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Neighbors in West Menlo Park are up in arms about a smoke shop that took over a vacant storefront at 3536 Alameda de las Pulgas. They called on local officials to help shut down what turned out to be an unlicensed smoke shop.
A neighbor who noticed a large red “Smoke Shop” sign being installed on the storefront on Oct. 27, took to neighborhood social media platform Nextdoor to express concern over a smoke shop opening for business so close to schools and other areas where children congregate. Many neighbors questioned how a smoke shop could have gotten a tobacco license in an area with so many children around. Several commenters on the Nextdoor post declined to speak with this news organization for this story.
The smoke shop replaced Axiom Learning, a private after-school tutoring and test prep service.
The post, along with the over 200 comments that it garnered, caught the attention of San Mateo County District 5 Supervisor Ray Mueller, who lives in Menlo Park and previously served on the Menlo Park City Council. Mueller confirmed with the county planning department that “the new smoke shop has not applied (nor) has been granted a license to sell tobacco by the County of San Mateo.”
According to information from the California Secretary of State’s Business Search tool, the business, registered as “SmokesRUs Inc,” is owned by Ahmed Omar of Oakland. The business was first registered on Sept. 24, 2024. Omar also owns Grizzlys Smokeshop LLC, a smoke shop in San Jose, according to the Business Search tool. Omar could not be reached for comment.
Mueller said that if the owner of the store did apply for a county tobacco retail license, the application would be denied as the location is not eligible to receive a tobacco license due to its proximity both to schools and to other locations licensed to sell tobacco.
In 2023, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance to increase penalties for businesses that sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to minors, and to prohibit new tobacco retailer permits from being issued to any new location within 1,000 feet of a “youth-populated area,” or within 500 feet of an existing licensed tobacco retailer.
Tobacco retailers that existed before the ordinance was in place are allowed to remain where they are. This ordinance applies within the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County, including the area of West Menlo Park in which the smoke shop is located.
“This (store) is located within 500 feet of a current tobacco retailer licensee … located at the Chevron station,” Mueller said in an email to this news organization.
The unlicensed smoke shop at 3536 Alameda is also located within 1,000 feet of at least four “youth-populated areas.”
The county defines a “youth-populated area” as any property that contains a public or private school for children aged kindergarten through high school, a library, a playground, facilities that offer programs for youth aged 6-17, recreation facilities like a gym or pool, a public or private college or university or a licensed child care center or preschool.
The smoke shop is located within 300 feet of the University Heights Montessori Children’s Center preschool. Additionally, the storefront right next door to the unlicensed smoke shop is Studio 650 dance studio, a dance company that offers classes for adults and kids aged 2+.
“The county has confirmed the site is located within 1,000 feet of Phillips Brooks School as well as the La Entrada Middle School field,” said Mueller. “My belief is the dance studio next door qualifies as a youth center, as well as the Montessori Children’s Center.”
The smoke shop location currently is not open, is empty and has no products for sale. There is no indication provided on the storefront of when the store might open. However, Mueller said that the San Mateo County Environmental Health department has been notified to perform an inspection.
According to San Mateo County Health’s website, “tobacco retailers who violate any requirements under (the county tobacco ordinance) will place themselves at risk of administrative fines, permit suspension, permit revocation, criminal prosecution, or misdemeanors.”
Even if the smoke shop only sold tobacco paraphernalia such as pipes, rolling papers or e-cigarettes, rather than tobacco or nicotine products themselves, it would still be subject to the county’s tobacco retailer ordinance.
The tobacco retailer ordinance that was passed in May 2023 also banned the sale of all flavored nicotine products in order to make the addictive products less palatable to kids and teenagers.
According to San Mateo County Health, from April 2021 to June 2022 a total of 11 of 74 tobacco retailers in San Mateo County, or about 15% of licensed retailers in unincorporated areas of the county, sold to underage youth decoys during Sheriff’s Office enforcement operations.
Mueller said that in order to further protect children from tobacco products, his office intends to bring an urgency ordinance before the county Board of Supervisors at the board’s Nov. 19 meeting.
“(The ordinance) would prohibit the opening of new tobacco retailer locations within 500 feet of well-traveled routes children travel to school,” said Mueller. “My office will be crafting the language of this ordinance over the next two weeks.”
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This is hilarious.
Maybe they can pivot to being an apparel store: clothes, but no cigar.