Help us say “Despedida” to Ochoa’s Tailor Shop

Gabriel Ochoa has owned his tailor shop, located in a small mini mall just above the Sun Palace at 3720 N. Verdugo Road, is for nearly 42 years. This Friday he is retiring at the ripe age of 90. One of his clients called me and told me she thought it would be a great idea to recognize and honor him for his many years as a business owner in the community. I thought it was a great idea. So I went and had a great conversation with Gabriel who was very touched by the idea. He is a very soft-spoken, kind man who works 12 hours a day, six days a week.

I asked him why he was retiring and he said, “I want to learn to speak English better and read more books.” He was born in Columbia, South America in January of 1923. He moved to the Los Angeles area in 1964 and worked for a tailor in nearby Pasadena for seven years. He started his career working as an apprentice and was fortunate that the tailor who took him under his wing also mentored him. He learned what he called the “old school way” of tailoring that doesn’t really exist anymore. He can make custom fitted suits from scratch, but they are very expensive and most people don’t want to pay the price. He spends 90% of his time tailoring and altering clothes for people that they buy from retail stores.

Mr. Ochoa said, “They just don’t make clothes like they used to.”

He has been a tailor for 70 years. He has five children and five grandchildren. (They should be very proud.) Please join us for a quick “congratulations” ceremony this Friday at noon to send him off into is retirement. Drinks and snacks will be provided. We would appreciate your support.

Don’t forget to join us at our special Monday night mixer at 7Stop. It will be a great way to start the July 4th holiday week. The Montrose chamber will be honoring and recognizing members who have been with us for five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years. Armond and Shara from 7Stop are hosting the event along with us to celebrate their grand re-opening. There will provide samples of lavash chips and hummus, wings, salads, pizza and have burgers right off the grill. Other local businesses will be there as well offering you samples of their foods and products: Polkatots Cupcakes, Montrose Candy Company, Baked on Oceanview, and a few more. I am assured there will be tons of mixer prizes from various organizations and businesses in the area, a DJ and great networking. All the money collected from the raffle prizes will go to the Glendale Police Officers Assn., the Glendale Fire Fighters Club and the Montrose Chamber. Please come out and support this local business!

Upcoming Events
Good-bye send off is on Friday, June 28 at noon at Ochoa’s Tailor Shop, 3720 N. Verdugo Road in Glendale 91208.

Centennial July business mixer on Monday, July 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 7Stop, 2623 ½ Honolulu Ave., Montrose.

  melinda clarke