Melrose BID Blog

  Round 3 of Micro-Enterprise, Small Business and NonProfit Grant Relief Now Open! Thank you for your interest in the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund for small businesses, nonprofits and micro-entrepreneurs facing immediate financial pressure because of COVID-19. The Round 3 application period is now open. Click here to apply. Your application must be completed by Friday, August 7th, 11:59 p.m. PT.  Please keep the following in mind: 1. Each awardee is limited to one grant. 2. Grants will be made to qualified businesses, micro-entrepreneurs and nonprofits and based on accurate and complete submission and verification of required documentation. Please note that Round 2 winners will be notified via email by the end of the day on Monday August 3rd. Please be sure to check your spam and junk folders for an email from lacovidfund@lisc.org to see if you were selected as a finalist. Those that are not selected as a finalist will not be notified and are encouraged to More COVID-19 resources below:apply for a grant in Round 3. 1. City of LA 2. County of LA 3. Business Source Centers in the City of LA 4. LISC LA COVID Resources If you have questions not answered by the FAQ, please email LACovidFund@lisc.org. We are monitoring this inbox […]

The window opening July 20th – July 24th. Here is a link to the website for information and to apply: https://www.lacovidfund.org/grants There will be 4 additional rounds after this. Criteria includes: Small businesses are eligible for $15,000 grants Registered for-profit business entities that have a yearly gross revenue of more than $100,000 but less than $1 million based on most recent available tax return (2018 or 2019). Must have 2018 or 2019 tax return to verify revenue. Must be an “Active” business with the California Secretary of State. Additional Requirements: All entities must have been created as of September 2019. Small businesses must have filed taxes for the fiscal year 2018 or 2019 to verify that their gross revenue was greater than $100,000 but less than $1,000,000. Non-profits must have filed 990 forms for the fiscal year 2018 or 2019 to verify that their gross revenue was $1,000,000 or less. Upon award, Nonprofits must be able to provide tax status verification documentation. Upon award, Small businesses and non-profits must be able to verify that their entity is “Active” with the California Secretary of State. Upon award, Veteran-owned businesses will need to provide DD214 forms Upon award, all winners must provide […]

In the heart of the Melrose Business Improvement District you’ll find Antonio’s, one of the oldest businesses on the street. Antonio’s has been serving delicious authentic Mexican food for over 30 years. With signature posada and mole dishes, the flavors under their roof are as tasty as they are timeless. Owner, Antonio Gutiérrez, delivers authentic Mexican recipes passed down from his mother, Maria Lopez Gutiérrez. And, if you’re lucky, you can catch Antonio himself behind the bar slicing limes, pouring premium tequila and offering up an easy smile filled with pride. Long before Melrose Ave became the celebrity destination for shopping it is today, stars came from far and wide for the one-of-a-kind flavors and friendly personal service. From Jonny Depp to Christopher Walken to Mick Jagger, the “wall of fame” at Antonio’s is constantly expanding. Antonio’s is a family affair. I was hard pressed to find a staff member that wasn’t directly related to Antonio or married to one of his children. The personal investment in the success of the business results in an attention to detail you can’t find anywhere else. Gutiérrez’s daughter has turned the restaurant into a gallery of Mexican cultural artwork, like day of the […]

For people that remember Melrose Avenue in the 1980s and 1990s, Headline Records is a capture of that time when mohawked punkers with spiked wristbands were the in-crowd. For those that don’t remember, the shop is easily the best place in Los Angeles to find punk, garage, ska, and hardcore music and gear. But everyone knows the French guy that is holding the torch for old-school music retail in his legendary Melrose Avenue record store. Jean-Luc (John) Gaudry was a young man managing a grocery store in France, and approaching his 30s with a mission. “I started to work at 15 years old, and around 30 I wanted to do something very extreme. Music was my passion for a long time, so I decided why not try to live my passion, a record store, and why not in L.A., the capital of punk rock?” he recalls. “I have only one life, let’s do it!” From years of ordering vinyl, tapes, and ‘zines through the mail from all over the world (yes kids, that’s how we did it back then), John had forged relationships with players in the scene. He also vacationed in Los Angeles in the ‘80s almost every year. […]