Huntington Beach Business Leaders Discuss City's Growth at Mayor's Breakfast

Annual event hosted by Chamber of Commerce features panels on local economy and business development initiatives.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 12:04am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Huntington Beach Mayor Casey McKeon and local business leaders gathered for the annual mayor's breakfast hosted by the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce. The event featured panel discussions on the city's business climate, economic development efforts, and initiatives to support small businesses. McKeon highlighted the city's declining crime rates and efforts to showcase local companies through a new 'Minute with the Mayor' video series.

Why it matters

As a coastal California city, Huntington Beach relies heavily on its business community, particularly tourism and retail. The mayor's breakfast provides an opportunity for city leadership to engage directly with business owners and address their concerns, while also promoting the city's economic strengths and development initiatives.

The details

The event, held at the Pasea Hotel & Spa, included panels moderated by Mayor McKeon that featured local business leaders such as the general manager of Duke's Huntington Beach, the president of Orlando Precision, the owner of Beef Palace Butcher Shop, and the director of sales at Pasea. Discussions centered on the city's safety, cleanliness, and efforts to support small businesses through programs like the Streamline Surf City initiative. McKeon also highlighted the city's declining crime and homelessness rates.

  • The annual mayor's breakfast was held on Thursday, March 13, 2026.
  • McKeon introduced a 'Minute with the Mayor' video series earlier this year to highlight local businesses.
  • In the last three years, Huntington Beach has seen a 27% decline in crime.

The players

Casey McKeon

The mayor of Huntington Beach who hosted the annual business breakfast and discussed the city's economic development initiatives.

Kriss Casanova

Huntington Beach's economic development manager who came up with the name for the mayor's 'Minute with the Mayor' video series.

Ryan Clancy

The general manager of Duke's Huntington Beach, who participated in a business leaders panel at the event.

Frank Mauro

The president of Orlando Precision, who participated in a business leaders panel at the event.

Calvin Free

The owner of Beef Palace Butcher Shop, who participated in a business leaders panel at the event.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We know how safe it is, how clean it is, but some of the rhetoric around Huntington Beach is actually sometimes the opposite. We get a lot of people that inquire about coming here, and then we talk about the safety, we talk about the walkability. We talk about how clean it is.”

— Michael Crockenberg, Pasea director of sales

“How can we get them over that hurdle? That's really where, I think, where marketing comes into play … We want to give them all of the tools that exist. I think the great part about what we do is, if you're a business that needs a team of consultants to help you, that's what we're here for.”

— Mike Daniel, Orange County Inland Empire Small Business Development Center

What’s next

The city is planning 'massive' Fourth of July festivities this year as the country turns 250 years old, with the holiday falling on a Saturday.

The takeaway

Huntington Beach is working to promote its business-friendly environment and support small businesses through economic development initiatives, while also addressing perceptions about public safety to attract more visitors and investment to the coastal community.