Lucky Star Coast

After a year of running Rudy’s Vintage Thrift, I’m closing this storefront and taking what I’ve learned into the next chapter.

At 22, I opened my first thrift shop in Laguna Beach. As a first generation college graduate, I put the savings I’d built over six years of working multiple jobs and selling at flea markets toward giving a dream of my own a real chance..

That idea became Rudy’s Vintage Thrift.

Now, at 23, I’m preparing to close this location after a year of running it myself. Our last day of regular hours will be October 25. It’s a decision I feel is right for me and for the business, even though saying goodbye to this little space means a lot.

I’m proud of what I built here. And there’s still so much I want to do.

A year of figuring it out

I started Rudy’s with my own savings and without outside investors. From the idea to the day to day work, I took on the responsibility myself. I wanted to understand what it meant to run a shop and give myself the chance to learn through experience.

A year later, I have a much clearer understanding of what that takes.

There are things you can plan for before opening, and things you only begin to understand once the business becomes part of your everyday life. You learn what people respond to, how much work happens behind the scenes, and what you need to keep going. You learn to make decisions even when you’re still figuring out the answers.

This year gave me that experience. It also gave me the satisfaction of seeing something I imagined become a place people could actually walk into.

Thank you, Laguna

What I’ll carry with me most is the feeling of people choosing to stop by.

Every purchase, conversation, kind review, and message of encouragement mattered. It meant something to know that someone had found a piece they loved, brought a friend back, or taken the time to tell me they enjoyed the shop.

I created and ran Rudy’s myself, but the people who visited made the experience feel shared.

To everyone who came through the doors: thank you for giving my little shop a chance. Thank you for being curious, for supporting a young business owner, and for making this year something I’ll always be grateful for.

Laguna Beach will always be the first home of Rudy’s Vintage Thrift. Wherever I take the business next, that will stay part of its story.

Taking the next step

Rudy’s Vintage Thrift, is keeping its name, and I’m continuing through flea markets while I work toward the possibility of a future storefront.

I’m excited to take the business into new places, meet more people, and keep learning. Eventually, I hope to open a larger space that better fits what I want Rudy’s to become. This time, I’ll be making those decisions with a year of firsthand experience behind me.

I want to grow thoughtfully. That means giving myself room to consider what works, what needs to change, and what I can realistically sustain.

Closing this location is one of those decisions. I can love what I created here and still know it’s time to take the next step.

The bigger dream

My long term goal is to earn a master’s in urban planning and establish a nonprofit that advocates for and helps develop affordable, rent stabilized housing in Southern California. I envision growing Rudy’s Vintage Thrift into a business that helps fund that work, while my education prepares me to connect communities, housing organizations, and the people who can help bring these projects to life.

Running the shop has given me practical experience in managing costs, making decisions, and building relationships. There’s still plenty to learn, but this first year has helped me turn a larger ambition into something I can work toward, one step at a time.

Come along with me

I’m creating Lucky Star Coast as a place to share what happens next.

Here, you’ll find upcoming markets, updates on the business, and stories from my continuing thrift journey. I’ll also introduce you to the vintage shops, coffee stops, artists, vendors, and small business owners I discover around Orange County and beyond.

I’m running this myself, too, so it will grow as I explore, meet people, and find stories worth sharing.

If you’re nearby before October 25, I’d love for you to stop in once more. If you’re reading this after the doors have closed, I hope I’ll see you at a market soon.

Thank you for being part of my first year. I’m leaving this little shop with more experience, a clearer direction, and a lot of gratitude.

Welcome to year 2 !

With love,
Rudy Mendoza
Founder, Rudy’s Vintage Thrift