This past year, the City of Monrovia registered 122 new business licenses for businesses ranging from restaurants to pet care, employing as many as 25 and as few as the sole business owner.

Intriguing and mundane, Monrovia's new businesses indicate a wide variety of options for local residents. The Old Town Fight Club, Friends of Dorothy, Vege USA, and T. Phillips Ale House are some of the more imaginative newcomers.

Staples of the business world such as E2DI INC, a business services firm, located at 120 West Lime Avenue, and Resolution Solution, a legal services company at 631 East Foothill Boulevard, as well as a plethora of other similar endeavors fill the roles at city hall. 

"This has been about an average year for new businesses," said Sheila Spicer, the neighborhood and business services supervisor for the city. 

One local business owner was optimistic about the local economy.

"The tide is turning," said Brian Gerber, owner of Friends of Dorothy. "Provided we can weather the storm, and I think we will."

"We couldn't ask for a better customer base than Monrovia," added Gerber. "This is a tight-knit community, businesses work together to help each other."

Another business owner was impressed with how welcoming city officials were.

"This city is awesome." Jim Read, owner of London Gastropub said. "The city hall people were very helpful in getting my business running."

Yet others are not finding the going as easy.

Six 2 Six, an accessory store at the north end of Old Town, has not seen as much business.

"It's difficult," Pamela Guijosa, owner of Six 2 Six said. "Little by little we're doing good. We hope to be busy next week."

Here is a sampling of some of the new kids in town, in no particular order:

• 1. Six 2 Six, 114 S. Myrtle, clothing and jewelry

• 2. Jewelry Box, 518 S. Myrtle, jewelry

• 3. Aurora's Promise, 198 S. Myrtle, charitable/social Services

• 4. VegeUSA, 1425 S. Myrtle, importer of vegetarian food

• 5. Friends of Dorothy, 519 S. Myrtle, gifts and general retail

• 6. Daphne's Greek Cafe, 605 E. Huntington, restaurant

• 7. Angela's Closet, 511 S. Myrtle, Clothing

• 8. Happy Paws, 138 E. Colorado, Pet services

• 9. T.Phillips Alehouse, 601 S. Myrtle, restaurant

• 10. London Gastropub, 419 S. Myrtle, restaurant

• 11. Old Town Fight Club, 111 W. Maple, fitness center

Small businesses, while still the backbone of Monrovia, are not alone. A new Walgreens Pharmacy and Henry's Farmer's Market, both at the southeast corner of Huntington and Mayflower, are signs that bigger business still interested.