Every dollar you spend tells a story. When you shop at Old Town Camarillo, that story includes a family building their legacy, an artist pursuing their passion, and a community growing stronger together. Small Business Monday isn’t just another shopping day on the calendar. It’s your chance to put your money where your values are.
Coffee With a Side of Community
Start your day right at Tree Lounge Coffee on Ventura Boulevard. This father-son operation serves locally roasted beans from Beacon Coffee Company while showcasing rotating artwork from local artists. Their walls transform into a gallery where creativity meets caffeine. Open Sunday through Friday from 7 am to 3 pm and Saturdays until 4 pm, this shop proves that the best coffee comes with connection.
Swing by Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters for another dose of locally crafted brews. These coffee spots understand that when you choose independent businesses over chains, you’re investing in relationships, not just transactions.
Treasures Worth Finding
Looking for that perfect gift nobody else will have? Lindy Loops at 616 Las Posas Road redefines what a gift shop can be. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, this place stocks unique finds you won’t see anywhere else. Similarly, Marcy’s Attic at 302 N. Lantana St. welcomes visitors Thursday through Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm with antique, vintage, and resale treasures that tell their own stories.
Saturday Mornings Done Right
The Camarillo Certified Farmers Market takes over 2220 Ventura Boulevard every Saturday from 8 am to noon. Beyond fresh produce straight from local farms, you’ll find everything from handmade jewelry to fresh pasta. This market does double duty by funding grief and bereavement programs through Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice, so your shopping literally helps families in need.
Live music fills the air while kids play on the grass. Vendors sell organic eggs, artisan bread, locally caught seafood, and pottery crafted by your neighbors. It’s the kind of place where you can actually talk to the person who grew your tomatoes or baked your sourdough.
The Numbers Tell the Real Story
California has 4.2 million small businesses, which represent 99.8% of all companies in the state, according to the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. These businesses employ 7 million Californians, nearly half the private workforce. When you shop small, you’re directly supporting your neighbors who pay local taxes, hire local workers, and reinvest in the community.
Studies by the California State Assembly show that microenterprises provide products and services tailored to local needs while stimulating economic activity within communities. Translation: your money circulates locally instead of disappearing into a distant corporate bank account.
Old Town Wandering
Old Town Camarillo, along Ventura Boulevard, deserves an entire afternoon. This strip mixes boutiques, antique shops, salons, art galleries, and eateries that give the area its character. Stop by Window Box Antiques, in business for 24 years, to find your own piece of history. Browse Deeply Rooted for plants and botanical gifts Tuesday through Saturday.
The shops here offer friendly service and actual expertise. Owners remember your face, learn your preferences, and genuinely care whether you find what you’re looking for.
Gift Ideas That Actually Impress
Skip the generic mall gifts. American Pie Records specializes in hard-to-find vinyl from the ’50s and ’60s for the music lover in your life. Sterling Silver Comics stocks new and old comic books, merchandise, and toys in a family-friendly environment. The Bookworm, a beloved local bookstore, offers novels, art books, and more for readers of all types.
For something completely different, visit 805 Woodworks, where they hunt for reclaimed lumber to create products at below market pricing. Your gift becomes a conversation starter with actual substance behind it.
The Monday That Matters
Small Business Monday gives you permission to do what you should do year-round: choose quality over convenience, relationships over algorithms, and community over corporations. Your purchase might be one customer’s transaction, but to a small business owner, it’s validation that their dream matters.
The shops and cafes lining Camarillo’s streets represent decades of combined experience, countless risks taken, and families betting everything on making it work. They don’t have massive marketing budgets or nationwide distribution. They have passion, craft, and the hope that their neighbors will show up.
So show up. Grab coffee where the barista knows your name. Buy gifts made by hand, not on a factory line. Eat food made from recipes passed down through generations. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of community you want to live in. Make yours count.
Sources: visitcamarillo.com, yelp.com, cityofcamarillo.org, camarillomerchant.org
Header Image Source: Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
