LGBTQ+-DRIVEN BUSINESSES
Pride All Year in Sacramento
Sacramento has been a hub for the LGBTQ+ community and inclusivity since its first Pride March in 1979. Sacramento Pride continues that tradition with parades, performances and vendors in a more intimate, budget-friendly setting compared to larger cities. Visitors can explore spaces like the Lavender Library, a volunteer-run archive and community hub, and Badlands, a premier nightclub with drag shows and parties. The city offers an accessible and intergenerational Pride experience full of energy and diversity.
Santa Rosa: A Vibrant LGBTQ+ Hub
Home to the world’s second-largest Pride festival and year-round events, Santa Rosa is a welcoming destination for LGBTQ+ travelers. October’s Pride n’ Vino and summer’s Gay Wine Weekend highlight wine, drag brunches and community celebrations. Businesses like Brew Coffee & Beer, a lesbian-owned taproom, and Noble Folk Ice Cream & Pie Bar, founded by LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, reflect the city’s inclusive culture.
Santa Maria Valley’s Lark + Sparrow
Owned by wife-and-wife duo Micaela and Johnna, Lark + Sparrow in Old Town Orcutt is both a vintage-themed bar and boutique. With nearly 30 years in hospitality, they’ve created a space serving curated wines and beers alongside art and vintage treasures—all available for purchase. The venue hosts trivia, live music and Santa Maria Valley Pride events, making it a true community gathering place.
Sweet & Savory Co.: Flavors of Love and Community
The Sweet & Savory Collective, founded by husbands Steven Torres and Gan Suebsarakham, blends bold global flavors with inclusivity. Rooted in their Hispanic and Thai heritage, they launched Stella Jean’s Ice Cream and Pop Pie Co., now spanning 12 locations across San Diego and beyond. Their mission goes beyond food—building community through welcoming spaces and shared values.
WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES
Italian Roots in San Diego: Invita Café & Orfila Winery
Entrepreneur Sara De Luca bridges cultures through her ventures in San Diego. Her Invita Café, with two locations, celebrates the Italian café tradition of gathering and connection, rooted in her childhood memories of summers spent in Italy. Sara also leads Orfila Vineyards and Winery, producing small-batch wines that reflect her dedication to craft and community.
Concord: A Hub for Women-Owned Innovation
In Concord, Epidemic Ales, co-founded by Erin Schally and Holly Cottrell, has become a Bay Area favorite with award-winning brews and a welcoming taproom. Nearby, Nicole Milliner’s Mighty Mallow transforms nostalgic treats into gourmet creations, earning national recognition including Oprah’s Favorite Things.
Buellton’s Women-Led Businesses
Buellton thrives with women-led and co-owned businesses that define its charm and community spirit. Visitors can sip coffee at Little King Coffee, feed ostriches at OstrichLand USA, savor farm-to-table fare at Industrial Eats and enjoy authentic Thai cuisine at Na Na Thai, co-founded by Ashley Ramirez and her partner.
Healdsburg’s Women Entrepreneurs
Healdsburg boasts more than 35 women-owned businesses, driving innovation in hospitality, wine and dining. Circe Sher is behind Hotel Healdsburg, h2hotel and Harmon Guest House, while also supporting arts and nonprofits. Alison Smith Story founded Smith Story Wine Cellars, combining resilience and authenticity in the wine world. In the culinary scene, Melissa Yanc of Quail & Condor and Troubadour Bread & Bistro brings heritage and creativity to the table, shaping Healdsburg into a hub of female leadership.
Solvang’s Women-Owned Ventures
Solvang’s retail scene is shaped by women-owned ventures centered on community and creativity. Solvang Spice Merchant and Hund N Kat Pet Boutique produce curated spices, teas and pet goods, while Craft and Create offers DIY art projects for all ages. Sister studio Art Spot focuses on fine arts and vineyard painting experiences.
Modesto’s Women-Led Spirit
Modesto’s inclusivity thrives through women-owned businesses. At 18Seventy Brewing Co., Bridget Berry brings craft beer to life in a male-dominated field. Roberts Ferry Gourmet, led by Kim West, and Mocha Magic Café by Maria Apodaca showcase passion for sweets, rooted in local heritage.
Pismo Beach’s Women of Flavor
Pismo Beach celebrates women-owned businesses that bring communities together. Kulturhaus, founded by Jen Kirchner, offers craft brews and kombucha rooted in fermentation traditions. Surfside Donuts serves fresh handmade treats under owner Carrie McKay’s leadership, while Penny’s All American Café remains a beloved breakfast tradition thanks to Penny Rodriguez's warm hospitality.
FUELING COMMUNITY: A BLEND OF BIPOC, AAPI & QUEER WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES
Occidental’s Altamont General Store: Seed to Service
In Occidental, the Altamont General Store, a queer, woman-owned café, bakery, wine shop and market, is a hub of inclusivity. Founded by Jenay and Andzia Hofftin, the business blends backgrounds in organic farming, wellness and culinary arts. The historic building now serves farm-fresh meals, artisan goods and live music in “The Yard.” Guided by its “Seed to Service” mission, Altamont thoughtfully sources ingredients while fostering community and creativity.
Santa Monica’s Tapestry of Diverse, Local Business
Santa Monica celebrates inclusivity through its diverse mix of immigrant-, women- and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. Visitors can dine at Socalo, a women- and LGBTQ+-owned Mexican restaurant, or Xuntos, a tapas bar by first-generation immigrant Sandra Cordero. Café Ruisseau, a Black-owned café, fosters community over coffee and breakfast, while Ten Women Gallery showcases works by local women artists.
San Luis Obispo’s Community of Diverse Flavors and Entrepreneurs
SLO CAL is shaped by BIPOC, women, immigrant and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs whose businesses highlight the region’s diversity. Highlights include Indigené Cellars, a Black-owned vineyard; Noi’s 2nd Street Café, a Thai immigrant-owned eatery; and Life Elements, a Latina-owned skincare brand. Locals and visitors can also experience LGBTQ+-owned Junkgirls in San Luis Obispo, family-run Stilson Cellars in Paso Robles, and immigrant- and LGBTQ+-owned Mirazur Restaurant in Los Osos. Thrifty Beaches, a Black-owned vintage shop, promotes sustainability and creativity, while Blackwater Boutique offers LGBTQ+ representation through eclectic goods. Ebony, an Ethiopian women-owned restaurant, shares culture through food and tradition, while Nate’s on Marsh, a queer-owned Michelin-mentioned eatery, creates a welcoming fine-dining space.
Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain at Oakland Museum
On view until March 1, 2026, “Black Spaces: Reclaim & Remain” at the Oakland Museum examines the history and resilience of the Bay Area’s Black communities. The exhibition explores displacement in Russell City and West Oakland through family archives, maps and personal artifacts. It also invites artists, architects and archivists to imagine the future of Black spaces, focusing on reclamation and resilience. The show underscores both the struggles and enduring strength of Black culture in California.
Fairfield’s Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Flavors
Fairfield’s inclusivity shines through its many AAPI-owned restaurants. Highlights include Pho Saigon and SaiGon Nho for traditional Vietnamese cuisine, Hot Stone Korean Kitchen and Koreana BBQ for authentic Korean dishes and Maru Korean Bistro for modern Korean fusion.
Santa Clara Welcomes All Dreamers
Santa Clara celebrates inclusivity with women- and AAPI-owned businesses shaping its dining and coffee culture. Women-owned gems include Jiaren Café, Volaré Studios, WhatCoffee & Bakery and Boichick Bagels. AAPI-owned highlights range from Rantei Japanese Cuisine and Voyager Craft Coffee to Dumpling Capital, Seorai Korean BBQ and Sulbing Café.
Mi Sueño Winery: An Immigrant’s Dream
Founded in 1997 by Rolando and Lorena Herrera, Mi Sueño Winery in Napa Valley is a testament to resilience and heritage. Rolando, a Mexican immigrant who began as a dishwasher, became a celebrated winemaker with bottles served at the White House. Lorena brings deep viticultural roots as the eldest of nine in a grape-growing family.
Los Angeles: Dreams in Every Neighborhood
Los Angeles thrives on diversity, with entrepreneurs from every background shaping its neighborhoods. Six Tastes Food Tours, founded by Asian-American siblings, guides visitors through culinary traditions, while Coffee Del Mundo serves ethically sourced, vegan-friendly brews in South LA. Legacy eateries like Bludso’s BBQ and Dulan’s Soul Food honor Black culinary traditions, while Yuca’s Restaurant in Pasadena celebrates Yucatecan heritage under women-led leadership.
Sonoma County’s Inclusive Spirit
Sonoma County celebrates inclusion through diverse businesses, farms and artistic projects. Afro-Indigenous Earthseed Farm in Sebastopol fosters sustainable farming and healing, while Teatro ALMAS Libres tells immigrant and Indigenous stories through performance.
Elk Grove: Community Through Food & Wine
Elk Grove’s inclusivity shines with two standout ventures. MacQue’s BBQ, Black- and veteran-owned since 1986, has grown from a grassroots catering venture into a community staple, now led by the founder’s son. Ever After Wine, a women-owned wine bar founded by childhood friends Kelly Rhodes and Nadia Mincey, offers sustainable wines and themed community nights.
Rancho Cordova’s Minority-Owned Gems
Rancho Cordova celebrates diverse entrepreneurship with standout eateries. Sugar Sweetery, a queer and women-owned bakery, has earned national recognition with appearances on Food Network and local festivals. Daddy O’s Smokehouse, a Black-owned BBQ joint, carries on a family tradition passed down through generations.
Irvine’s Blue Hummingbird Roastery
Blue Hummingbird Roastery, an LGBTQ+- and POC-owned business, brings multicultural vibrancy to Irvine and beyond with four locations. Inspired by co-owner Christian’s Guatemalan coffee roots, the café offers unique drinks like their Kenyan-Guatemalan cold brew and Spanish Dark Latte. Their menu also features matcha, breakfast burritos, gelato and pastries.
Corazón: Immigrant-Owned Culinary Group in the Central Coast
Chef Ramón Velázquez brings authentic Mexican cuisine to California’s Central Coast through Corazón, a hospitality group. Inspired by his roots in Guadalajara, Ramón began with a pop-up in 2016 and has grown his business into multiple beloved restaurants, including Corazón Cocina and Alma Fonda Fina. His menus honor heritage while using top local ingredients and partnerships with farmers.