May Mixer at Billy’s Boardshop

Please join us on Wednesday, May 6 for our May mixer at Billy’s Boardshop. Our mixer is a great opportunity for you to meet the new owners of the shop and see the changes that they have made to the store. Jackie and Christian Cuesta, who bought Billy’s Boardshop last December, did so because they wanted to spend more time together as a family and live their dream.

According to Jackie, “My dream has always been to have my own shop after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising [FIDM]. When I left FIDM, I was so young and disappointed because I thought I would never be able to do this. So I became a preschool teacher for 15 years. For the past few years we have been talking about owning a store. Christian was in construction and it just wasn’t working. We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be so sweet just to be in Montrose?’ We live just down the street.”

Well, one day while eating at the Black Cow, Jackie saw the sign in the window that Billy’s was for sale and asked Christian to go in and inquire. Jackie wasn’t sure if they could afford it, but when Christian came back, he said, “We can!” They played with the idea for two or three days and decided to take a chance when they saw someone else looking at the sign in the window.

“Once we saw that, we gave our deposit that day,” Jackie said. Jackie and Christian are going to target their store to the entire family and offer all price points.

“We want the community to know that Billy’s is different now. We want to serve the whole family – not just the sports-minded kids. We will continue to carry the board equipment and add scooters, but we are also a boutique that will serve everyone else in the family. We have items for small budgets, but we also have more expensive quality items. My job as a buyer is to provide a range of options that are quality. I try on everything in this store so I can sell each customer the right thing for them,” Jackie said.

What sets Billy’s and other businesses in the Montrose Shopping Park apart is the lost art of the “personal touch.” Christian and Jackie keep a close eye on the competition both in stores and online. Here you can touch the products and try them. Jackie is amazing at putting items together. Online you are only going to see one piece at time, not an outfit. According to Jackie, “Every item in this store is paired together into a story.”

Maybe you will find something at the store you will have to take home with you!

Cinco De Mayo is Tuesday, May 5. Don’t forget to stop by Pepe’s, Joselitos, El Sol, La Cabanita or El Charro to celebrate the day. Support local businesses whenever you can.

Upcoming events
Taste Of Montrose is Sunday May 3 in the 2200-2400 blocks of Honolulu Avenue in conjunction with the Sunday Harvest Market and the annual Kids & Kritters/Wags & Whiskers events.

May business mixer is on Wednesday, May 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Billy’s Boardshop, 2227 Honolulu Ave., Montrose.

19th Annual Golf Classic and Scholarship Fundraiser on Thursday, May 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Verdugo Hills Golf Course, 6433 La Tuna Cyn., Tujunga.

ArtWalk is Saturday, May 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the 2300 & 2400 blocks of Honolulu Avenue.

Memorial Day service on Monday, May 25 at 8 a.m., at the Vietnam War Memorial located at the northwest corner of Honolulu Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard.

  melinda clarke