New businesses bringing life to Desert Hot Springs economy
Business is starting to pick up in Desert Hot Springs. A handful of stores and restaurants are set to open their doors this summer.
Melkiat Randhawa moved from Riverside to open Desert Market in an old church building on Buena Vista.
He said he’s trying to find his niche as a smaller market.
“Some customers feel like there’s only one big store over there, Stater Brothers and Kmart, so they need more variety foods. So we came over here and opened this market at a wholesaler, so we can give better prices to customers out there,” Randhawa said.
Desert Market isn’t the only new kid on the block.
Rio Ranch Supermarket is under construction and Desert Rocks Climbing Gym just opened its doors.
The city said these new businesses are the first step in the right direction.
“There’s been a lot of challenging news here in Desert Hot Springs, especially regarding the city finances, that’s behind us. This is a perfect example of someone investing in Desert Hot Springs and doing well,” Mayor Pro Tem Russell Betts said.
And it’s not just stores opening their doors.
Two new housing developments in the city are under construction with these mid century modern homes set to be complete around September.
People said they’re happy to see all of this construction because it means a boom for the local economy and more jobs.
“There seems to be more businesses that are sitting empty. So it’d really be great if a lot of these stores would fill up. That means more shopping for us,” Desert Hot Springs resident Jim Morgan said.
For Randhawa he said he’s just happy to be a new business owner in the community.
“So far we’ve gotten a good response and the customers are really appreciative. They come over here and they just praise the store that this is a nice location,” Randhawa said.
