Novato is proud of its vibrant local economy. We encourage you to visit our local stores. For more information on local business organizations, please see the following links:

ChooseNovato.com is a one-stop shop for all your business needs, whether it's finding a commercial space for a new, or existing business, getting stats on Novato's demographics, or navigating our permit processes, you'll find everything you need to grow, expand and improve your business.

Effective June 15, 2021, the State of California has moved Beyond the Blueprint for industry and business sectors. Per the California Department of Public Health, some limited and temporary public health requirements remain in place at this time. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Business Resources

Downtown Novato: Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, specialty retailers and more...
Having undergone $10.5 million in streetscape improvements, Grant Avenue has a mix of specialty retailers and restaurants that have brought commercial vitality to Downtown Novato. With a 45,000 square-foot Whole Foods market that anchors the east end of Downtown's "main street," and is part of a mixed-use development which also includes 125 units of upper-story housing.

Hamilton Marketplace

The Hamilton Marketplace shopping center, proximate to the Hamilton community, is located on a 9.5 acre site east of Highway 101.  The complex is anchored by a 50,000 sq ft Safeway grocery store, complimented by neighborhood-serving restaurants.

Hamilton
The Hamilton neighborhood is located in southeast Novato, approximately four miles southeast of Downtown Novato. The former Hamilton Army Airfield is one of the most successful military base conversions in the entire nation. Over a seven-year period, more than 2,100 new homes have been constructed, providing a vibrant, well-balanced community that attracts new residents and businesses from throughout the Bay Area.

Hamilton features over 500,000 sq ft of office/technology space in renovated airplane hangers at Hamilton Landing. This stylish development features Class A state-of-the-art office buildings and it is home to various technology, entertainment, biotech, as well as traditional office tenants. 

2021 Novato Minimum Wage

Minimum wage within Novato city limits is based on business size to:

• $15.24 per hour for very large businesses with 100 or more employees (based on CPI-W adjustment);
• $15 per hour for large businesses with 26-99 employees; and
• $14 per hour for small businesses with 1-25 employees.

The Novato minimum wage applies to each employee who performs more than two hours of work in a particular week within city limits.

Background

The State of California minimum wage is scheduled to increase each year until a minimum wage of $15 per hour is reached in 2023 for all employees.

At the City Council meeting of January 15, 2019, Councilmember Eklund proposed an item, and received unanimous support, to conduct a work study session regarding accelerating the minimum wage increase citywide.

On July 23, 2019, the City Council discussed the proposed minimum wage acceleration in a work-study session. Staff was directed to return to the City Council with an ordinance, including several options for Council to consider.

On August 27, 2019, the City Council discussed the potential ordinance accelerating the State's scheduled minimum wage increase in Novato. Introduction of the proposed ordinance was postponed until September 24, 2019 to allow for additional time to collect feedback from the community on the draft ordinance and proposed acceleration schedule.

The Novato City Council adopted Ordinance 1653 at their meeting of October 8, 2019.  Ordinance 1653 includes an accelerated schedule as shown below, with a minimum wage of $15 per hour reached in 2022 for all employees in Novato. Once the minimum wage reaches $15 per hour, the rate will be adjusted based on CPI-W for the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area or its successor index which is published by the Department of Labor, or 3.5% whichever is less.

Permitting requirements are governed by City ordinances, zoning regulations and various state building code requirements. Please see the listing below for information on various permits provided by the City of Novato. 

 Shop Local Novato is an economic initiative designed to encourage the support of merchants and businesses located in the city of Novato. In Novato, we all share a passion for economic innovation, prosperity, work ethic and the entrepreneurial spirit to produce and sell some of the best products on earth. We can make a difference by supporting our friends, neighbors and businesses with every local purchase keeping dollars in Novato’s economy, supporting our schools, parks and vital community services. Spending locally ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested right here in Novato.

Visit shoplocalnovato.com to learn more and add your business to our directory!