Turning the corner: Small Business Saturday fuels Malibu’s commercial comeback
Local entrepreneurs, new storefronts, and community support signal renewed momentum after Palisades Fire
Tenacious. Persistent. Doggedly determined. Intentionally optimistic. All those adjectives and phrases aptly describe Malibu’s small businesses as they steadfastly soldier on, aspiring to revive and grow a thriving small business sector in Malibu. Several businesses participated in Small Business Saturday events on Nov. 29, while others who have just opened were lauded with visits from the City of Malibu and the Chamber of Commerce.
“Malibu Village Bookstore’s Small Business Saturday event was great!” exclaimed Chris Eastman, lead bookseller at Malibu’s only indie bookstore. “It’s always fun to bring light to the small businesses that participate as well as to our business.” For more information about the bookstore, visit @mvbbookstore.
Painting the picture of Malibu’s community and culture
“As a local small business owner, you help paint the picture of Malibu’s community and culture,” said Allison Bunce of Bunce Bakes, one of the small businesses that showcased products at the bookstore. “Your attention to detail, intention, and heart are valued by people. Even in this day and age, when it’s easier than ever to buy the least expensive product and get it quickly delivered to your door, I believe passion and story will always be valued.”
Bunce talked about her featured sweets. “Today was my first day offering my gluten free and dairy free protein banana bread and it sold, but I also learned that my cupcakes sell better at events — samples of my strawberry frosting have an excellent customer conversation rate!.”
Like many small business owners in Malibu, Bunce lost her home and business in the Palisades Fire. However, like many small Malibu business owners, she is working assiduously and is putting one foot in front of the other — metaphorically speaking — and continuing to get the word out about her small company.
“I believe the combination of public awareness being raised by social media and in The Malibu Times and small business collaborative events — as we’ve seen in the Surf Canyon events — gives an opportunity for Malibu residents and tourists to learn about and support Malibu’s small businesses,” Bunce opined. “Giving small businesses the opportunity to advertise to residents and tourists for free is appreciated by local business owners that are recovering from their heavy financial loss from the fires. Community and holiday events are great for this because it gives people something fun to bring their friends and family to, and give business owners the chance to share their brand stories and products directly with the public.” Buncebakes.com shows the healthy, delicious, and beautiful baked items Bunce offers.
Malibu Coffee’s owner, Columbine Culberg, also commented about participating in the bookstore’s event. “It’s really nice to be included in a Small Business Saturday event,” she said. “We participated in Malibu Moves as well and gave a ton of samples there and we are hoping to be showcased at the Pepperdine Waves Market soon. Malibu Coffee wholesales, and readers can also purchase our coffee at Vintage, Paparazzi Pizza, Kristy’s, John’s Garden, Howdy’s, and Surf Outpost. For more information, go to @Malibucoffeecompany and malibucoffee.com.”
Local author Bridget Crocker thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Small Business Saturday event at the bookstore, noting how instrumental the store has been in getting the word out locally about her book, “The River’s Daughter.”
“A lot of people were shopping at the bookstore.” Crocker commented, “I had a hard time finding parking, which was a great sign, and they had a lot of traffic in and out. I’m glad that folks turned out to support local businesses.”
Noting how important it is for our community to have a bookstore, Crocker added, “It was an absolute delight to partner with the bookstore for the event. I’m so happy the store is still around, and I am so moved knowing how hard they fought to stay open after the fire. They’ve been an amazing support to me in helping me promote my book. I’ll do anything in my power to help keep the bookstore open.”
The City of Malibu and the Chamber of Commerce bolster new businesses
“Mayor Marianne Riggins, Councilmembers Doug Stewart and Haylynn Conrad were proud to join members of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce to welcome and congratulate wife and husband team Witney Laya Tucker and Shaun Dewet on the recent opening of LAYA, a luxury swimwear brand at Point Dume Village,” the City of Malibu posted online on Nov. 24.
“We had some great discounts on all our brands for Small Business Saturday, and we love the Malibu community!” Tucker said. “It’s been a great energy, and we love being open here!”
Tucker and Dewet are delighted that in the next few weeks, Elevated Coastal Menswear will open adjacent to LAYA. For more information, visit @layaofficial and @shaundewetmalibu.
With the recent opening of Papparazzi Pizza in addition to the two new stores, Point Dume Village’s business area is beginning to really take off.
Since 2009, milliner Teressa Foglia’s gorgeous hat shop has graced the Malibu Country Mart. On Nov. 22, the shop opened its new location at the Country Mart, closer to Surf Canyon, and the City and the Chamber held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the occasion. To view a few of the hats, go to @teressafoglia.
Also an atelier and gallery, the new venue features paintings by Ty Hays whose gorgeous acrylic work with limewash, charcoal and graphite, entitled, “Ramblin Thru the Changes,” is so aptly titled in our town where Hays has chosen to exhibit and where our small Malibu businesses are serving as a catalyst for our community to ramble through the changes attributable to the fires, altered but not conquered, and emerging stronger than ever. To view Hays’ works, go to @Tyinthewild.
Keepin’ the faith in East Malibu
“We’re 100 percent keepin’ the faith here in East Malibu! We are not going down!” said Alexandria Skouras, proprietor of Pistol & Lucy, a chic boutique with eclectic beach vibes and free-spirited and free-flowing clothing. “I have owned my boutique for 13 years. I gave everybody 20% off for Small Business Saturday, and I had more business the day after Thanksgiving than I did on Saturday.”
Malibu’s newest surf shop
Mitch Taylor’s brand new shop, The Bunker Surf & Skate, located in Malibu Country Mart near Scott’s Malibu Kitchen, welcomed shoppers on Small Business Saturday. “I know our store will thrive and our customer service will definitely continue to bring back our local shoppers,” Taylor promised.
On Dec. 11, the Malibu Chamber of Commerce invites readers to join a business connections breakfast at Scotts Malibu Kitchen at 8 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting at The Bunker two doors down after the breakfast. For more information, register at PaliBu.org.
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