Trade slumps on 25th

There are currently six empty storefronts on the two-block stretch between El Camino Real and Hacienda Street and 2,624 square feet of office space for lease at 126 25th Ave.

Tommy Toonz, owner of Vinyl Solutions, has been in business on the block since 1984 and has seen his share of good and bad times on the street.

"Business is down. The retail climate is real slow. We have some good days and lots of bad days,” Toonz said.

Since the city dissolved the merchants’ association, some on the block have discussed forming an independent business group to promote the district, Toonz said. But that group has yet to fully form, he said.

The merchants’ association was once led by Don Wilson and was housed in a tiny office at the 25th Avenue Professional Building.

But Wilson is gone now and Grace Githinji now runs a small jewelry business out of his former small space.

Since Wilson left, the former merchants’ association is "kind of nowhere,” Githinji said.

The owner of GGL Creations, Githinji is looking forward to merchants coming together and doing more to promote the district.

"A wine festival or sidewalk sale would work here,” she said.

Githinji relies heavily on Tuesday night traffic from the farmers’ market and said consumers seem to be a little more confident in their spending, she said.

Kaufmann’s Cameras has also been on the block for decades and has had to find creative ways to find and keep customers in the digital age.

With the death of film, the Kaufmann brothers have reached out to those who still work in the medium by offering darkroom services right on site. Since Wolf Camera closed in downtown San Mateo, Kaufmann’s has had a pickup in business from former Wolf customers.

"Business is surprisingly quite good,” said Bob West, sales consultant.

Kaufmann’s gets a lot of business from students who take beginner photo classes at the College of San Mate and has started selling used cameras on consignment.

The store was ready to close at one time, said Ronald Kaufmann, but has been able to bounce back.

The former merchants’ association collected approximately $14,000 a year. It helped bring planters, banners, lamp posts, garbage cans, sidewalk cleaning, a flashing crosswalk and a Web site that still promotes the district.

The city dissolved the district because many business owners felt they weren’t getting a return on their investment. Businesses were once assessed between $100 and $300 a year to participate in the group and benefited from television advertising and banners.

A new merchants’ group may form soon, Kaufmann said.

Bill Silverfarb can be reached by e-mail: silverfarb@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.