inspired by locals: dave from home

As I've mentioned before, my neighborhood has some pretty awesome spots... most of which are run by small business owners. Recently, I befriended Dave Ross, co-owner of HOME, an adorable yet edgy boutique in the heart of North Park. Read on to hear what inspired him to quit the corporate world and follow his passion for marketing and branding:

dave ross, co-owner of home 

Your logo is pretty iconic. Tell us the story behind it!

The HOME logo was designed by our uncle and his wife, Cynthia and Richard Ross. HOME was a bar in New York City in 1969... it was open for 10 years and our unclesold it in '79. HOME as a bar was a safehaven, it was off the beaten path, 92nd and 2nd in Manhattan,so it brought in a lot of artists and musicians. Our uncle (Richard Ross) became fast friends with John Lennon. They partied, yachted, even though they weren’t sailors and drove fancy cars around together, just living it up. The whole time John lived in NYC, they blossomed into spiritual friends. Anyways, when John was being deported from New York, he wore the HOME shirt to signify that NYC was his home. It was one of the most photographed tees John wore.

photo courtesy of espacio alternativo... does this guy look familiar?

Why did you decide to open a retail store?

I worked in the action sports industry for two decades in marketing and brand development so I had a branding background. I got to a point where I wanted to work with my family and get a businesss to its full potential. Plus we loved the logo [from our uncle's bar] and we wanted to pay homage to our uncle and the friendships he had with people, the kind that signified a fun aspect of American life. Our first retail store opened in Encinitas 10 years ago. We've had the North Park store for two years now. People love the fact that HOME has to do with John Lennon because The Beatles touched so many peoples’ souls. So it was just kind of a give in.

adrian ross: buyer

Why did you choose to open your stores in San Diego?

My dad's from the Bronx my mom's from upstate [New York]. They left New York because they wanted a change in their lifestyle. They were raised in a certain type of household and they wanted to explore themselves while they were young and ambitious. They wanted to find themselves. So I was born and raised in San Diego as well as my partners and brothers, Nick and Adrian.

How do you plan on growing the brand?

We've talked about having more stores and building the brand. We just want to concentrate on getting more shoppers out and teaming up with clothing retail stores here to build awareness that North Park isn’t just a place to come to drink and have dinner but you could spend the whole day here shopping and enjoying what the neighborhood has to offer.

What makes your store stand out against the other shops inSan Diego?

We offer well-rounded products at great prices. Adrian is the main buyer and he's really talented at merchandising stores. He takes into consideration the neighborhor and who he wants to dress. But I think HOME is special because there's something for everyone... almost. We take pieces of existing clothing and reengineer the pieces to make them unique, mostly jackets, denim vests, mostly mens. We also buy off the public. We believe that a mercantile company is a unique blend of vintage and local jewelry designers and brands. We sell 60 percent new and 40 percent vintage/used clothing.

What do you think makes North Park a special neighborhood?
It's packed full of magic! Haha, it’s a nice blend of what downtown can offer without the congestion. There are eclectic stores and restaurants, mostly owned by small business owners. The people who live and work in the community are awesome and then there are a few dangerous guys who keep it interesting.

Visit Dave and spiff up your fall wardrobe at one of HOME's two locations: 

North Park, San Diego

3013 University Ave.

Encinitas, San Diego

629 South Coast Highway 101