Altadena’s diverse small business community looks to rebuild after deadly LA wildfires

When the Los Angeles wildfires swept through Southern California in January, Barbara Shay lost much more than the building housing the cafe she owned.

Gone were the ingredients for menu items like grits or pancakes. Gone were the photos of icons ranging from former President Barack Obama to actor Richard Pryor that had lined the walls. Gone, too, were the decades of labor from Shay’s family.

“I am still in shock,” Shay said in an interview with CNBC. “It’s an emotional roller coaster — not just for me, but just for everyone.”

Shay is part of the diverse fabric of small business owners in Altadena, a town about 15 miles outside downtown L.A that was hard hit by last month’s blaze. As the community starts the yearslong rebuilding process, entrepreneurs like Shay are starting to chart their paths forward.

She plans to rebuild the 70-year-old Little Red Hen Coffee Shop and is evaluating the finances for opening up a temporary storefront or popups. The business spans generations: After following in the footsteps of her mother and brother in owning the business, she now works alongside her daughter and grandson.

But while many in Altadena’s entrepreneurial community remain optimistic about a recovery, multiple business owners described lengthy and difficult roads ahead.

Some businesses were burned entirely to the ground like Shay’s, while others face long-term displacement due to damage or smoke. For those fortunate enough to have brick-and-mortar properties still standing, they’re surrounded by what some have described in interviews as “ground zero.”

“It’s kind of unfathomable,” said Henri Wood, who owned a cannabis business called The Flourish Group that was burned down. “What was once just a vibrant, lively community is just completely gone.”

Altadena’s diversity cannot be understated. Census data shows that more than half of the population is people of color, with Latinos making up 27% of residents and Black people accounting for 18%.

Altadena has historically been known as a hub for Black families and businesses after being one of the only Los Angeles County areas exempt from redlining during the Civil Rights movement. The Associated Press found that the home ownership rate for Black people in Altadena now sits above 80%, which is nearly double the national average.

But Altadena’s business owners – many of whom also grew up and now raise families there – are worried the fires will leave that diversity in the rubble. Emeka Chukwurah, founder of community culture center Rhythms of the Village, said he’s concerned that the fires will expedite gentrification that was already taking place in the neighborhood.

Black residents accounted for more than 40% of the town’s population in 1980, according to Altadena Heritage. That proportion has been more than halved since then. Chukwurah has sold Altadena-branded merchandise to keep the community and its diversity from being forgotten by broader society.

“I’m hoping that we can keep the developers and those kind of people at bay so that we can hold on to what’s been built over generations,” Chukwurah said. “I’m hoping that this one will be in the history books as a resilient community, and that a large amount of us — or, if not, all of us — can stay to tell the story.”

Insurance agent Maricela Viramontes has seen how homeowners in the town at the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains are responding firsthand. Many are accustomed to fires due to its geographic location, she said, but they did not expect the destruction seen in January. The deadly fires caused more than $250 billion in damage and economic loss, according to an AccuWeather estimate.

Viramontes, who has lived in Altadena for nearly 25 years, woke up the morning after the fires in a shelter, as it was the only place her family could find to evacuate to. By early that morning, she began receiving calls while still at the shelter from clients looking for guidance on filing claims for lost property.

It’s the same paperwork that she, too, is filling out. Shortly after that day taking calls in the shelter, Viramontes learned that her home and car were both destroyed. Her office needs months of repairs for smoke damage.

“Everyone asks, ‘What can I do?, ‘How can I help you?,'” said Viramontes, who now lives and works out of her parents’ home nearby. “It’s so hard to answer that question when you don’t know.”

As businesses begin draft plans to clear their land and build new structures, they’re making plans for how to make ends meet in the short term.

Wood’s cannabis shop, for instance, has been connecting customers directly with providers while it figures out a long-term strategy. He called donations and mutual aid a “lifeline” for the business, which he said is excluded from several government aid programs because marijuana is not legalized federally.

Multiple entrepreneurs interviewed by CNBC said they are considering short-term rentals. They’re also considering business loans, though there’s concern about owing money with the financial outlook for their ventures so uncertain.

Through it all, these owners haven’t forgotten they are part of a community that’s stepping up to meet the moment.

Steve Salinas, who’s owned a namesake bike shop in Altadena for nearly four decades, has been repairing donated bicycles and re-homing them with community members. He’s gotten parts donated from other shops and monetary support through GoFundMe.

“Everybody sort of pitches in to help where they can,” said Salinas, who is looking for a short-term rental space after his store burned down. “People that have lost everything are donating their time and their resources and, most importantly, their connections to help other people in the community heal.”

In the same vein, Rhythms of the Village’s Chukwurah opened a free boutique with clothing and other necessities at his family home. It’s the temporary headquarters for the business, which has previously offered drum lessons and classes on Nigerian languages and African history, after their storefront burned down.

Chukwurah said he’s committed to keeping the business in the Altadena area. As he scouts out a new location for the center, he’s planning to purchase this time around instead of rent.

“The structures are down,” he said, “but the community spirit is up.”

— NBC News contributed to this report.