By McKenna Beery
Staff Writer
Out with the old, and in with the new. Under new ownership, the original Green Store in Hermosa Beach has been completely refurbished and is now ready to open its doors to awaiting customers.
The Green Store has been located on the 22nd Street corner of the Hermosa Beach strand for the past 32 years. When the previous owners’ lease was up, they did not want to renew the lease again, opting to retire. In addition, the property owner was hoping a new owner could come in and switch up the ambiance a little.
“The old Green Store had been here for so long that some people just got tired of it,” sophomore Jonathan Kingsley said. “It also was a pretty dirty environment in the store. There was a lot of dust and filth, and I think it is good that there was a change made.”
The store is now run by owner Tony Istwana and manager Nick Connor. Prior to buying the Green Store, the duo had found success with Jackson’s Market and Deli, a shop in Culver City that they opened in 2000. Wanting to expand their business to a new location, Connor and Istwani thought that the Green Store was an ideal fit.
“After college, when I was looking for a job, I remembered that I used to work at a little store in Santa Barbara during my time in high school, and I loved it, so I decided to open my own market, with the help of Nick,” Istwani said.” When we wanted to take it to the next level, in perfect timing, my brother, who lives around here, was the one who told me that this store was in need of a new owner.”
The newly redone Green Store, which opened in November, has an updated, contemporary look to its interior. From tile to furniture, the entire atmosphere of the room has been slightly modernized. While the original Green Store embodied the character of a liquor store, the shop now offers a sandwich bar in addition to a wide variety of regular snacks and drinks.
“Once we saw how everyone in the town was emotionally attached to the name, we decided to keep the same sign but just wanted to clean it up a little,” Connor said. “We wanted to keep the idea the same but fill it with better choices.”
As of now, the Green Store only has six workers, including the manager and owner. They work every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. According to Connor, because the store is located at the beach, business has been rather slow due to the fact that it is currently winter.
“I am sure when more people find out about the new store, know what we do, and as we move closer to summer, the store will become a lot busier than it currently is right now,” Connor said. “We are willing to stay open even later, but we just need to see if people will keep us busy that late.”
According to Istwani, they will need to hire a cashier and an additional chef by the time summer comes around because there will be more people at the beaches. They would like to consider hiring people from the neighborhood to keep it a very fun, young and local business.
“I think it would be so fun to work at the Green Store as a summer job, especially with the new look and the owners,” sophomore Becca Wasden said. “I live very close to the store, and after I get off work, I can just relax on the beach.”
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