01/31/2026
How quickly things can change.
One day you’re sweeping the sidewalk in front of your shop, cleaning the windows, thinking if you just keep showing up it will all work out-then one day, you just know.
For me, it was around this time last year. I stood outside HAUS watching Amazon trucks drive past, while I opened the door, turned on the lights, and realized I wasn’t going to make it.
Small businesses in Pacifica are being hit hard right now. Most people don’t realize how fast or how deeply this shift has happened. I understand it..totally. Life is expensive. The cost of living is high. Everyone has to be more thoughtful about money. People are still shopping… but more and more, they’re choosing the convenience of online.
And that choice is changing the landscape of our town.
We live in Pacifica because of its charm. It’s small businesses. Its people. And it’s honestly scary to think that those things can slowly disappear, not all at once, but one storefront at a time.
Recently, we lost another local business. And we know every closure has its own story, the truth is this: many of our local shops are struggling. Even when it looks busy, visitors are in town, even when the lights are still on. A lot of them are barely holding on. For so many business owners here, their shop is everything. It supports their families. It allows them to show up for this community. And there isn’t an easy exit.
If there’s one thing I want to ask **from the heart** it’s this:
Please choose local when you can.
Come downtown. Walk into the shops. Say hello. Buy the coffee. Buy wine. Pick up art, a plant, flowers, skin care, a t-shirt, jewelry, a sandwich, yarn, açai, beer, a bagel, vintage… so on and so on. Grab the gift in person. Follow, share, tag, tell your friends. Even small acts matter more than you know.
These businesses don’t exist just to sell things.
They exist to create connection.
To make Pacifica feel like home.
To turn a town into a community.
If you love Pacifica.
If you love the way it feels to walk its streets.
If you love knowing the people behind the counters!
Please don’t forget about them.
🌊 ♥️
