How 4 college students’ love of vintage clothing led to downtown SLO store: ‘Do not give up’

When Nathan Smidt and his friends moved to San Luis Obispo to attend college, the self-described “broke college students” needed to cut down on their spending.

So the four friends started shopping for clothes at Goodwill and flea markets, Smidt said, filling their closets with thrifted treasures.

That’s when they took their next, ambitious step: launching their own business.

Today, Smidt, Dominic Gamboni, Beau Gamboni and Austen Hanner own and operate Central Coast Vintage, which opened at 982 Monterey St. in downtown San Luis Obispo in February.

According to Smidt, the friends have faced obstacles “every step of the way” but ultimately persevered. That’s something he encourages all young people to do.

“Do not give up,” Smidt said. “At the end of the day, the only person out there that’s stopping you is you.”

SLO vintage clothing business started as pop-up shop

The friends attended high school together in Bakersfield and then moved to SLO, where the Gambonis, who are brothers, attend Cuesta College. Smidt attends Cal Poly and Hanner works as the manager at Gus’s Grocery..

The idea for Central Coast Vintage began when the four hosted a pop-up clothing sale in front of one of their houses.

“We did pretty good,” Smidt said. “We were like ‘You know, this could be a business.’ It was just a little thought back in the day.”

After that first pop-up event, the friends hosted several more at various parties, as well as on Dexter Lawn on the Cal Poly campus and in front of Smidt’s grandmother’s house in Bakersfield.

Not long after, the group secured an invite to sell their vintage clothes at the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market.

After finding a prime location for a brick-and-mortar store in downtown San Luis Obispo, they connected with a landlord and pitched their business plan. The landlord is a Cal Poly alumnus, Smidt said.

What does downtown store sell?

Today, Central Coast Vintage is home to a diverse array of vintage clothes ranging from retro T-shirts to trendy Y2K-era clothing.

Smidt’s favorite items include vintage racing jackets that sell out almost as soon as they are restocked.

According to Smidt, people love being able to buy a jacket they cannot get anywhere else — something that is “uniquely yours.”

To source the items for the shop, the team visits flea markets, garage sells and warehouses using a wholesaler’s permit.

The shop also functions as a buy, sell and trade shop where customers can bring clothes from their own collections to sell or trade.

Since opening, Central Coast Vintage has added a shoe section featuring the brands Onside Kickz, owned by Cal Poly football players Jackson Pavitt and Jake Woods, and TVR, which restores vintage shoes for resale.

Smidt says he likes forming partnerships with other small businesses.

Smidt and his team of co-owners run the shop on their own but may look to hire other employees in the upcoming semester.

Central Coast Vintage owners balance business, classes

The owners of Central Coast Vintages have had to balance running a business with managing full undergraduate course loads.

“Everyone in college is so focused on their social life, which is something we have had to give and that is kind of hard,” said Smidt, who take courses at Cal Poly over the summer. “Even harder than that, though, is definitely the school part.”

During the school year, the friends plan their class schedules together to ensure the shop is staffed at all times.

In spite of the challenges, Smidt said running a business as a young entrepreneur has been rewarding.

“I’ve had professors like my marketing professor who like to show up to the store and are super supportive,” Smidt said. “She brings her kids and they buy shoes and shirts. I’ve had four or five professors actually make it out to the store and come say ‘Hi,’ which is really cool.”

More about Central Coast Vintage

Central Coast Vintage is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Call 805-567-7831, visit vintageclothingsanluisobispo.com or follow the store on Instagram for more information.