Business on the Upswing in Parts of Claremont

In Claremont, what was once a nearly-empty shopping complex is now filled with bustling businesses.

The Claremont Promenade, off of the Indian Hill Boulevard exit on the 10 freeway, has “gotten very busy in the past year,” according to Brian Desatnik, Director of Community Development.

“There are two or three new restaurants now open,” he said. “Norms anchors it, and it is just crazy-busy all the time. The Super King Market is always busy. The whole center was pretty much empty and in foreclosure, and it was brought back.”

And the Claremont Promenade isn’t the only active area. 

“Downtown just always stays busy,” Desatnik said. “There is some turnover, but vacancies don’t last very long in downtown. We have more local and regional chains than national, and they seem to just fit better and are more flexible with the spaces that are available in the area.”

Businesses in Claremont cater to residents and students from the Claremont Colleges, but also do brisk business with out-of-towners.

“I think we draw people from the region,” Desatnik said. “I think we’ve become a restaurant destination, sort of like the place to go east of Pasadena. We get a lot of people who just come to Claremont and then decide where to eat.”

One new restaurant in town is Z Pizza. Crepes de Paris is scheduled to open soon.

“Things do seem to be picking up,” Desatnik said. “People are building things.”

According to Desatnik, it’s also easier now for businesses to set up shop in Claremont.

“We’ve become a much more business friendly place,” he said. “Some years ago, we had a reputation of being a harder place to do business. I would say that’s not true anymore. We’ve changed a lot of our practices, made it easier to process applications, and are more flexible on signage. We’ve done a lot to help the business community.”