For more than 40 years, in a building that used to hold a movie theater, Oak Knolls Hardware has served as Orcutt’s local hardware shop, and the new owners of the establishment intend to keep it that way.
Alyssa Honeycutt, who was born and raised in Orcutt, and her husband, Ben, officially took over as owners of the store on June 15. Alyssa said that although they plan on making some minor changes, the store will largely remain the same.
“The main thing I want people to know is we’re keeping the store the same,” Alyssa said. “I want them to still feel comfortable coming in.”
A few years ago, the store’s previous owners—who are Alyssa and Ben’s neighbors—told the couple about their plans to retire and move to another state. Alyssa said Ben was interested in the idea of taking over the store, as he’s always enjoyed working with his hands and fixing things around the house.
Previously Ben, who served in the Marine Corps, worked at Vandenberg Air Force Base and was part of the team that assembled the rockets launched there. Alyssa said she’s been a stay-at-home mom over the past few years, while also running a wedding and events rental company.
Alyssa said for both her and Ben, the idea of running a locally owned store that helps people was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
“I believe the common ground that piqued both our interest is keeping the store in Orcutt and serving the community,” Alyssa said. “This was the perfect opportunity to be close to home and work with customers to help them solve their problems.”
Despite this transition happening during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alyssa said taking over ownership of the store has been a relatively smooth process. As an essential business, the store has remained open throughout the public health crisis, albeit with some plexiglass partitions and other modifications in place.
Not only has the store remained open, it’s been busy, Alyssa said. People continue to come into the store to buy appliances and materials to complete home improvement projects while abiding by the stay-at-home order.
“We’re able to help people get through a lot of these projects to keep them busy while they’re staying inside,” Alyssa said.
As for some of the changes they’re planning on making, Alyssa said she wants to increase the visibility of some of the services they offer, like screen repairs, as well as bringing in more and different varieties of paints. Also, given the mild weather year-round on the Central Coast, she said they plan to increase their stock of outdoor cooking products.
Additionally, Alyssa said she wants the store to get involved with the community and host workshops where kids can learn how to build things. And, depending on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time, Alyssa said she’s thinking about hosting an open house in the fall where Orcutt residents can meet the shop’s new owners.
“We saw a lot of potential in the store,” Alyssa said. “We know we can bring more to Orcutt.”
Highlights
• On June 29, staff and board members of the Lompoc Valley Medical Center sealed a time capsule full of documents related to the COVID-19 pandemic, letters to future employees, and photos to celebrate the hospital’s 10-year anniversary. The capsule is to remain unopened for 50 years.
• The city of Santa Maria is renovating Russell Park this summer and fall through the use of nearly $900,000 in state and federal grant funds. The city plans to install a new playground, restrooms, and a walking path in the park.
Staff Writer Zac Ezzone wrote this week’s Spotlight. Send tips to spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 2-9, 2020.