Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Poage.
Hi Brian, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We are Emily + Brian Poage and we are the proud owners of The Aloha Bungalow. We currently own two little beach shops in Redondo Beach and Leucadia.
Brian’s background is in Construction Management and Emily’s background is in fashion and merchandising. We opened our Redondo Beach location in June 2018 and recently opened a new location in Leucadia in early 2021. Our shops focus on working with local artists and creatives in the community to showcase their amazing products in a relaxed beachy, bohemian environment. Our Leucadia location is a unique concept with both retail and coffee in the heart of the funky beach town in Encinitas.
We have lived in North County for two years now and absolutely love this area. The funky community of Leucadia has welcomed us with open arms and we can’t thank everyone enough.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We have had many struggles while running our retail shops over the last few years. COVID certainly created a major obstacle to overcome when we had to shut down our shop in 2020 for almost three months. Thankfully we were able to create a website and sell our products online while we were closed and our customers supported us by purchasing products for delivery or local pickup. Also, once we re-opened the community in Redondo Beach really made a point to shop locally to make sure their small businesses in the area did not go out of business.
The other challenge we faced was opening our Leucadia location during the heat of COVID in early 2021. We found the perfect space and decided to go for it even as there was great uncertainty around retail shopping and the requirements associated with operating a shop. Again, the Leucadia and North County community has supported us in such an amazing way and proven that they want to see small businesses succeed in their town.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Aloha Bungalow is a retail and coffee shop that offers gifts, decor, art and candles in a relaxed, bohemian environment. We work with local artists and creatives to sell their products to the community and provide a platform to showcase their amazing products. We are most proud of our relationship with both our local vendors and the incredible customers who walk through our doors. Our goal is to make everyone feel welcome and appreciated in our shop.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
We are expecting our first child on November 4 and are so stoked! We are having a little boy and cannot wait for him to join the North County community and meet everyone in our extended ohana.
Contact Info:
- Email: brian@thealohabungalow.com
- Website: www.thealohabungalow.com
- Instagram: @thealohabungalow_leucadia
- Facebook: @thealohabungalow
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-aloha-bungalow-encinitas
Image Credits:
Kimberly Motos
