Courduroy Arrives
It’s always fun when a new new neighbor joins us in Tin City, but this one is very special and has been a long time in the works.
Brooke English is the daughter of the late Mike English, my good friend, and the visionary behind Tin City. For years her father told me about her exploits as a small retailer in San Luis Obispo with The Sock Drawer which he helped her build out in an old fish and chips restaurant (with food still there- “It was gross") on Higuera. Locals thought she was crazy, but her college retail experience led her to great success and she eventually became a very large the largest online sock retailer in the world. This led her company to all types of items beyond socks with additional online and growth through corporate gifting platforms. A larger team was built in San Luis Obispo and her business flourished.
Rumors swirled for a long time that Brooke would be opening a venue in Tin City to market her finds and share them with all of us in Tin City and North County. I looked forward to her arrival and also to learn from her, as I have from other local entrepreneurs. I spoke to Brooke recently to understand her journey in opening her new Tin City business and what took so darn long.
As a careful business owner I sympathized with Brooke as she took the time to open in Tin City, but it turns out it was much deeper than that. Brooke was the apple in Mike’s eye and Brooke also was just as proud of what her dad had built in Tin City. She wanted to open something, but was afraid that others in our community might make accusations of nepotism or think that her business was something her dad just created for her as a little “gift”. Faced with conflict she decided to put the project on hold and told her mom this decision on the same fateful day her father succumbed to heart attack in Tin City and sadly passed away shortly afterwards. Obviously, the family was devastated, but so was our Tin City community and we had a huge hole as Mike was a beloved figure to all of us.
Brooke stepped in to pick up the pieces in Tin City and keep the community going in the mold of her father. After about a year of settling in and moving her team from SLO to Tin City she knew the time was right to start planning her brick and mortar venture in as a way to honor her father and also make him proud. Her vision is simple - to showcase well made, intentional and useful goods from companies and individuals who care about craftsmanship. After years of working with tons of companies in retail she has selected her favorites and will also showcase items from local artists and artisans and even some interesting antiques.
Her mantra is to make her store “beautiful, thoughtful and creative”. Her father’s original construction team built the interior by reclaiming old elements from the beginning construction of Tin City. The name of the store “Courduroy” with her own spelling is not only a nod to a song from her favorite band, but also an illustration to the texture of the tin buildings that her father built. Courduroy is not only a great addition to Tin City, but also will be a great addition to all of North County both for gifting and for those looking to purchase a special memory of their visit to California’s Central Coast and Tin City. Brooke’s team is excited to share their journey with all of you and talk about Tin City's history and what makes our community so special. Look for the Wizard of Oz "Easter Eggs" in the shop too.
Courduroy is open seven days a week from 11AM to 5PM and looks forward to seeing you there soon and for years to come. It's right across the street from Etto next to the bakery.
