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Long Beach Businesses Get $205,000 Boost to Level Up
By Staff Writer
Published on Mon, Oct 12, 2026
Small businesses are getting a little extra help leveling up in Long Beach.
The City’s Department of Economic Development & Opportunity recently awarded a total of $205,000 in grants, split among 25 local businesses that recently completed the third round of its Level Up LB: Extreme Small Business Makeover and Grant Program.
The program is designed to give small-business owners more than just a check. Over 10 weeks, participating entrepreneurs took part in workshops, received one-on-one business counseling and worked on comprehensive business plans to help their companies grow.
Twenty businesses received $10,000 grants, while five businesses that originally participated as alternates received $1,000 each after successfully completing the program.
And the perks didn't stop there. Participants also received a one-year membership with the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and a marketing package from Visit Long Beach.
The latest Level Up LB cohort represents an impressive array of Long Beach businesses, from service providers to retailers to restaurants—even a commercial driver’s licence training program and a theater company. Here’s the full list:
- 1984 Barbershop
- Abby's Beauty Salon
- Ace of Spades Tattoo
- All In CDL Training
- Ambiance Skin Care
- American Vintage Barbershop
- Antonio's Barber Supply
- Auto Stop Insurance Services
- Boba Bee
- Brakenetic
- Guerrero Taqueria
- Hacienda Ruan
- International City Theatre
- Jessbraids Fareal
- Long Beach Beer Lab
- Long Beach Woodwinds
- Lovely Beauty Salon
- Pro Spa Nails and Hair
- PS Fast Food 168
- SEM Computer
- Sesame Dinette
- Sticky Icky Funnel Cakes
- The Bicycle Stand
- Unforgettable Lemonade
- Wrigley Coffee
The program's third cohort was competitively selected from a pool of 219 applications, with 95 businesses ultimately qualifying for consideration. 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.
This is the third round of Level Up LB, and it was funded through one-time money approved by the Long Beach City Council as part of the City's Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
