You’ll be hooked at Get Hooked, a new home décor store in Pacific Beach.
Owned by Pamela Taylor, who also operates Crystal Pier Bait & Tackle, Get Hooked (named for her other business’ staple item) provides a nice tie-in and complement.
“It came about because I was expanding the home décor at the bait and tackle shop, which is really small,” said Taylor about her quest for a new retail space that she found at 940 Garnet Ave., previously a smoke shop. Taylor took the space over in February and repurposed it, reopening just a couple of weeks later.
“We just just call it home décor by the shore and so much more,” said Taylor, noting her price range is $1 for bottled water up to about $60 for décor. “My philosophy is, have a little bit of everything,” she said.
The home décor’s décor is busy both inside and out. The interior is filled, floors to rafters, with a plethora of coastal goodies.
“A lot of my stuff is handmade by locals, but not all of it, because it’s hard to get handmade everything,” Taylor said. “We do a lot of coasters. And all of my coasters and wooden signs are made in the USA. We try to do mostly made in the USA when we can. We have something that fits everyone as far as a sign — or a saying.”
What’s the hottest item in home décor right now?
“Mermaids are the it thing,” noted Taylor. “Mermaids and octopi are really popular. I try to stay with what’s current, and mermaids is right now, everyone is decorating with mermaids.”
Get Hooked has a special going throughout May.
“Everything in the store is 25 percent off,” said Taylor. “We’re trying to drive local business here before the tourism starts.”
Has PB changed much since Taylor set up shop at Crystal Pier Bait & Tackle in 2009?
“Yes, it is changing,” she answered. “You see more parents with baby strollers. You see more children. You see more younger adults that are making it their home, buying homes.”
Taylor added, “I’d like to see a bigger turnaround where we’re not promoting things that involved alcohol so much — everything we do, seems like it revolves around alcohol. I think we need to start getting people to think about us as a shopping destination. If you have places where people can shop and get things, people will come.”
Thus far Get Hooked’s clientele has been mostly locals. But tourism beckons.
“The tourists that have been here have been awesome,” noted Taylor, who tracks on a map the international clientele her new décor store has drawn, visitors from Russia, Australia, Turkey, India, etc. “All those people bought something: not just came in here,” Taylor added.
Taylor also delights in noting, “I charge local prices, not tourist prices. Any of my items, you’ll not find on the Internet for less.” Get Hooked
Where: 940 Garnet Ave. between Bayard and Cass streets.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Info: 858-336-9046