OB Shop Talk

Views on local Ocean Beach businesses.

Finding the “God of the Dental Chair” Right Here in Ocean Beach

October 30, 2012 by Judi Curry
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Where Have You Been All My Life?

I think I have died and gone to heaven. Or someplace I never expected to be found in. I am walking around in a daze, with a smile on my face, and wondering how this wonderful man came into my life.

Oh no, no! This is not a result from my on-line dating. This is the result of a life-long fear perpetuated by my mother. When I was a little girl, she always told me that if I was a “bad girl” she would send me to her sister Mitzi because Mitzi worked for a dentist! “And you know that dentists can hurt people, Judi.”

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Catchin’ the ‘OB Vibe’ at Bernie’s Bicycle Shop

October 9, 2012 by Mercy Baron
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Roger and Yasuko’s Shop Help Make OB What It Is

Bernie’s Bicycle Shop has been an Ocean Beach institution for almost 45 years. That’s a long time in a town that is celebrating it’s 125th Anniversary!

Current owner, Roger Lovett, had been a regular customer of Bernie’s since he was a kid. Not every grown up can claim they bought the bike shop they used to hang out in when they were little. When Roger bought the shop in it’s original location on Voltaire and Ebers in 1989, he was jokingly threatened by long time customers to retain the original name of Bernie’s. And so he did.

Two years later in 1991, he moved the shop to it’s current location at 1911 Cable Street (used to house the Sunshine Surf Shop). Twenty-one years is a long time in a town that has seen too many businesses close in just the last few years alone. There used to be 4 bike shops in OB but most have closed.

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Amid global economic turmoil, Ocean Beach merchants see signs of hope

September 12, 2011 by Dixon Guizot
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While this summer has seen stock markets plunge, consumer confidence crater, and hopes for a broad economic recovery evaporate, several members of Ocean Beach’s business community seem cautiously optimistic about the future.

Gary Gilmore, owner of Gilmore Family Jewelers on Newport Avenue, has noticed a slight upturn in customer sentiment in recent weeks.

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“Electric Ladyland” – OB’s New Music and Art Center Opens June 1st

May 5, 2011 by Frank Gormlie
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As I passed the Electric Chair and the neighboring tattoo shop, I noticed Paul Bolton up on a ladder putting some finishing touches to the fresh paint at the front of the old thoroughfare, that breeze way that took you from Newport to the Apple Tree parking lot.

But no more. It is now – or will be – the lavish entryway for Electric Ladyland – the new music and art center – and music venue that Paul and Lynne Bolton, owners of the Electric Chair, will be opening on June 1st.

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What is Better than Breakfast in Bed?

April 12, 2011 by Judi Curry
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Interesting question, since I don’t really care for breakfast in bed, but I found a wonderful alternative and something that I do like. And… the best part is that is right here in Ocean Beach.

Curious? Let me give you a few more hints. The “hidden place” is located on Santa Monica Blvd., just west of the Apple Tree Market. It is between Cable and Bacon, located on the south side of the street. There you can be pampered, fed, even “bathed” if you are interested.

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Bars and Clubs of OB – a Review

September 24, 2009 by Mary E. Mann
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by Mary E Mann
_____________
After very careful analysis, and more than a few whiskey gingers and Belgium beers, what follows is a review of the Ocean Beach bars/clubs. Pardon me if I missed one or two – a girl can only do so much drinking. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
……………….
Pacific Shores:

Ah, the black light undersea glow is almost as soothing as the drink prices …

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Winstons wins our poll on OB music venues

August 21, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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OCEAN BEACH, CA. For the last week we ran a poll asking readers : Where’s the best spot in O.B. to catch your favorite band and or music?

Winstons, the long-time local club on Bacon Street won hands down. It received 58% of the votes. There was no one a close second. Farmers Market came in with 16% of the vote, and the Harp had 15%.

Here’s the full tally:Where’s the best spot in O.B. to catch your favorite band and or music?

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OB Wants to See More ‘Mom and Pop’ and Community-Serving Businesses In Empty Store Fronts

August 15, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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OCEAN BEACH, CA. According to our most recent poll that was up for an entire week – what do people want to see in OB’s current empty store fronts? – the winning category of respondents want “Mom and pop locally-owned businesses” as “a priority.”

Of 110 respondents, 40 voted for this – 36% of all votes. The poll ran from August 6th to the 13th.

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Growing Like Weeds: OB Medical Pot Clinics Sprouting Up All Over

August 10, 2009 by Doug Porter
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by Doug Porter

It’s been a good couple of months for some commercial property owners in the 92107 area.

Since the Supreme Court refused to hear a case brought by the County of San Diego that sought to block implementation of the provisions of California’s 1996 Proposition 215, two stores that dispense medicinal marijuana have already opened and another four are expected to open during the next few weeks.

Not everybody is happy about all these new leases being signed. …

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Ocean Beach split on World Oil’s Sunset Plaza

July 31, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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For a week we ran a poll on how people feel about World Oil’s Sunset Plaza. The results are in, and with 67 respondents (and there’s no way to tell whether a respondent lives in OB) people are split on the two-story medical building planned for the corner of Sunset Cliffs and Voltaire.

The largest bloc of voters, 29 of them for 43% think the building is …

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The Leaflet That Moved Ocean Beach

June 14, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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In the early Seventies, the battle for the future of Ocean Beach grew very intense, as the different warring sides squared off around the original OB Precise Plan – the urban design for the community sponsored by the elite and powerful. The OB Community Planning Group published an 8-page leaflet that was so effective, that it convinced the community to join and support the organization.

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Rey Knight’s Sausages: A Farmer’s Market Success Story

May 17, 2009 by Doug Porter
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by Doug Porter

The controlled chaos that is the Ocean Beach Farmers Market makes it easy to overlook the minor economic miracles that take place there each week.

For Rey Knight’s Salumi Company, the concept of selling direct via farmers markets has proven to be a winner.

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Rock Paper Scissors back in the news?

May 5, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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We have just heard from friends in the know that Rock Paper Scissors and its controversial closure is back in the news – sort of. The Reader, San Diego’s predominant weekly, is supposed to be carrying an article on it in its Thursday’s edition. Jeff Fagan, the original owner of the arts and crafts store, reportedly refused to be interviewed. …

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A Tale of Two Ovens: Azucar & Stephanies Hit OB’s Sweet Spot

March 27, 2009 by Doug Porter
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by Doug Porter

We’ve all heard stories about how Walmart and McDonalds are the only businesses showing any growth in this recession. Two bakeries that happen to be located on opposite ends of OB are here to prove that saw wrong. Oh, and by the way, they’re both owned by women. And did I mention that the food is delicious? It is.

We’ll get into the particulars about Azucar and Stephanies in a moment, but first let’s talk about what they have in common. …

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Rock Paper Scissors on Fox News Tonight March 27

March 27, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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BREAKING NEWS:

Fox News will air a story on Rock Paper Scissors this evening, Friday March 27th between 10-10:30pm

Channel 6 San Diego

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Vendors Strike Back at Dr Jefe of Rock Paper Scissors

March 6, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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Many of the vendors kicked out from Rock Paper Scissors are still angry at Dr Jefe who ran the place, and who supposedly decided in one day to immediately close the business – a business that had grown to be one of the most popular storefronts on Newport Avenue. Jeff Fagan, the real Dr Jefe, had told me that the fateful day was February 2nd, when after reading his financial statements, he decided to close RPS immediately.

The vendors don’t believe that. They believe that he and his staff knew business was bad, but the message they gave out to the vendors was that ‘everything was fine.’ That’s what they heard.

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Dr Jefe Answers His Critics On the Closing of Rock Paper Scissors

February 25, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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by Frank Gormlie

(Reposted from Feb.19th) I finally sat down with Dr Jefe inside the hollow chamber once known as Rock Paper Scissors and got his side of the controversies surrounding the closing of the popular arts and crafts store. It had suddenly closed without notice earlier this month.

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The rocky closure of Rock Paper Scissors

February 19, 2009 by Frank Gormlie
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We’ve learned that the popular crafts store Rock Paper Scissors, which shut its doors suddenly a couple weeks ago, had a very rocky closure, indeed. The store’s closure was so rocky, that many of the store’s vendors feel ripped-off and say the store’s owner, Jeff Fagan, owes them thousands of dollars. Some of the vendors are talking about suing Fagan.

Accusations are flying, anger is rising. When he closed the store, Fagan gave the vendors insufficient notice; he hasn’t paid back February rents, or even for some vendors January rents, or for some monies from December, or the original deposits. He owes his vendors thousands, tens of thousands; one estimate is a quarter million.

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Hey Roberto’s, where’s the BEEF!

June 23, 2008 by Patty Jones

On the way home from grocery shopping, being the gluttons for punishment and rolled tacos that we are, we ventured into the drive-thru at Roberto’s here in OB. We haven’t been there in quite a while and had heard that the prices there had gone up, $8.62 for 12 rolled tacos with guacamole. Whew. I […]

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