Flower Huizar and George Cervantes stand outside Trading Post, a new convenience store in north Downey. Photo by Alex Dominguez

DOWNEY -- After a local convenience store became run-down, two new owners have brought it new life.

George Cervantes and Flower Huizar purchased the former ABC Liquor at 9956 Lakewood Blvd. in November 2016 and have transformed it into Trading Post – a convenience store with a “prohibition era, Old Town” feel dealing in everything from rare liquors to classic candies.

“We’re focusing on things like whiskeys and craft beer, and things like that,” said Cervantes. “We felt that there’s nothing like this around here, and we feel that our neighbors, it’s kind of what they’re looking for.

“One thing that we’ve really expanded on is retro candy. We have a lot of great candy that people haven’t seen in a long time. People come in and it's great seeing their smiles because they’ve seen this candy or gum that they had when they were 10 years old. There’s a lot of stuff from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.”

The store also hopes to cash in on some of the lottery luck that ABC Liquor once had.

“The previous owner, they actually won the lottery themselves twice,” said Cervantes. “We’re waiting on one of our customers to win.”

Trading Post opened in 2017. Photo by Alex Dominguez

Before Cervantes and Huizar stepped in, the prior establishment had seen better days.

“It was a little run-down already,” said Huizar. “I just saw the opportunity to make it nice.”

The business duo has been friends for over 15 years, having met while working at a radio station. Huizar is already a business owner herself, running the neighboring tanning and waxing studios.

She says Cervantes’s work ethic drew her to make him a business partner.

“Our work ethic was very similar. When we worked together, we were so into it…He always put in the effort,” said Huizar. “When I was opening my businesses next door, he was with me the entire time….He helped me there, so I knew that when I wanted to buy this store I wanted him to be my partner. I knew he’d be into it, and he is. We work really well together.”

Huizar says that the theming of the store comes from her time spent with family in Old Town San Diego and Temecula.

“My family is in San Diego…we meet in Old Town Temecula or San Diego, and I love those areas,” said Huizar. “It’s like a really nice old feeling, but very comforting, very ‘home.’ I wanted this store to be similar to that. I wanted it to feel like home, and I wanted our customers to come in and have the same feeling. I wanted to bring that here.”

Both Huizar and Cervantes say that they hope the store will continue to grow and expand.

“I want it to grow. I want people to know we’re here,” said Huizar. “They lost a lot of customers towards the end of the previous owner’s reign because they just weren’t into it anymore. I just want people to know that we’re here for them, and we’re always bringing in product or anything that they would like us to carry here to make life more convenient for them as well.”

Trading Post revives 'old-town' feel with new convenience store