I am responding to your Brentwood Beat in which you discuss businesses coming and going in Brentwood. As a former small business owner on San Vicente (remember the sweet baby store “My New Friends†?) I can sum up the reason most retailers give up with two words: GREEDY LANDLORDS.
Here is what happened with me and I bet it is exactly the same scenario with the independently owned shops that are closing now:
1. You lease a space at x amount of dollars a year.
2. You budget and price your merchandise accordingly.
3. The building goes up for sale and the new buyer pays an exhorbitant price, knowing that he is buying into a ‘hot’ neighborhood with fun little stores.
4. Your short-term lease comes up for renewal and the new landlord doubles your rent in order to cover his purchase price.
5. You can’t price your merchandise any higher because anyone knows you can get the same stuff cheaper on any other street.
6. Bye-bye ‘you’ and bring on the next sucker.
This has been going on for years in Brentwood, which is why you are seeing more corporate -run stores and eateries and very few (if any!) neighborhood necessity stores.
As one elder statesman of the ‘hood’ said long ago “I don’t want a hair stylist. I want a barber shop.â€
Barbara Klaskin Silberg
www.MrsMusic.com
Editor:
My husband and I have been Brentwood residents for over 26 years, and we recently discovered Sweet Crush on San Vicente. As a professional “foodie†for almost 40 years, I am always looking for new businesses in our neighborhood that offer a great eating experience.
I was blown away by the quality and taste of the product when I tasted what Sweet Crush offers. Therefore, i was disappointed and amazed that you did not include them in your recent article about local businesses closing and new ones opening. The article seemed to focus on the negative, since there was little mention of some of the newer places that have opened.
Sincerely,
Karen Berk
Editor’s Note: We completely agree. Covering new business openings is important and of interest to everyone. We did do a story on Sweet Crush when it first opened: http://www.westsidetoday.wpengine.com/n7843/chill-out-with-frozen.html
