Berkeley Ace Hardware and Berkeley Humane — both opened in 1895 — are among the hundreds of organizations 25 years or older celebrated by a new city program.
BERKELEYSIDE – October 19, 2026
In 1889, a group of young women at UC Berkeley founded the University YWCA inside the office of famed philosophy professor George Holmes Howison. Now known as the YWCA Berkeley/Oakland, the organization is still going strong. Six years later, across town, a group of concerned citizens came together to advocate for the compassionate treatment of animals. The organization now known as Berkeley Humane was born.
These and more than 200 others are part of the new Berkeley Legacy Business Program, which honors not just businesses but also nonprofits and other organizations that have been operating in the city for 25 years or longer. The program is a partnership between the city’s economic development office, Mayor Adena Ishii’s office, and the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce (established 1900).
“We get a lot of calls from businesses saying, ‘We’re turning 40. We’re turning 50. Do you guys do anything to recognize businesses that have been around for this long?’” said Reuel Cooke, project coordinator with the Office of Economic Development. “We didn’t have anything to recognize businesses, so I created something because I thought it was important to have something to honor and celebrate all their contributions to Berkeley.”
More than half of the honorees in the program have been in business 50 years or longer, while 19 have hit the century mark.
Each business in the program will receive a certificate from the mayor, along with a window cling to display on their storefronts and digital assets to use on their websites and social media channels. The logo and visual identity for the program was created by Berkeley-based designer Graham Bradley of A+ Type, who drew on the typeface of local legacy businesses, such as Chez Panisse (1971), for inspiration.
Each business and organization in the program can be found on a map, which features color-coded pins designating each quarter decade. (The oldest pin on the map goes to the University of California, which opened its campus in Berkeley in 1873.)
“I think the Legacy Business Program is a wonderful way to recognize the organizations and businesses that give Berkeley its unique character,” said Jeffrey Zerwekh, executive director of
Berkeley Humane. “It celebrates not just longevity, but the relationships, traditions, and shared values that make a community special.”
Last month representatives from many of the 204 businesses in the inaugural class of honorees gathered at the Hillside Club (established 1898) to officially launch the program. In attendance were people with several businesses synonymous with the city, including Berkeley City Club (1930), ACCI Gallery (1959), the Cheese Board Collective (1967), The Freight (1968), Potters’ Studio (1971), Kala Art Institute (1974), Meyer Sound (1979), Homemade Cafe (1979), Young’s Backpacking (1980) and many more.
Food at the event was provided by Little Plearn Thai (1984) and coffee by House of Uncommon Grounds (1983). The Berkeley Historical Society and Museum (1978) provided photos for a slide show.
Shelly Ajmani operates two legacy businesses, Bombay Spice House (1973) and Sari Palace (1987), with her husband, Deepak. She attended the event with her son, Manav, and said being honored in this way is deeply meaningful to her and her family.
“We’ve gotten to know families through their everyday shopping, weddings and celebrations,” she said. “We’ve watched their children grow up and now see them coming in with families of their own. That’s just a small glimpse of what makes being here for so long so special.”
Cooke said the list of honorees will continue to grow as more legacy businesses are uncovered.
“Every day my colleagues and I are finding legacy businesses to be a part of this,” she said. “If you’ve been around for 25 years or more, if we’ve missed you, let us know. We want everyone to get recognized.”
“We’ve gotten to know families through their everyday shopping, weddings and celebrations,” she said. “We’ve watched their children grow up and now see them coming in with families of their own. That’s just a small glimpse of what makes being here for so long so special.”
Cooke said the list of honorees will continue to grow as more legacy businesses are uncovered.
“Every day my colleagues and I are finding legacy businesses to be a part of this,” she said. “If you’ve been around for 25 years or more, if we’ve missed you, let us know. We want everyone to get recognized.”
- Check out Berkeley’s Legacy Business Map. Email the Office of Economic Development if a business is missing from the list.
- Patronize these longstanding members of our community, or find their events for the community, and others on the Visit Berkeley Event Calendar.
- Visit the Discovered in Berkeley Stories page to find more inspiration from beloved local businesses.
