Despite a weak economic climate, two local boys may prove a success by using a classic business model: building on what you know, finding a niche and catering to neighbors in a friendly way. Brothers Matt and Ben Murphy are doing just that. The duo grew up relatively nearby, in Escondido, and then moved to San Luis Obispo until graduating from Cal Poly with business degrees. Like most born-and-bred San Diego boys, the Murphys surfed. Surfers know where the waves break. Where the breaks are, surfers will flock. And therein lie opportunities for the businessman who knows the waveriders’ needs. “We recognized a need for a surf shop,” Matt Murphy said. “There’s such a surf community but no shop around.” So the brothers opened a small shop more than one year ago at 5544 La Jolla Blvd. La Jolla is home to many great surfing legends and current surfing stars. The Murphys said the closest shops to Bird Rock’s surfers are located in Pacific Beach to the south and on Pearl Street in La Jolla to the north. So they searched for a year until they found the small Bird Rock location. The Murphys’ business sense paid off. The boutique-style, friendly shop melded well with the surrounding Bird Rock neighborhood and the surfing community. The brothers were so successful they said they needed more space. “We outgrew the other shop,” Ben Murphy said. So about one month ago, they moved to a larger location one block up, at 5605 La Jolla Blvd. “Now we have parking in back,” Ben Murphy said. In Bird Rock, parking is a commodity. Ben Murphy said cars drove by their previous location without stopping because they had fewer parking spaces. The Murphys have taken their surf shop, neighborhood-style atmosphere, creating an epicenter of Bird Rock’s youth scene. “Everything is for sale here,” Ben Murphy said. The walls are covered with art and photography from local artists. On entering Bird Rock Surf, customers can either watch the Murphys’ golden retriever or peer through a window while Matt shapes custom boards. The Murphys sell and “set up” almost anything involving water at Bird Rock Surf Shop, from kayaks and kayak tours to rash guards and surf lessons, they said. The new store also carries many clothing lines. Ben Murphy said they are expecting a shipment next week, deepening their inventory and adding more youth lines. The larger store continues to carry a variety of surfboards, used boards and custom boards as well, Matt Murphy said. “We have reasonable prices,” Ben Murphy said. “Our customs start at $415. Also with the custom, we have a shaping bay so someone can watch their board being shaped.” Bird Rock Surf Shop repairs surfboards as well. “We just want a good, inviting feeling here,” Ben Murphy said. For holiday shoppers, the Murphy brothers will throw a holiday party Friday, Dec. 19, starting at 5 p.m., hosting refreshments and offering a discount on merchandise purchased that evening. For more information, call (858) 459-9200, or e-mail [email protected].