Jack’s Surfboards is poised to open its first off-beach location – in Irvine – at the end of summer, Jack’s co-owner Jamal Abdelmuti told me yesterday.
The new store will be in Oak Creek Shopping Center at the corner of Alton Parkway and Jeffrey Road next to Gelson’s supermarket. The 10,000 square foot store formerly housed a Christian bookstore.
Jamal said Jack’s has been working with the Irvine Company to find a space in the city for awhile. The store will carry mostly clothing but also some hardgoods including wetsuits, surfboards and a bigger skateboard selection than Jack’s usually carries since it’s an off-beach store.
Jamal also gave me an update on Jack’s quest to open in downtown Laguna Beach in the old Big Dogs store. After nearly a year trying to make it happen, Jack’s decided to give up on its plans for that spot, which had been rejected by the planning commission and met resistance from some residents. Jamal said Jack’s spent a lot of money and time trying to make it work and the experience left a bad taste in their mouths. “We’d like to be there – maybe we didn’t go about it right,” he said.
The Irvine store, Jack’s sixth location, is scheduled to open in late summer, though Jack’s hasn’t gotten its final paperwork back on the lease, Jamal said. One side note: the shopping center is a favorite lunch spot for Billabong, O’Neill, Lost and Rusty employees who work nearby.
Jack’s would like to open one or two more stores after that – one in Orange County and one possibly in the South Bay. Jack’s hasn’t ruled out Laguna if the right location comes along.
