End of an era for San Mateo Electronics

The San Mateo Electronics Supply store will soon be closing its doors permanently — but leaving behind a lifetime of memories will be difficult for its owner.

“There have been three generations of us here; it’s an emotional thing. I’m sad to see that kind of thing come to an end,” Kyriakis said.

The small eclectic supply store located at 16 W. 42nd Ave. in San Mateo, resembles a nostalgic hardware store. Kyriakis sifted through all the electronic equipment on the shelves Monday, Oct. 24, explaining when and why he decided to carry the items.

“We always tried to keep up with the times, never getting rid of the old stuff,” Kyriakis said. “But that is why we stayed around so long. We held onto the old but also embraced the new.”

Walking through the aisles is like walking through an electronic history museum. Inside the shop is a tube tester from the 1970s and the county’s oldest wire measurer, among other trinkets and old-time gadgets, Kyriakis said. Even though the walls and aisles of the store are fully stocked, Kyriakis said he knows where everything is and what it does.

The business started with Kyriakis’ father, Ted Kyriakis, who served in the military during the Korean War in the Signal Corps. Ted Kyriakis worked in the radio and relay station and, after the war, opened an electronic store in San Francisco called Market Street Radio, where he sold Hi-Fi radio and electronic equipment in the late 1950s. By 1961, he moved the business to San Mateo with his brother Frank Kyriakis as his business partner. Tom Kyriakis was born four years later, in 1965, and he said he grew up in the same shop he continues to run.

“I grew up literally in a bassinet on the counter,” Tom Kyriakis said. “I learned everything here by watching, listening, all that.”

After school, he came to his dad’s store and helped in any way he could. It’s where he learned about electronics and electrical equipment. He said that learning about the niche equipment that the store supplied became Kyriakis’ passion.

“I think it’s what helped us survive all these years, the eclectic variety of merchandise that we had all these years,” Kyriakis said.

By 1991, Tom Kyriakis took over the shop, and since his children have worked with him, three generations of Kyriakis’ have worked in the supply shop stocking shelves.

Soon, those shelves will need to be emptied because the store will be closing Nov. 30. All of November, Kyriakis plans to sell his entire inventory for at least 25% off. He said his inventory includes wire terminals, automotive electrical supplies, wiring harnesses, and audio and video cables.

The business is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visit www.smelectronics.com for more information.