2 SLO County thrift stores move after new landlord raises rents: ‘This is tough’
Two Morro Bay thrift stores are moving after a new landlord raised rent prices, and another local resale shop will close its doors so one of the others can relocate there.
The owners of Threads Resale Boutique, located at 400 Morro Bay Blvd., and Castaways 1, at 410 Morro Bay Blvd., said they chose to relocate after landlord Davin Gumm of Solvang told them that their rents would be increasing substantially.
Meanwhile, Marta Pelvel and Chris Pelvel decided to permanently shutter their thrift shop, Revolve, located at 257 Morro Bay Blvd. in Morro Bay.
The two shops that are relocating shops were not offered new leases, according to Castaways 1 owner Roman Salvador and Threads owner Kim Pelzel, although Pelzel said she could have stayed on a month-to-month basis.
Gumm is the managing member of RUN MMCT LLC, which last year bought the Morro Bay Boulevard property that previously housed Threads and Castways 1, he told The Tribune via email in December.
“Our intent is similar to what we’ve done with 480 Morro Bay Blvd.,” he wrote.
There, “after some improvements, we were able to secure leases with four amazing, local small businesses that are highly professional and align with our vision and pride of ownership, and have been very successful while paying market rents,” Gumm said.
The new occupants are Gilligan’s Sandwich Shop, Morro Made, Tiger Monkey Tattoo and Electric Valley Vintage & Goods. Those businesses replaced a thrift shop, real estate company and beauty shop.
“The new tenants have done a wonderful job establishing their businesses and have helped to increase foot traffic and sales tax revenue, which is a benefit to the local business district and to Morro Bay in general,” Gumm said.
Morro Bay thrift shop moves to sister location
Salvador closed Castaways 1 on Dec. 31 in advance of the store’s move to its new location.
The shop had been at 410 Morro Bay Blvd., just down from Bay Theater and across the street from Shine Café, for more than a quarter century.
Salvador said he’s downsized and modified his stock so he can move it a few doors up to his much smaller sister shop, Castaways 2, at 450 Morro Bay Blvd., next to Buttercup Bakery and Cafe.
Castaways 2 has been open for about six years, he said.
“We’d thought there might be a time when we’d have to move,” Salvador said, “so we’d have the second store as a backup if this ever happened. Now it’s happened.”
Salvador said the move has been especially painful for the three young children he shares with wife Eileen: Stella, Santino and Sia.
They “have grown up with all our customers,” he said.
“This is tough,” Roman Salvador added.
SLO County resale store replaces parents’ shop
At Threads Resale Boutique, Pelvel is condensing her stock of carefully curated, gently used clothing before her move at the end of February.
She will be leaving lots of memories behind.
Pelvel said her son, 14-year-old Jack Pelvel, “grew up in the store. I used to have a bed in one of the rooms for him.”
Threads is relocating to a smaller location — the space that currently houses Revolve Thrift Shop, which is located about a block and a half away.
Pelvel’s mom, Marta Pelvel, and stepdad, contractor Chris Pelvel, have operated Revolve Thrift Shop there for about a decade. They plan to close their store by the end of February.
Kim Pelvel said her parents “felt they had to do it for me. They’re willing to close their shop so I can keep mine going.”
The Revolve building “is smaller, and the location isn’t as good,” she said, noting that Threads’ new shop will be half a block west of Main Street. “We probably won’t get as much foot traffic there.”
However, the single mom says she’s very grateful to have the option that will let her keep her nearly 14-year-old business going.
“I’m so glad I get to keep my two employees,” Pelvel said.
She hopes to build her loyal clientele further by focusing more on reselling higher-end fashions and goods.
SLO County business owner: ‘Get up and keep going’
Salvador has managed to keep his sense of humor throughout his store’s closure and eventual move.
Before he closed Castaways 1, a photo on the shop’s Facebook page showed a hand-sketched “Lost our lease” notice over a photo of a life jacket, with a smaller sign below saying “Come on in. Everything else has gone wrong.”
The store’s “primary clientele has always been locals,” Salvador said.
He also relied on tourists, many of them from the Central Valley, who came in “mainly during the summer months if they forgot to pack a jacket or when the kids went in the ocean and their clothes got wet.”
Salvador said he’s had to “phase out the less expensive line,” selling much of his stock at drastic discounts before Castaways 1 closed.
Salvador said he wasn’t able to keep all of his staffers from Castaways 1, calling that “the hardest thing.”
“or a lot of them, this was their first job. They’ve grown up there,” Salvador said. “But the second store is so much smaller (that) it wouldn’t be viable to have so many workers.”
“My grandma always says ‘Don’t count on things being the same, because they’ll change,’ “ Salvador said. “She also said, ‘When life puts you down, get up and keep on going.’ ”
This story was originally published January 28, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
