fla.184,100167,700-16,40059-8.91%93
Bridgeport-Stamford, Conn.375,600358,000-17,60060-4.69%63
Lakeland, Fla.185,700168,100-17,60060-9.48%96
Colorado Springs216,100198,400-17,70062-8.19%89
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, Calif.254,100234,600-19,50063-7.67%88
Toledo, Ohio278,200257,800-20,40064-7.33%86
Richmond524,400502,500-21,90065-4.18%55
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla.190,400167,800-22,60066-11.87%101
Baltimore1,103,0001,079,800-23,20067-2.10%34
Greensboro, N.C.330,700307,200-23,50068-7.11%83
Charlotte764,200740,000-24,20069-3.17%44
Bradenton-Sarasota, Fla.242,800218,500-24,30070-10.01%97
Cincinnati921,900896,900-25,00071-2.71%40
Dayton, Ohio342,000316,800-25,20072-7.37%87
Kansas City871,300843,500-27,80073-3.19%45
Tucson310,200282,200-28,00074-9.03%94
Albuquerque317,600288,000-29,60075-9.32%95
Minneapolis-St. Paul1,570,4001,537,200-33,20076-2.11%35
Providence511,000477,100-33,90077-6.63%82
Jacksonville559,400525,000-34,40078-6.15%78
Memphis557,700522,000-35,70079-6.40%80
Indianapolis808,000770,800-37,20080-4.60%61
Virginia Beach-Norfolk619,100581,600-37,50081-6.06%76
Seattle1,511,1001,473,300-37,80082-2.50%39
Portland, Ore.905,500866,700-38,80083-4.29%56
Birmingham451,500412,500-39,00084-8.64%91
Milwaukee771,000730,900-40,10085-5.20%68
St. Louis1,197,2001,148,200-49,00086-4.09%53
San Diego1,090,2001,037,400-52,80087-4.84%64
Orlando983,000924,100-58,90088-5.99%75
Cleveland935,100876,100-59,00089-6.31%79
Tampa-St. Petersburg1,076,6001,015,000-61,60090-5.72%73
New York City7,402,7007,337,500-65,20091-0.88%25
San Francisco-Oakland1,743,8001,672,100-71,70092-4.11%54
Sacramento667,100590,500-76,60093-11.48%100
Philadelphia2,494,9002,417,600-77,30094-3.10%42
Atlanta2,148,3002,054,700-93,60095-4.36%57
Las Vegas833,300733,300-100,00096-12.00%102
Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.1,047,900933,000-114,90097-10.97%99
Detroit1,750,4001,623,900-126,50098-7.23%85
Phoenix1,695,2001,553,700-141,50099-8.35%90
Miami-Fort Lauderdale2,100,0001,949,500-150,500100-7.17%84
Chicago4,035,7003,830,300-205,400101-5.09%66
Los Angeles4,909,9004,608,600-301,300102-6.14%77

Friday, April 12, 2013

SJ Co-op Brewpub Event at Original Gravity Tomorrow!

For all of you beer-lovers out there, the new SJ Co-op Brewpub is hosting an event along with Calicraft Brewing company over at the Original Gravity Public House. This is going to be the first co-op owned and operated brewpub in California! Ownership costs a mere $150 one-time payment, a small price to pay for being able to say you own a bar (and several other benefits). Full disclosure, I just signed up last week. For more info, just keep on reading.

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SJ Co-op Brewpub is collaborating with Original Gravity on 4/13 for a co-op membership drive event from 1 - 6 pm. Stop by at any time, enjoy delicious beer, pulled pork specials, meet members from the co-op, and chat with the CaliCraft brewers! Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert will be in town that night for their "Good vs. Evil" tour; we're hoping our creative efforts will encourage them to stop by and have some beers with the gang - follow our Facebook page to learn more and get involved!
Event invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/127189327468360/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sjcoopbrewpub?ref=hl
Website: sjcoopbrewpub.com 

About us
San Jose Co-op Brewpub will be the first cooperative brewery in California. We are targeting 3,000 member-owners to help build and be part of this unique addition to the South Bay craft beer community. Our membership is increasing quickly at 130 members to date - now is the time to join and be part of something amazing!
Mission
The mission of the cooperative is for our members to:

*Collaboratively establish and manage a profitable brewpub
*Produce high-quality craft beers that can be paired with great, locally sourced food
*Foster a fun and enjoyable environment for owner-members, worker-members and the public
Company Overview
The Co-op Brewpub is currently made up of a small group of energetic and passionate individuals, from all walks of life, who have spent the last few months laying the ground work for the future brewpub.

We are looking for more members - homebrewers, craft beer enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, adventurists, SJ advocates, and creative people to help build the co-op from the ground up.

Members will help make major decisions in building the co-op; such as what beers to brew, what food to serve, location, and culture.

The dream of a cooperative brewpub is modeled after Black Star Co-op in Austin, Tx - http://www.blackstar.coop/
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For additional info, please reach out to Christine Nguyen Vaeth (christineNvaeth@gmail.com) or Peter Smith (psmithsf@gmail.com), co-chairs of Events & Membership.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The Mmoon Transforms into a Soccer Lounge

One of our most unique Downtown eateries (and one of my personal favorites) has gone through a little makeover. The Mmoon Empanadas has become the only soccer-specific restaurant in the Bay Area. It now features several HD screens, soccer paraphernalia, and a lounge area that can be used for private parties and special events. They have also added a build-your-own personal pizza bar to complement their famous selection of empanadas. For more information you can continue reading below or head over to their website over here. The Mmoon is located at 177 W. Santa Clara, at the corner of N Almaden and Santa Clara Street.

The Soccer Lounge

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Oakridge is Going Country!

Well, it looks like a huge, HUGE, country-themed restaurant will be coming to Oakridge Mall. "Toby Keith's I Love This Bar and Grill" is going to take up a massive 17,594 SQFT, and I would be surprised if there wasn't a commensurate amount of outdoor seating to go along with it. This is a venue known for hosting country music events (hope our events are like the photo below), large guitar-shaped bars, and of course Southern food.

The new restaurant replaces at least five stores: Mainland Skate, Radio Shack, Merkerro Fashions, PacSun, and Cutegirl.com. I wonder if they are planning to go the Santana Row route and increase the ratio of restaurants to retail.

There also appears to be a rumor that the Apple Store will be moving to a newer larger space soon. This would be great news since the only Apple Store in San Jose-proper is also the smallest one I have ever seen (the Valley Fair store is technically in Santa Clara).

Source(s): Hat tip to Sergio Oliveri (shout out to Little Italy San Jose), JAB88, Kennethh



Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Silicon Valley Restaurant Week Goes Biannual

This is now Silicon Valley Restaurant Week's fifth year. Due to the success of the program, they have decided to expand the event to happen twice each year instead of only in October. Dozens of restaurants will be offering fixed-price three-course dinners, making it easy and less expensive to try out several items at new restaurants. I also have to mention that the Capital Club in Downtown San Jose is participating, which is a members-only club with a pretty slick bar and dining room on the 17th floor of the Knight Ridder building.

To see the full list of participating restaurants and learn more about Silicon Valley Restaurant Week, just head over to their website over here.


Monday, April 8, 2013

Al’s #1 Italian Beef Announces San Jose Opening!

The very first Al's #1 Italian Beef location in California is coming to The Plant in San Jose. I hear their sandwiches are pretty fantastic, so I'm looking forward to trying them out! It is also nice to have a new face in a local sandwich scene dominated by Subways, Togos, and Paneras. Their grand opening specials top even what Chick-Fil-A did when they opened their first Silicon Valley restaurant, so I wouldn't be surprised to see people lining up very early in the morning to get these promos. For all the details, keep on reading:

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San JoseCA (April 8, 2013) - Al’s #1 Italian Beef is excited to announce its first restaurant opening in San JoseCalifornia. Located at 71 Curtner Avenue, the location will feature grand opening festivities from Monday, April 15th – Friday, April 19th.

The week long grand opening festivities include:

  • Monday, April 15th: Starting at 11am, the first 100 customers of the day will win 52 Italian Beef sandwiches, totaling one Italian Beef sandwich every week for a year!
  • Tuesday, April 16th: Meet Chicago native and Al’s fanatic, UPDATE: LA Galaxy star, Mike Magee as he indulges in an Al’s Beef and signs autographs from 5pm-8pm. Also, starting at 11am, the first 50 customers will win one Italian Beef, fry and drink every week for 3 months.
  • Wednesday, April 17th: Starting at 11am, the first 50 customers to arrive to Al’s Beef will receive a free Vienna Chicago Hot Dog with fries once a week for the next 3 months.
  • Thursday, April 18th: Starting at 11am, the first 50 customers will receive a free Chicago Polish Sausage sandwich with fries once a week for the next 3 months.
  • Friday, April 19th: Starting at 11am, the first 50 customers will receive an Al’s Burger once a week for the next 3 months.

“We are so excited to be expanding to San Jose,” said Dave Howey, Chicago Franchise Systems, Inc.  “As Chicago’s #1 Italian Beef, we are looking forward to reaching a whole new audience of Italian Beef enthusiasts.”

The San Jose location’s menu will feature classics such as the Al’s Italian Beef, Italian Sausage, Chicago Polish with Fries, Hot Dogs, Burgers, Assorted Salads, Wraps and more. Guests can also have Al’s Beef to go with the Take Home menu featuring Italian Beef / LB, Italian Sausage / LB, French Bread Loaf, Quart of Hot or Sweet Peppers and more.

Al’s #1 Italian Beef is known as the number one Italian Beef sandwich destination in the U.S. and is consistently ranked as one of America’s best sandwiches by top media outlets such as Esquire magazine, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Food Network, Travel Channel and more. Al’s Beef has developed a loyal following and counts local and national celebrities, dignitaries and politicians as dedicated customers.

Location address: 71 Curtner Ave., Ste 80San JoseCA 95125
Phone Number: 408-380-4876
Hours of operation: Monday thru Thursday 11am to 11pm
Friday and Saturday 11am to 12am
Sunday 11am to 10pm

ABOUT AL’S BEEF
Al’s Beef, founded in 1938, and regarded as "Chicago's #1 Italian Beef Sandwich," by Chicago magazine, is one of America’s iconic sandwich destinations. 

The first official Al's Beef stand began as a small, curbside, outdoor, wooden neighborhood food stand with countertop service located in Chicago’s “Little Italy” neighborhood. The beef stand gradually grew and moved to its present location at 1079 W. Taylor Street, still in Chicago’s "Little Italy." Franchised in 1999, Al’s #1 Beef Restaurants has grown significantly in the Chicagoland area and beyond.

For more information about Al’s Beef, please visit www.alsbeef.com

Google Coming to SJC

This post is long over due, but a couple months ago Google announced that they are planning to move their fleet of jets from Moffett Field over to SJC. This new $82M facility would be built on the west side of the airport off Martin Avenue and would include an executive terminal, hangars, and ramp space that can handle planes as large as Boeing 767s. Over the term of the 50-year lease, it should bring in about $130M to SJC (which is owned by San Jose) as well as add over a hundred new jobs to our economy.

The project is a joint venture between Signature Flight Support and Blue City holdings San Jose (which manages Google's planes). The total square footage comes out to be just over a quarter million: 17,000 SQFT for the terminal, 24,000 SQFT for shops, and 240,000 SQFT of hangar space.

If this project is successful, it could mean more companies moving their aviation facilities to San Jose and the airport getting extra attention (may help us nab a few more international flights). Also, if Google execs are flying out of SJC, there is a good chance Google will be sending more of its lower-level employees through SJC as well instead of SFO. This could potentially be a very big win for the airport and the city.

Source: SVBJ

A rendering of what the proposed facility could look like.