By Barbara Burke
Special to The Malibu Times
As locals prepare for the annual onslaught of millions of visitors during the summer months, Malibu businesses are rallying to attract beachgoers to their establishments, while wooing new local customers and endeavoring to keep their loyal local patrons.
Some of Malibu’s retail areas are in a significant state of flux, while one apparently continues to be in a state of limbo — James Perse, the major tenant in Malibu Lumber Yard, is apparently still negotiating with the City of Malibu regarding MLY’s need to lease enough of its space to locally owned businesses, as is required by the city’s formula retail ordinance, Malibu Municipal Code section 17.61.
Yet another retail center has yet to open. Cross Creek Ranch, a 122,324-square-foot mixed-use property at 23465 Civic Center Way, continues its efforts to lease many square feet of commercial, restaurant, and office space. The Malibu Planning Commission has approved applications for two restaurant spaces at the new venue, according to Planning Commissioner John Mazza. Comprising 10 one-and-two-story buildings, the property contains 71,605 square feet of retail and 50,719 square feet of creative, modern office space.
In western Malibu, the Trancas Country Market is undergoing quite a transformation. A few months ago, locals vociferously bemoaned the closing of Trancas Canyon Nursery, a beloved source for plants and all things gardening.
However, when this reporter stopped by Vintage Grocers yesterday, the operators of the nursery were at the market as well and pulled me aside to announce gleefully, “We’ve just signed a one-year lease with the management – we’re not going anywhere!” Yaaayyyy!
However, it seems inevitable that when the vicissitudes of Malibu’s retail economy gives something that benefits locals, such as the nursery carrying on business, something else is taken away. True that at Trancas as we celebrate a business not disappearing from our commercial sector, we need only to walk around the retail center to see that other businesses have vacated their venues or soon will.
Malibu Meditations Journey has shuttered, leaving many loyal customers in the wellness space without a gathering place in western Malibu. We thought that Hiptique was going to close — there was a sign stating “closing sale” last week. However, fortunately, Hiptique is not closing. Rather, the proprietor of the store, which has graced Trancas for several years, is now having a remodeling sale and aims to increase the number of designers the upscale boutique will showcase. “Hiptique will have a new, refreshed look!” Christine Berardi exclaimed. Yaaay!
“Moving sale!” a sign exclaimed in front of Alicia Adams Alpaca store which is located next to Vintage. That business is not leaving Malibu. Rather, it is opening in Cross Creek next to John Varvatos and a staff person said it should be open for business by July 4.
The empty space across from the candy store that once housed Hair, which shuttered during the pandemic, will serve as a pop-up for Cie Salon as it did last summer. Yaaay!
Malibu Music has expanded into the small space next to Nati and, according to its proprietor, Brad Boeckmann, the business will now offer music lessons and repair services, and carry more merchandise.
“I’m blown away by the selection of guitars — from vintage to new!” Sam Marshall of Malibu said as he finished looking over a beautiful guitar designed by the shop’s luthier, Mark Levitt. “They even take trade-ins!”
Boeckmann smiled broadly and responded, “Levitt’s guitars are Western-themed and are all fashioned out of wood from forests in Los Angeles County!”
What else does Boeckmann have planned for the Malibu Music Store? “Locals are invited to listen to Rock Stallion perform on June 29, and our store manager, Wolf Gemora, is planning more activities,” he said.
Despite the new developments at Trancas, the retail center has a significant amount of vacant space, including the sizable venue where the Wells Fargo used to be located.
Vacancies also bedevil Pt. Dume Village, which recently shuttered two restaurants operated by Wilfredo Barrera, proprietor of the popular eatery Tramonto Bistro in central Malibu. “The permitting for the second business that Wilfredo was opening, Ju Ju Kitchen, just took way, way too long and, unfortunately, he couldn’t make it.” Mazza said.
Whatever the impetus for the two restaurants closing on the cusp of Malibu’s busy summer season, the presence of vacant restaurant spaces in Pt. Dume have left many Malibuites to shake their heads in dismay and wonder aloud, “Why in the world couldn’t the landlord and Wilfredo find a way to keep his two venues open?”
The sizable vacancy ratio at the Village is exacerbated by the fact that the six commercial suites that have been carved out of the old bank space remain unoccupied. Moreover, just the other day, locals took to social media lamenting that Dume Plaza Pharmacy, a business that had not reshelved inventory in several months, has shuttered its doors.
In central Malibu, some retail centers also continue to endure significant vacancies, most notably Malibu Colony Plaza, where another bank has vacated its venue and spaces between that former bank location and Subway have been empty for years. On the upside, the relatively newly opened Zinque seems to be taking off successfully, somehow arriving at that sweet spot for Malibu business viability where locals and visitors alike patronize the place. Ollo is now under new ownership, with a new chef and a menu that has new offerings while retaining many locals’ favorites.
Other retail centers in Malibu are almost leased, which is true for Malibu Country Mart, which is expecting to have Scott’s Kitchen soon open in the space where Malibu Kitchen was located for years.
The Park at Cross Creek is fully leased and, to attract business from locals as well as visitors, one of its newest venues, Prince Street Pizza is employing a timeless wonderfully successful — and always wonderfully appreciated strategy — they are giving back to the community.
“The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu and Prince Street Pizza Malibu have teamed up once again for a youth pizza design contest and are thrilled to announce the launch of the ‘Sunshine Surprise Pizza!’” Prince Street announced on June 7. “This delightful vegan creation is by Violette G, a BGCM kindergartener and the winner of the most recent pizza pie competition. We invite the community to try Violette’s pizza throughout the summer. Twenty percent of each purchase of this specialty-designed pizza will support BGCM’s mental health services and educational initiatives for youth.”
One need only utter the word “pizza” to get this writer’s attention! No self-respecting journalist would forego the chance to find out for herself if all the representations about that pizza are true!
The vegan pizza that little Violette has created is very tasty, with a gluten-free crust with marinara, vegan cheese, mushrooms, peppers, and banana peppers. Sometimes, something comparatively small such as a business offering to donate some proceeds from a sale to a local philanthropic organization, goes a long way toward endearing locals to patronize a local establishment.
Whatever the efforts that local businesses exert, one thing is for sure — while local establishments make hay while the sun shines — literally and figuratively, they rely on locals to sustain themselves in the long run.