{"id":116444,"date":"2026-01-01T18:05:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T18:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/116444\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T18:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T18:05:11","slug":"business-owners-reflect-on-2025-look-to-the-future-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/116444\/","title":{"rendered":"Business owners reflect on 2025, look to the future \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

This first week of January, I\u2019m pondering New Year\u2019s resolutions and goals.<\/p>\n

Over the last year, two legacy business owners \u2014 Baja Sonora\u2019s Mary Sophie and Jeannette Architects\u2019 Robert and Jeff Jeannette \u2014 made it their mission to retire. And with the year officially at its close, they\u2019ve all succeeded.<\/p>\n

I sat down with them to learn about their careers, and what they\u2019ve got planned moving into 2026. .<\/p>\n

Mary Sophie, Baja Sonora<\/p>\n

Q: Tell me about the restaurant\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

A: \u201cBaja Sonora started 28 years ago. I briefly owned the airport deli across the street from Time Square Center with another individual and we had the idea of opening a Mexican restaurant.<\/p>\n

There was an empty store in Time Square Center and my partner Mike Mendelsohn, and I remodeled the area completely, doing most of the work ourselves. We opened March 28, 1998 in the 1,000 square-foot area that we were leasing.<\/p>\n

\"Wilson<\/p>\n

Wilson High athletes post with tacos in front of Baja Sonora. (Photo courtesy Mary Sophie).\n<\/p>\n

\"Baja<\/p>\n

Baja Sonora owner Mary Sophie poses with staff in the restaurant. (Photo courtesy Mary Sophie).\n<\/p>\n

\"Baja<\/p>\n

Baja Sonora owner Mary Sophie (left) celebrates the restaurant\u2019s 25th anniversary with Mayor Rex Richardson (right). (Photo courtesy Mary Sophie).\n<\/p>\n

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Wilson High athletes post with tacos in front of Baja Sonora. (Photo courtesy Mary Sophie).\n<\/p>\n

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After being open for approximately six months, Jennie Douglas of the Press-Telegram wrote a beautiful article in the Cheers Section, and our business exploded.<\/p>\n

A few years later, Mike had the idea of taking over the space next door to us as we were outgrowing our space.<\/p>\n

At that point we were able to open the salsa bar that has become so popular \u2014 and this is Baja Sonora today.<\/p>\n

Baja Sonora allowed me the avenue to begin my involvement with giving back to the community that I love. My motivation was twofold: To put Baja Sonora\u2019s name out in the community while at the same time giving all I was able to give back to Long Beach, my home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: What has given you the strength to overcome the challenges of running a small business?<\/p>\n

A: \u201cI have, over the years, always found my strength from other people. My activity in the Long Beach community has always been a passion of mine. My belief in God and my sobriety has continued to push me forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Where are your go-to places to eat?<\/p>\n

A: \u201cIf I want a wonderful and consistent breakfast, I go to Schooner or Later, and\/or The Small Cafe in Naples. For lunch, I usually have one of my favorites at Baja Sonora \u2014 the deep-fried tacos. For dinner, some of my favorites are the salmon salad at The Boat House, Mary\u2019s Chicken at Nico\u2019s, and the pizza at Marlena\u2019s. Long Beach has so many fantastic restaurants, I could go on and on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jeff and Roberta Jeannette, Jeannette Architects<\/p>\n

Q: How did you meet, and how did you come to work together?<\/p>\n

A: \u201cWe first met at the University of Arizona College of Architecture orientation, while still in high school. Jeff looked at Roberta and thought she\u2019s cute and asked where she was from. Being from Chicago, Roberta looked at Jeff and said, dang, he\u2019s short! Her at 4\u201910 and him at 5\u20192, seeing eye to eye with someone was rare for us both.<\/p>\n

We soon became best friends, but sparks didn\u2019t start flying till our second year of architecture school. After graduation, we moved to Costa Mesa for work but in 2000, Jeff started Jeannette Architects out of our 1922 Craftsman one-car garage in Long Beach.<\/p>\n

In 2006 we built a modern, sustainable home of concrete block, glass and steel with an office attached. After having our two boys, Roberta joined the firm around 2007 and has been an integral partner in the family business since.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: How many homes have you designed or remodeled?<\/p>\n

A: \u201cIt\u2019s more than 900 homes in 25 years. I can remember the personal relationship with each family along with their floor plan and story for design.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Why have you decided to retire now?<\/p>\n

A: \u201cWe\u2019re both looking to relax from the daily pressures of running a successful residential architectural firm. We\u2019ve enjoyed the interactions with our Long Beach community and architecture connections over the years. We\u2019ve given 200% of ourselves over the last 25 years and are looking to relax.<\/p>\n

\"Jeff<\/p>\n

Jeff and Roberta Jeannette of Jeannette Architects. (Photo courtesy of the Jeannette family).\n<\/p>\n

\"Jeff<\/p>\n

Jeff and Roberta Jeannette with their two sons. (Photo courtesy of the Jeannette family).\n<\/p>\n

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A home designed by Jeannette Architects. (Photo courtesy of the Jeannette family).\n<\/p>\n

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A home designed by Jeannette Architects. (Photo courtesy of the Jeannette family).\n<\/p>\n

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Jeff and Roberta Jeannette of Jeannette Architects. (Photo courtesy of the Jeannette family).\n<\/p>\n

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With our current workload and drive to see every project to completion, we\u2019re expecting full retirement of the firm around a year and a half from now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: What are your next steps?<\/p>\n

A: \u201cJeff plans to sleep for a year. He really wants to feel what it\u2019s like to be bored and enjoy his hobbies including mountain and road biking, sabot sailing, flying remote control planes, and reading. He\u2019s looking forward to traveling with Roberta and doing anything we wish, whenever we want.<\/p>\n

It\u2019ll be great to be able to really take care of ourselves and not feel selfish. Time spent cooking and hiking, being outside together, as well as truly growing old with each other.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re looking forward to spending time at our Mid-Century Modern home in Palm Springs we bought and restored in 2009. Having met in Tucson, the desert is our home away from home. We also plan to travel, with Japan and a western states road trip on the horizon.<\/p>\n

Spending time with our sons \u2014 wherever they may be \u2014 is our plan, as long as it\u2019s theirs too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Do you have special memories of working with clients to design unique solutions for everyday living?<\/p>\n

A: \u201cMeeting new people and designing homes has been my passion as an architect. Listening intently to comprehend a family\u2019s needs is the foundation of any successful project. Sitting across the table from homeowners with a blank sheet of paper and pen while sketching on-the-fly solutions to make living in their homes more comfortable, is exhilarating.<\/p>\n

Their involvement and excitement being part of the design process is a special memory. Renovating a home or designing a new one is a giant puzzle with many moving parts, each with its own challenges. I thoroughly enjoy helping complete that puzzle through construction and guide our coworkers and clients through the multitude of decisions.<\/p>\n

Every project is its own three-dimensional puzzle and the gratitude on client\u2019s faces when they move in is my greatest reward.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: What impressed me the most about your own home was that the design was pleasing and comfortable \u2014 yet practical.<\/p>\n

A: \u201cWe\u2019ve always appreciated and understood the benefits of good design. When the pieces fit perfectly in a home, you have time to enjoy the spaces both inside and out. We were guinea pigs with our home, testing what worked and what didn\u2019t, and how to improve your quality of life.\u00a0 It\u2019s about how well things work, as well as how they look.\u00a0 You shouldn\u2019t compromise on either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: What are your favorite buildings in Long Beach?<\/p>\n

Jeff: \u201cOne of my favorites has always been the Killingsworth Marina Tower Model Home on Ocean Boulevard in Bluff Park.\u00a0The simplicity of architectural and structural design, floor plan, and transparency with glass make this home a work of art.\u00a0 How Killingsworth detailed the glass sliding doors and windows to disappear into the floor and ceiling demonstrate the creative beauty that defines Mid-Century Modern architecture.\u00a0Similarly, the Cliff May Rancho homes are special little gems hidden in our Long Beach community.<\/p>\n

Roberta: \u201cI really like the sculptured panels on the main building at Poly High School.\u00a0 Their focus on historic men and women were meant to inspire students, or at least subliminally encourage them to appreciate their surroundings. The Rancho Los Alamitos\u2019s gardens are also a favorite. The Spanish details and the cactus garden are especially appreciated, since this Chicago girl didn\u2019t grow up with them.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This first week of January, I\u2019m pondering New Year\u2019s resolutions and goals. Over the last year, two legacy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":116445,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[7,8132,3739,131,133,132,137,3738],"class_list":{"0":"post-116444","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-long-beach","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-grunion-business-beat","10":"tag-grunion-news","11":"tag-long-beach","12":"tag-long-beach-headlines","13":"tag-long-beach-news","14":"tag-los-angeles-county","15":"tag-the-grunion"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116444","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116444\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116445"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}