LA’s Westwood Village sees influx of new businesses

Three generations of UCLA alumnus Dean Abell’s family members have managed Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers on Westwood Boulevard over the last six decades.

They’ve watched the surrounding businesses come and go in a seemingly endless cycle.

“People still fall in love, people still want to get married, and our loyal customers are why we’ve stayed around,” Abell said.

In the next few months, Abell and other Westwood residents will begin to see even more stores coming in – and going out – of the Village.

More than a dozen projects, ranging from housing complexes to chain seafood restaurants, will make their appearance in Westwood Village in the coming months.

ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen is scheduled to open on Broxton Avenue in December. Plaza de la Reina, a new hotel, will open on Lindbrook Drive in July. The Boiling Crab will move into Westwood Brewing Company’s former location on Glendon Avenue in the first few months of 2014.

It is still unclear how the incoming businesses will impact foot traffic in the area.

Some new restaurants that have already moved into the Village during the summer have seen their business only increase since UCLA students began fall quarter.

“Since zero week, we’ve gained a lot of (customers) as students started moving in … We’re still growing,” said Nick Paulerio, a manager at Fab Hot Dogs, on Broxton Avenue next door to Diddy Riese.

The restaurant offers a selection of gourmet hot dogs and was featured on the television show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”

Other business owners who have a history in the Village said their key to success is finding a niche among the Westwood Village stores.

Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers, which was opened in 1946 by Abell’s grandparents, relied on student discounts and a trustworthy reputation to keep the family business alive, Abell said.

Angelica Lopez, a cashier who has worked at Stan’s Donuts for the past 18 years, said the business has stayed fairly consistent since she began working there, because it is the only donut shop in the Village.

However, Lopez said she’s seen a lot of transition in other storefronts, and was shocked when Jerry’s Famous Deli closed in June. The closing and opening of businesses around Stan’s Donuts has not affected their revenues, she said.

Abell said business has picked up in the past five years, since the Westwood Business Improvement District, the Westwood Community Council and the Westwood Neighborhood Council, which work together to improve the area, have made the Village cleaner and more accessible to visitors.

Ways they have improved the Village include making parking easier and bringing back the Thursday farmers’ market on Broxton Avenue, he said.

“People are finally excited about coming back to Westwood,” Abell said.

Lopez, Paulerio and Abell all said that many businesses close in Westwood because of the tough market, and that, with the new projects coming in, the future of the Village is uncertain.