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Correction: This story was corrected to say Hussein Omar registered Blazin Gifts LLC.
A West Menlo Park smoke shop may be trying to open in the unincorporated exclave after the owner’s previous smoke shop was blocked from opening in the same space in August 2024.
Earlier this month, a sign displaying “Blazin Gifts” appeared at 3536 Alameda de las Pulgas. If that sounds familiar, it may be because in August 2024, a sign reading “Smoke Shop” appeared at the same space, prompting outcry from neighbors who were concerned about the potential of a tobacco retailer located close to local schools and a dance studio.
At the time, San Mateo County supervisor Ray Mueller said county staff spoke with Ahmed Omar, the owner of the August smoke shop, who mistakenly relied on information from the city of Menlo Park, which does not regulate the area where the shop would operated.
“The shop owner just relied on information that wasn’t accurate,” Mueller said at the time. “The shop owner told the county that the city didn’t identify any problem. But the problem was that it wasn’t in the city’s jurisdiction.”
A county ordinance prohibits the sale of tobacco, cannabis or paraphernalia at the location since it is within 1,000 feet of Phillips Brooks School and the La Entrada Middle School field.
Mueller said at the time that Omar agreed to voluntarily comply. However, Ahmed Omar’s brother Hussein Omar may be trying to open a shop there again.
Hussein Omar registered Blazin Gifts LLC at the Alameda de las Pulgas address with the state of California on June 28. Omar owns Grizzlys Smokeshop in San Jose. While the state of California does not list owners of tobacco retail licenses, it lists 3536 Alameda de Las Pulgas as the address of a licensed tobacco retailer.
“County inspectors have recently been out to the site and notified the owners that a smoke shop may not open at the location. Additionally, a gift store selling smoking paraphernalia may not open at the location,” Mueller said in an email to this news organization.
Mueller previously said a type of gift shop might open in the space, which he later clarified the county staff believed would be unrelated to smoking.
The owner of the property, Atherton resident Mostafa Ronaghi, did not respond to a request for comment.
Correction: This article was updated on July 22 to clarify Mueller was relaying information the county received from Omar.
A minor point: When I look up Blazin Gifts LLC at the Secretary of State Web site, I see the Registered Agent listed as “Hussein Omar” — not Ahmed Omar, the Oakland owner of the smoke shop, and of the SmokesRUs Inc. corporate vehicle, involved last fall.
Given other similarities, it’s probably more than coincidence that the Omars share a family name, but I thought I’d point out that detail.