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Bay Shore is not losing its popular surf shop.
Yes, Nalu Dry Goods will be vacating its current space at West Main Street and Maple Avenue next month.
And, the Nalu owners will be opening a new store in Huntington.
But Nalu is now also opening a second location elsewhere in Bay Shore — just a few storefronts to the east at 4 East Main Street, next to Salon Eden.
Nalu owner Marie Fischer credited the Greater Bay Shore Chamber of Commerce in helping keep her in Bay Shore after losing her current lease under a new building owner.
“We were trying to find a space in Bay Shore and not making any progress; the chamber helped us out and we were able to find a spot,” said Fischer, who first opened Nalu (Hawaiian for wave) in early 2013.
Fischer said her current building’s new owner let Nalu operate through summer.
“The intent was always to stay in Bay Shore; we just weren’t finding any space that was appropriate,” she said.
Fischer was born and raised in Hawaii before moving to New York at 19 and studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
She then worked in the corporate fashion world, through which she met her husband, Christopher Fischer, a Bay Shore native, before settling in the hamlet and starting the business.
Nalu’s first location was on the eastern end of the downtown, near First Avenue and Main Street.
She moved the store to the current location after about a year and a half.
Despite the well-publicized struggle of independently owned retail establishments, which are now battling malls, big box stores, and online shopping, Nalu has been doing well.
“We’ve received a lot of community support; we doubled our business after the first year, which was great,” she said. “It’s still challenging but we get that local support, which we’re grateful for.”
With its array of swimsuits, swim trunks, T-shirts. flip-flops and sunscreens, being close to the ferry helps too.
“But it’s mostly from people who missed their boat, or forgot to pack something,” Fischer laughed.
She’s confident her customer base will only grow in her already established home.
“We were not looking to move, and it was stressful, but the outcome looks pretty bright,” she said. “I’m trusting in God; I really am.
But these are First World problems, you know?”
