Two local bars, Broadway Bar and Sweetwater Saloon, have teamed up to pay homage to an iconic LGBTQ+ figure.
A mural featuring Marsha P. Johnson has been painted along Cerritos Avenue at Broadway. Johnson was a key figure in the Stonewall Riots, a seminal event in the fight for LGBTQ equality which began at the Stonewall Inn.
The movement was largely led by drag queens, and transgender and gender nonconforming folks, including Johnson, and was a response to over-policing of gay spaces.
The inaugural Pride Month was held in June 1970 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City. Stonewall fundamentally altered “the nature of LGBTQ+ activism” in America, according to the Library of Congress, and it sparked a city and national gay rights movement.
Artist Eddie Jelinet poses with his latest mural, honoring LGBTQ+ and civil rights icon Marsha P. Johnson in Long Beach. (Photo courtesy Eddie Jelinet).
Artist Eddie Jelinet poses with his latest mural, honoring LGBTQ+ and civil rights icon Marsha P. Johnson in Long Beach. (Photo courtesy Eddie Jelinet).
Artist Eddie Jelinet poses with his latest mural, honoring LGBTQ+ and civil rights icon Marsha P. Johnson in Long Beach. (Photo courtesy Eddie Jelinet).
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Artist Eddie Jelinet poses with his latest mural, honoring LGBTQ+ and civil rights icon Marsha P. Johnson in Long Beach. (Photo courtesy Eddie Jelinet).
Every year since, June has marked the celebration of LGBTQ+ pride.
The mural of Johnson, commissioned by the owners of Sweetwater Saloon and Broadway Bar, features the icon in her signature flower crown, decorated by the colors of the rainbow.
The new artwork has been getting plenty of attention from around the neighborhood, which the bar owners hoped would happen leading up to this year’s Long Beach Pride Parade and Festival in May.
Artist Eddie Jelinet, who has created more than 45 murals in Long Beach, San Diego, and Minneapolis, created the mural honoring Marsha P. Johnson. Jelinet’s talents, though, aren’t just limited to art.
He is also a chef at Olé Tapas Bar & Kitchen (formerly Café Sevilla) in downtown Long Beach, where his artwork is also on display.
Dole Whip
Local business Dabble & Dollop, which makes bath products for children, has a new line of products.
Dabble & Dollop’s new body washes will stir memories of the Enchanted Tiki room at Disneyland and have you singing the “Tiki Tiki Tiki Room” song in no time — since it smells just like a Dole Whip.
“As we explored the scents that shaped our own childhood memories, one nostalgic favorite kept coming up again and again: Dole Whip,” said co-business owner Tyler Leshney. “It wasn’t just a treat — it was a feeling. Sunshine, vacations, summer, and pure happiness.”
Dabble & Dollop founder Stephanie Leshney poses with the company’s newest line of products, Dole Whip-scented body washes. (Courtesy photo).
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Dabble & Dollop founder Stephanie Leshney poses with the company’s newest line of products, Dole Whip-scented body washes. (Courtesy photo).
The Leshney family started their business in an office building on Second Street in Belmont Shore, and they live in Naples.
The idea for a collaboration with Dole Whip came about when the company’s founder Stephanie Lesheny met their team at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas last year.
They ended up partnering to bring that Disney magic to bath time by creating the new line of body washes, which features mango, pineapple, and strawberry Dole Whip scents.
Dabble & Dollop’s new Dole Whip collection is on sale at Walmart.
Chocolate shop
Californio Chocolate, a “bean-to-bar” company that focuses on Mexican cacao and chocolate products, will soon be opening at 3708 E. Anaheim St.
The business’ owner, Eduardo Ponce, says he’s invested more than $200,000 getting the store ready to open. He wants the space to be more than just a storefront, and has crafted it so Californio Chocolate will be a welcoming space for visitors to enjoy chocolate-y treats, alongside classes, events, and more.
“Californio Chocolate is not a candy company. It is a cultural reclamation project wrapped in premium cacao,” according to the company. “The brand honors the Californios, the original Spanish and Mexican settlers who shaped California’s identity before it was erased, and channels that heritage into one of the world’s most emotionally resonant products: Chocolate.”
Californio Chocolate, a “bean-to-bar” company that focuses on Mexican cacao and chocolate products, will soon be opening at 3708 E. Anaheim St. (Courtesy photo).
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Californio Chocolate, a “bean-to-bar” company that focuses on Mexican cacao and chocolate products, will soon be opening at 3708 E. Anaheim St. (Courtesy photo).
Ponce was recovering from a back injury about four years ago when he decided to do a deep dive into the history of chocolate. From there, he embarked on a journey to begin his own chocolate company that honors the deep heritage of Mexican cacao and chocolate.
“Our bean-to-bar experience starts with our farmers who harvest, ferment, dry and roast the cacao beans in the Mesoamerican region of Soconusco, the area where Mexican cacao was first domesticated and kept intently pure of its heirloom qualities,” the company’s website said. “The farmers’ commitment to avoid cross-pollinating and take active care of each variety keeps the quality preserved.”
After harvesting, the website said, the cacao is transported directly to Californio Chocolate’s kitchen, ensuring high-quality freshness.
“Most commercial candy bars have less than 12% cacao,” Ponce said. “My chocolates have 75%, making them healthier and better tasting.”
For more about the company, visit californiochocolate.com.
Grand opening
Anna’s Pizza Joint will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, May 2, with a ribbon cutting ceremony planned for 1 p.m.
The business, located at 5351 E. 2nd Street, will offer half-off all food and draft beer from noon to 3 p.m. on grand opening day as part of the celebration.
Anna’s Pizza Joint opened earlier this spring, and offers pizza by the slice. The menu features New York-style pizza, Detroit-style pies, gluten-free grandma squares, and creative sandwiches served on garlic knot bread —including fan favorites like the Mother Clucker.
New gym
On April 22, EōS Fitness opened its 46th gym in California at the Bellflower Towne Center, 5810 Downey Ave.
The 35,000-square-foot, full-service gym has a couple of unique amenities that set them apart, including the “Booty Builder Lab,” is a space designed for workouts that lift, tighten and shape members’ glutes using a nine-piece strength equipment set.
The “Fitness Unchained” arena is designed for those ready to push beyond their limits, offering a trio of specialized classes in strength, endurance and performance.
For details, visit eosfitness.com.