I am writing in response to the ongoing controversy concerning commercial rents and landlords in Malibu. I am the proud owner of Encore, located in the Malibu Country Mart, for more than 20 years.
My landlord Michael Koss has not only been patient at times waiting for my rent check to clear, he has never inflated my store rent either. Sales at Encore used to sustain me and my two children, while they were growing up, but since 2008 every month is a challenge to get by.
It is difficult for me to survive as a single shop owner not because of high overhead costs in rent, but because of decreased customer traffic at the center. In my opinion the Malibu Country Mart has never looked better (thanks to the maintence crew Koss employs), and includes a healthy mix of “mom and pop stores” next to bigger name stores. One has to remember that Koss is in business to make money, just like everyone else-what more should be asked of him? While I appreciate the community spirit behind recent activities, from my perspective the best way to show your support for local small businesses is to enable us to fulfill your shopping needs. Otherwise, we will not be able to make the rent, no matter how reasonable the price. I hope the buzz around this issue will remind the good people of Malibu to come and shop in the beautiful Country Mart, and support stores like Encore while they are still here.
Diana Day