Best of San Mateo Area 2024

Votes are now being tabulated and results will soon be posted. Please check back soon.

What is the Best of San Mateo?

Supporting our local businesses is more important than ever. The Best of San Mateo Program celebrates small businesses and businesses of all sizes that make this place special.  This is done by encouraging you, the community, to nominate and vote for your favorites.

Each business that wins is recognized with a “Best of” logo and promoted through plaques, window clings and certificates as well as through print, social and digital marketing. By voting, you help lift these businesses and our local economy.

How do I vote for my favorites?

The Best of program is carried out in two phases: a nomination and voting phase.  During the nomination phase, you can write in your favorite business for each category on our nomination page.  After the one-month nomination phase, you get to vote through our digital ballot.  It’s easy to register and vote for your favorites.

(2025 Nomination round begins on January 2025)

How does a business participate?

Businesses are nominated by the public. If you are a San Mateo area-based or San Mateo area-serving business, you can register for a free Best of San Mateo badge to help you get out the vote.  We’ll provide you with a custom “nominate us” badge that can be shared with your customers.

How are winners chosen?

Businesses with the most votes from the public after the voting phase are the winners.

As a business, why should I participate?

There’s no cost to businesses to participate. The program’s goal is to raise awareness of San Mateo businesses and to encourage shopping locally. If you run a local business here in San Mateo, we invite you to fill out the above form and we’ll send you a custom nominate us or vote for us badge (depending upon the program phase).

Winners will receive an array of benefits including window clings for your storefront, digital assets showing your business was voted as the best, and an invitation to an award celebration.

Optional recognition awards will also be made available after the contest to help promote winners including listings in a Best of San Mateo Magazine, a website listing winners by category and custom award plaques.

Are there options for San Mateo Businesses to sponsor the program?

Yes. To keep the program free for all businesses in the San Mateo area, the program is supported by sponsors.  Please contact us to to learn about our sponsorship packages.