Stories · Chico

Chico, in stories.

15 stories written by the people who actually live Chico. Updated as the city changes.

Upper Crust Bakery: The Kind of Place That Reminds You What Local Means

At 130 Main Street, Upper Crust earns every return visit — scratch-made pastries, a full lunch menu, and a corkboard that tells you exactly what kind of place this is.

3 min read

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Chico Paper Company Has Been Framing This Town for 46 Years

At 4th and Broadway, Chico Paper Company is a working gallery and a serious framing shop — run by people who actually know every artist on the wall.

3 min read

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Fresh Bread, Local Honey, and Beautiful Bouquets Make Any Saturday Morning Better!

Every Saturday at 2nd & Wall, the Chico Certified Farmers Market draws the best local growers and makers in the region. Here's why I never miss it.

3 min read

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Dinner, drinks, friends, and the big game—all on one patio!

On East Ave, Pour House has an outdoor bar setup that does everything right — soccer on a wall-sized screen, solid drinks, and food worth staying for.

2 min read

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Down Range Chico's Community First Mindset Reflects in All They Do.

Steve and Jessica Dyke opened Down Range in 2013 with a cop's instinct for safety and a community-first mindset. What they built is unlike anything else in the North State.

3 min read

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Meet the Chico Crew That Shows Up, Suits Up, and Clears It Out

Andrew Haskins and his NorCal Trash Pandas team handle the jobs nobody else wants — hoarder houses, hazmat cleanouts, massive commercial hauls — same-day, seven days a week across Butte County.

2 min read

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Bodega Slice Shop: Your Pizza Standards Are About to Change

Bodega Slice Shop at 148 Main Street serves honest New York-style pizza by the slice — giant pies, serious crust, and a lemon trick you'll want to try.

2 min read

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Pasha: You'll Come for the Rugs. You'll Stay for the Stories.

Hasan & Jale Safak have built something rare at 212 Main St — a shop where every rug carries a story, a technique, and in some cases, a century of history.

3 min read

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The Prettiest Drinks in My Fridge Right Now.

Two locations, a farmers market presence, 100% organic cold-pressed juices, and housemade açaí bowls — Live Life Juice Co. fits right into the feel of Chico.

3 min read

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Sometimes the best office is a neighborhood coffee shop!

When I need a change of scenery, Daycamp Coffee in Meriam Park is one of my go-to spots — great coffee, good food, and an upstairs area that's perfect for getting things done.

3 min read

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The Date Night We Didn't Know We Needed: Perspire Sauna in Chico

Full-spectrum infrared, red light therapy, halotherapy — and iced towels waiting on the other side. My husband and I tried Perspire Sauna Studio on the Esplanade. Here's my honest take.

3 min read

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Northern Star Mills: Serving Chico Families for Over a Century

Northern Star Mills at 510 Esplanade has been part of Chico since 1898 — pet food, garden seeds, farm supplies, and live chicks. New owners David and Delphine Jespersen took over in 2024. The store didn't flinch.

3 min read

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I Walked Past The Bookstore and Lost an Hour of My Day

I was mid-errand downtown when the window display pulled me off course. Over 70,000 titles, creaky hardwood floors, and staff who actually know books — The Bookstore will cost you at least an hour.

2 min read

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Made in Chico: Where Every Shelf is Connected to our Community

127 W 3rd St is where you go when you want something that actually means something. Made in Chico carries locally made goods from vetted artists — pottery, jewelry, candles, and a food section that tells the North Valley story.

2 min read

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The Best Morning You Can Have 12 Miles East of Chico

I've made the drive to Sierra Cascade Blueberry Farm every summer for a few years now. This year Denise came with me. Certified organic, $6.50 a pound, cash only — picking starts at 7 a.m.

2 min read

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