Once a month, Sprouts and Shutters will bring you the latest on which businesses are shuttering —and which are sprouting — around Half Moon Bay and the Montara to Pescadero Coastside.
OPENED: Luz Luna Imports, 604 Main St Half Moon Bay, (650) 240-6550
A delightful and colorful new store inside La Piazza on Main Street, which sells handmade and fair trade products from Central and South America, is officially now open. Beautifully crafted house wares, clothing, bags, baskets, jewelry, baby items, and clothing are all hand selected by owner and Guatemala native Gina Fisher, who makes the trip to Guatemala more than three times a year to meet with the artisans and find the most perfect products to sell in her store. Many products are certified to fair trade standards.
There are also items from other countries like Columbia, Peru and Ecuador for sale here, too, as well as some items — such as ribbon and crocheted headbands for little girls — made by local Latina women. Fisher’s sister, Luz, who lives in Guatemala, inspired her to open the store after selling jewelry made by artisan widows of Hurricane Stan in Guatemala and El Salvador seven years ago, when flooding and mudslides demolished communities and led to many fatalities.
According to Fisher, who has lived in Half Moon Bay for the past 18 years, Luz has been working with an artisan cooperative of 70 Mayan widows since 2005. Purchases help expand cottage industries, develop traditional skills and promote their artistry.
OPENING: Oddyssea, 617 Main St., Half Moon Bay, (650) 440-4555,
“Explore, create, discover.” That’s what Montara resident Mike Harding hopes people will experience when visiting his new store slated to open next month in the building on Main Street that houses Cottage Industries.
Harding recently completed a renovation of the space for his shop with lots of expert help on the floors, electric, framing, plumbing, paint, and color selection. The result is a sparkling new retail space that is best experienced rather than described, according to Harding, and features a combination of art, technology, science and nature that encourages discovery through exploration and creation.
The shop has two zones — an exploration zone and a creation zone. Inquisitive minds will love discovering interactive products and spending their time wandering between the two zones to find something that will delight the curious side of everyone.
CLOSED: Simply Delicious, 80 N. Cabrillo Hwy Suite G, Half Moon Bay
On the front window of Half Moon Bay’s favorite candy store in Strawflower Village a sign reads “Simply goodbye.” The candy and gift store closed a few weeks ago after selling most of their remaining merchandise for $1 or less in those last few days of being open.
Simply Delicious will certainly be missed for those who frequented this shop on a regular basis to get their candy fix. The store also carried a wide variety of sweets, including Haribo products and Jelly Belly jellybeans, to 20 different flavors of homemade fudge and gourmet chocolate. Nostalgia candy, such as Bazooka gum, Jawbreakers, Pez, Mary Jane, Necco and Razzles, was also a specialty and unable to be found anywhere else on the Coast.
This store was more than just a fabulous candy shop, though. Gifts and seasonal decorations were sold here, too, and the owner had a great eye for carrying and displaying decorative merchandise — much of it with a seaside flair. This was the go-to spot for unique, classy and shabby chic seasonal décor. The window displays were always well designed, and were fresh and fun. No matter the occasion or season, you could count on finding the perfect gift here.
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