SLO vintage store just moved to new space — and added merch from 2 other spots

A vintage store is moving from its “hidden gem” location in San Luis Obispo into an empty spot on Monterey Street, with two other businesses in tow.

A Satellite of Love opened eight years ago at 1335 Walker St. The vintage store would host live music and community events but had limited foot traffic due to its location.

Owner Malik Thorne began looking for the store’s new spot this year, keeping his eyes open as he walked around downtown San Luis Obispo.

Then, three weeks ago, he ventured past the closed doors of Ceremony Skate Shop and called his friends Ryan Ratzlaff, Jeremy Davenport, Nick Wilkinson and Trey Ramirez.

The five signed the lease shortly after and opened A Satellite of Love’s new home on June 6.

“I definitely know there’s people who ... don’t know that I exist,” Thorne told The Tribune. “To bring some attention to those other locations, I think it’s just a nice thing to do.”

The vintage store’s new spot is a hybrid space, sharing the location with Thorne’s other business, Divers in Morro Bay, and Grow Nursery, Wilkinson’s plant shop. While A Satellite of Love is the only business that fully moved, the new location has finds from all three stores.

“I think the mix of people and objects and things is something that we’re all interested in,” Wilkinson told The Tribune. “We all bring different parts to make the puzzle work. Having another space that’s high traffic but also in a space that’s accessible to a lot of different people makes the most sense.”

What’s in A Satellite of Love’s new spot near downtown SLO?

The vintage store is decorated to the brim with secondhand clothing, records, books, ceramics, gems and trinkets.

Plants from Grow Nursery decorate the space and are available for purchase, alongside pots and vases. Vintage photographs are in a white bin with gemstones like amethyst and carnelian.

“We just all love a lot of different things, from new and used, to oddities, unique pieces — just trying to keep things interesting and unique,” Ratzlaff told The Tribune. “Maybe design or elements that we think spark conversation or creativity in other people. We all have a good time doing this, so that makes it easy, but really appreciating what each group brings to the table to expand what we can do.”

The partners signed a short-term lease for 1235 Monterey St. for approximately a year. A Satellite of Love, Divers and Grow Nursery’s respective logos will be placed in the windows of the spot.

The dream? For A Satellite of Love to eventually find its forever home in downtown SLO once it leaves the short-term spot.

“I think it will continue to morph, and at the base of Malik at A Satellite of Love and these boys and Divers is creating a nice community of local people that appreciate what is happening,” Wilkinson said. “That is what I think is going to propel this thing.”

For more information

A Satellite of Love at 1235 Monterey St. is open on Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information about the vintage shop, visit its Instagram page or website at asatelliteoflove.com.