Walking into Confidential Coffee, customers are welcomed with the aroma of Mexican-inspired specialty coffee drinks. The walls of the downtown Long Beach coffee shop are decorated with art made by local artists and Pride flags. There is plenty of seating, as well as books and board games — encouraging people to stay a while.
Confidential Coffee is a place made for everyone to feel accepted and is supported by the community, owner Denise Maldonado said. Learning how to continue making her business successful and how to improve it – for not only her customers but also her staff – was an opportunity that she knew she wanted to take.
And so Confidential Coffee is one of several Long Beach small businesses that took part in the city’s second cohort of the Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program.
Level Up LB is designed to propel small businesses toward success and sustainability by offering entrepreneurs an opportunity to connect with essential support resources and undergo comprehensive workshops aimed at crafting new business and marketing plans, according to its website.
“It’s hard,” Maldonado said about running a small business. “But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. It’s very rewarding, especially when I put in everything and then see that my employees put in all the work too, and my community puts in all the work. I’m like, OK, people actually care about what I have to offer, and I think that’s what makes me want to keep going.”
As a small business, the coffee shop has gone through a lot in the past few years, she said. In 2023, Confidential Coffee experienced several break-ins – six within two months. Now, with proper safety measures, the beloved coffee shop has continued to thrive and will celebrate its seventh year in the city this month.
Maldonado said she heard about Level Up LB from different Latino business owners in the city and knew it was an opportunity that helps improve businesses and provide continued support. She was excited to learn that she was selected to participate in this year’s cohort.
Participating entrepreneurs completed a series of workshops, received personalized business counseling and established comprehensive business plans over the course of the 10-week program, according to a press release.
Some of the most valuable takeaways from the program were learning how to break down the costs of goods for her business, Maldonado said, but most importantly, that it’s important to ask for help – and that Long Beach has several resources for small businesses.
“I think what pushed me the most and what I learned the most was that it’s OK to ask for help,” she said. “Getting comfortable with talking to people, asking for help and asking for additional resources, I think that was one of the hardest lessons, but the best takeaway.”
All participating small business owners shared the same sentiment of appreciation for the knowledge gained throughout the program, including Danny Quevedo.
Quevedo is the owner of Tiendita San Juditas, a religious articles business in North Long Beach that offers Bibles, rosaries, candles and gifts for all occasions.
“All the classes that you have to go through and finish are rewarding on their own,” he said. “Everything that I have learned I have been putting into practice.”
Part of the program is working on creating a marketing plan and using tools like social media to promote a business, Quevedo said. He has been posting videos on TikTok and using the app’s shopping feature to gain daily online orders, he said, which has already increased his sales since starting the program.
“The whole experience was great because it wasn’t just me; all of us small businesses are struggling,” Quevedo said. “When we started the program, everything that was going on with the government – the tariffs, the ICE raids – every single business was asking the same question: What do we do? The encouragement of this program is how we can turn it around.”
The Economic Development Department, which facilitated the program, awarded $220,000 in grants to the 24 businesses that successfully completed the Level Up LB program. A culmination ceremony for the program took place on Thursday, Sept. 4, at the Aquarium of the Pacific.
The awarded businesses included a mix of restaurants, retail shops, and health and wellness facilities throughout the city.
“The Level Up LB Program embodies Long Beach’s dedication to cultivating entrepreneurship and sustaining a vibrant, business-friendly city,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “Each investment in our local small businesses sparks new opportunities, drives innovation and enriches the fabric of our community.”
The department received 229 applications for Level Up LB, of which 121 qualified for review by a selection panel, and 20 were selected to participate. Businesses were scored and selected for their need and readiness to participate, the potential impact of the program to their business and diversity of representation across all parts of the city and multiple industries.
Each small business that completed the program received $10,000 in grant funding, a one-year membership to the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and a marketing package from Visit Long Beach, according to a press release.
Four more businesses that were selected as alternates and successfully completed the program also received $5,000 each.
The 24 businesses were Confidential Coffee and Tiendita San Juditas, as well as Andrade’s Notary & Tax Service; California Locksmith Company; Coffee Parlor; El Paisa, LLC; Elations Extension Lounge & Hair Collection; Encore Awards; Dieseltronics Injection Service; Dreamy Vegan; Firm Hands Incorporated; Holistic Sports Acupuncture, Inc.; Inky Dreams Tattoo LLC; La Guanaquita Restaurant, Corp.; Lash Brow and Beyond; Long Beach Kickboxing; Nueva Imagen Beauty Salon; Pastrana’s Beauty Salon; PBS Pub & Co.; Prozix LLC; The Bed Post; The Muse Academy; Toxic Toast Records; and Vargas Marble, LLC.
“Supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses fuels the heartbeat of our local economy and helps our community grow in strength and character,” said Economic Development Department Director Bo Martinez. “We’re honored to stand alongside these 24 businesses on their journey and excited that Level Up LB will continue empowering entrepreneurs to reach new heights.”
In May, Level Up LB was recognized by the California Association for Local Economic Development with an Award of Merit in the category of programs and promotions. With more than 900 members, CALED is the premier statewide professional economic development organization, dedicated to advancing its members’ ability to achieve excellence in delivering economic development services to their communities and business clients.
City officials, meanwhile, said they are committed to empowering small businesses. Over the past year, the BizCare team has provided support and resources to more than 1,884 businesses and 467 businesses have received assistance through the Inclusive Business Navigators Program. Last year, $266,000 was awarded to 29 businesses that successfully completed the first cohort of Level Up LB.
The second cohort of this program was made possible by one-time funding that was approved by the Long Beach City Council as part of the adopted fiscal year 2025 budget.
