Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce’s Post

Had a wonderful work shift today at the opening event of Aberdeen South Harbour by Port of Aberdeen, which inspired this long post on a Sunday evening. The event hosted around 10,000 folk from Aberdeen and beyond, all keen to see what many thought was something they read in the papers, something far and has nothing to do with them. By opening their doors to the public, the Port allowed folk to feel part of it. I eventually lost count how many people told me today “I had no idea this was on our doorstep”, or “I never thought this had anything to do with me”, or “oh, actually so great to see something that is going to contribute to the local economy”, and “so great to see something like this happening in Aberdeen”. Despite some logistical ‘teething problems’ at the beginning, it was a fantastically successful event. After writing up the ‘industrialisation vs sense of place” section in my thesis earlier this week, what I witnessed today resonated incredibly well. Engaging with the community is seen as a driver for the sense of belonging, ownership and sense of place, thus supporting more positive attitudes towards development. Then, the benefits will be perceived as higher, thus increasing the value of the development in the eyes of the community. This in turn will contribute to a more constructive and meaningful engagement with locals, and co-creation of solutions to any negative impacts, leading to a more sustainable development ✅ Also, was great to see Robert Gordon University stall there, and many other local organisations. The pizza van guy said they had sold out, as well as other food trucks. Another positive outcome. #aberdeen #localcommunity #senseofplace #phd

The adage: Everything old is new again is due for a revival. Developing real estate that lays the foundation for flourishing communities revives me. My passion is housing and hospitality is my gift. Living in this astonishing time calls for both. Our housing choices don’t come close to meeting our needs for shelter, much less sociability. Neighborhood diners that served as connective tissue are now rare. The disappearance of these critical elements results in lonelier, angrier communities. We pay an awful price. This remedy is so obvious, it just might work. I intend to develop real estate that addresses our need for housing and connection. Purchase a storefront, build it out as a licensed kitchen, and lease it to a cooperative of food service professionals. Each member would ply their goods or ancillary services. Food service professionals won’t have the burden, expense, and responsibility of a restaurant. This sets the stage for a bustling diner that serves as a community hub. Many opportunities, such as catering and supplying the booming prepared food market can be tapped from a licensed kitchen. In addition to the food service co-op, I want to develop a clean, cute, charming, harmonious, and well managed boarding house that is so inviting that there is a waiting list. I envision this as a template that would work in Anytown, USA, and a network would be ideal. My initial focus is Stockton, Illinois, my hometown, a modest farming community of 1,825 in beautiful Jo Daviess county, 3 hours west of Chicago. The Front Porch School is my launching pad with a vlog and a website soon. This is a big-tent undertaking that invites participation. If it interests you, I'd love to connect and talk.

Oregon Business asked leaders in Oregon’s business and political sectors what they make of 2023 — and what they hope to see in 2024. Here’s what they said: Jason Brandt President & CEO, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association Without question, the high point was getting further away from the grueling regulations endured by Oregon’s hospitality industry during the pandemic. The saga of COVID was nothing less than an explosion of disruptions and uncertainty. Moving beyond those challenges and reclaiming a sense of normalcy in our industry remains our focus. And there is plenty left to do in support of our restaurants and hotels as they work to sustain their operations and the employment opportunities they provide in a post-COVID world. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gJfVyAhM

Downtown Cleveland's 2023 Economic Development Report demonstrates the momentum we have made through relentless focus and advocacy from our organizations and continued partnerships with key stakeholders. In addition to retail and residential growth, recommitment in the office market, and significant investment Downtown, we made strides in our environment and experience work. ▪ Clean & Safe Program: The report details the program’s efficacy through increased personnel and data-driven deployment strategies – 1,400-plus safety escorts, 112,000 hours of deployment, and more than 802,000 pounds of trash collected, to name a few. ▪ Activation of Public Spaces: More than 28 programs across 155 days ensured a lively Downtown throughout the year, attracting significant crowds. ▪ Large-Scale Events: In addition to regular programming, Downtown Cleveland’s annual WinterLand event, and MetroHealth Juneteenth Freedom Festival brought a combined crowd of more than 400,000 people to the city’s core. Bumps in residents, retail point to downtown needs | Crain's Cleveland Business (crainscleveland.com)

TL: DR - Food trucks are coming to the streets of downtown Portland! Yesterday marked a significant milestone! City Council voted unanimously to approve a pilot project I have been championing! It is no secret that getting downtown Portland back on its feet has been, and will continue to be, an all-hands task that demands both commitment, as well as creativity. For my part, I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to engage the help of a community that has contributed so much to my own personal development; Portland's food truck community! In short - anyone, public or private can work with PBOT to bring food trucks to their block for a few hours a day! The substance of this pilot project comes down to two key elements: 1. City Code Transformation: Pulls back sections of City Code, making it legal for us to allow food trucks to vend right on the street (as opposed to in a private lot). 2. Healthy Business Program Expansion: Expands on the Healthy Business Program (the program responsible for all the amazing street seating we see at restaurants across Portland) allowing us to build a scaffolding of permitting and support for both food truck owners, as well as anyone in the central city (public or private) who may want to host a food truck. This Pilot is all about activating our public and privately owned spaces (Portland Parks & Recreation collab anyone?), supporting our local food truck owners - a quintessentially Portland group of small business entrepreneurs, and working towards bringing more people downtown. Now I want to hear from you! Can you think of any amazing food trucks that you would love to see join us in working to revitalize downtown? If so, I want to hear all about them. Leave a comment with their name, the best thing on their menu, and why you think they would be a great fit for the program as we hit the streets in February! If you have any questions about the pilot, thoughts on things we should look out for, ideas for ways to make it even better, or want to collaborate on activating a street - I would also love to hear from you! I want to extend a thank you to David McEldowney from PBOT. Without your expertise, we could not have gotten this project across the finish line so quickly! I also want to express my thanks to Commissioner Mingus Mapps, your leadership and support were crucial to bringing this to a unanimous vote. I would also like to thank our Chief of Staff Michelle Rodríguez for believing in this effort, and giving me the support I needed to see this realized! https://lnkd.in/g-J5unkh

Mark your calendar for Jan 11th-13th for our first annual business owners REFRESH retreat. It’s gonna be an incredible time of worship, reflection, connection, and equipping. You won’t want to miss it! More info to come. #foundryrefresh2024 #thefoundryadvisory #businessownersretreat #businessrefocus #soulrenewal #gottogetaway #prayhustlerestrepeat

PSA: This is networking. A group of local small business owners I get together with every quarter to chat about Placer County and share ideas. Each ones successes and opportunities helps the rest strategize growth and sustainability. We met at a new restaurant to show support for the community around us. 🤙☘️ #networking #supportlocalbusinesses #shareideas #knowledgeispower

Bakers is a #familybusiness. Not only are we an independent, family run business established five decades ago, we have a number of families working with us including father and son team Dave and Charlie. It speaks volumes to recommend your place of work to friends and family. #familybusiness #independent #labelsandpackaging #highquality #greatplacetowork #wellbeingatwork

This is me after days of cooking, scrubbing hired kitchens, admin, finances, meetings, ordering, getting the car fixed, training a dog, making sure my kids are ok (child 1 is about to give birth any day), not much sleep, worrying about the rising costs of everything and the effect it is having on the business and having to re-write the business plan, again. Facilitating workshops, being on a commission, needing a hair cut (desperately), not eating properly and dealing with the ever present thing that is my brain that functions entirely outside of the realms of norm. Constantly wondering why funding is given to projects and organisations that achieve nothing. Its not flattering and I got a shock to see how exhausted I look, but, as always, my life with food runs deep and it is a central part of me. I have a couple of weeks 'working from home' booked in and cannot wait. Running your own small business in this economic climate is horrendous at times but I will not give up, I have worked too hard. The cost of ingredients is eye watering and I cannot reflect in the increases in my products or services as I would price myself out of the market. Oh, we are also renovating a house. #theburntchefproject #cheflife #smallbusinessowner #sortthecountryout #knackered #imofftobed