Meet Neil & Kristen DeLaCruz & Erickson | Owners, N.E.A.T. Thrift Store

We had the good fortune of connecting with Neil & Kristen DeLaCruz & Erickson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Neil & Kristen, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Neil was between jobs and had a little money saved up. He was thinking about opening his own business. He had worked at my restaurant, which was a detour for me from decades of owning thrift stores. After many discussions with me about the ins and outs of the resale business, he decided to open his own thrift store.

Neil is very artistic and his creativity shows in the design of NEAT. He repurposed or built most of the fixtures and added touches of whimsy throughout the store. He began making tie dye a few years after opening. I enjoyed my time with the restaurant, but things didn’t work out as planned and I ended up closing. It was at this time we decided to become partners. This gives Neil more time for tie-dye, which he has become very passionate about. It also brought me back in to the world of thrift stores which I have always loved.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We are both eco-minded, and are most proud of having a business that helps the environment. The resale industry helps keep perfectly good discarded merchandise and clothing out of our landfills by giving them a new lease on life. We are proud to be doing our part to combat throw away culture and the effects the fast fashion industry has on the planet.
What we feel sets our shop apart from other thrift stores is our sense of community and fun atmosphere. Our box truck has become a rotating canvas for local artists to express themselves through art which can be viewed on a large scale by everyone driving by. Some large corporate thrift stores can feel sterile. We try to make your shopping experience pleasant and fun. We work hard to sort through our merchandise and offer quality gently used goods at thrifty prices. On the fun side, we hold a silent auction for exceptional items that come through the shop every month. We also have a fun zone with bells, vintage toys and a gong for your entertainment.

I worked in office jobs and in banking for years, but always a had an itch to work for myself rather than large corporations. In the mid 90s during a wave of bank mergers, there was an ad in the Pennysaver for a small thrift shop for sale for a ridiculously low price. The owners were struggling to make it, and just wanted out. I jumped at the chance to escape the corporate world, and entered the world of small business ownership.

I made many mistakes along the way – converting my first thrift shop into an antique shop and failing; later taking a huge space and doing consignment with multiple vendors. This ending up with me doing so much paperwork I found myself feeling like I was back in an office job. What these lessons taught me are that people need access to inexpensive quality merchandise more than expensive antiques. Regarding consignment shops – I have been into many great ones. I found what works best for us at NEAT is controlling the choices, prices and flow of inventory ourselves, rather than selling other people’s (vendors) choices of merchandise at higher prices.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Lake Elsinore is surrounded by so much natural beauty. It’s a 15 minute drive up the Ortega Highway to the Cleveland National Forest and trails for every level of hiking. While you’re up there it’s tradition to stop at the Lookout Roadhouse for breakfast or lunch with the best view in town, followed by the 74 Candy Store and Goods for some homemade or nostalgic candy. After a morning of hiking visit Historic Main Street in town and browse the many quaint shops. Be sure to stop at The Mindful Lotus for a reading or sound bath, or to pick up some crystals, essential oils, candles, books, & more. You’ll want to grab a beer at Stadium Pizza where they make some seriously good craft beers. Resist the urge to get pizza and hold out for dinner at La Unica Barrio Cocina Y Tequila – where you’ll find modern Mexican and Spanish cuisine and hand crafted cocktails (and a yummy selection of vegan/plant based options).

Don’t drink too many cocktails, as you’ll want a clear head the next day when you strap on your parachute and jump out of the plane at Skydive Elsinore (for the less adventurous – you can stay on the ground and watch the jumpers).

On another day you’ll want to head south on the I 15 a few miles and hike the many trails of the Santa Rosa Plateau. This area is definitely worth the drive. It is just beautiful. Depending on the time of the year you may get to see their vernal pools. Then head a little further south on the I 15 to Temecula wine country for wine tasting. Temecula also has a great craft brewery presence. Eat breakfast or lunch at my favorite restaurant in the area – E.A.T. Marketplace in Old Town Temecula. They take clean eating seriously, offering delicious food using only local, sustainable, organic ingredients. You’ll want to browse Old Town Temecula where they have lots of great shops like an old time soda shop, hot sauce shop, antique shops, a spice & tea shop, and my favorite – Temecula Olive Oil Co. where you can sample their amazing small batch locally grown olive oils & vinegars. They also have a beautiful selection of gifts made from olive wood.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We truly have the NEAT-est customers! Most of them are frequent repeat shoppers, as well as regularly bringing us donations. The shop could literally not exist without the support of our customers and the community at large that surrounds us. One of my favorite and unexpected things to come from opening up a business in our hometown are the relationships that come about that otherwise wouldn’t exist. It might sound cliche and corny but it’s true. Lake Elsinore has a small town vibe and it is their support and word of mouth that allows us to keep our doors open. We also had tons of support, encouragement and help from friends and family getting the shop opened. A lot of hard work went into getting the space ready for business. Neil’s Mom Laurie played an essential role by showing up again and again to do whatever work needed to get done (from scrubbing walls to using her network to bring in donations to help get the shop off the ground).

Website: https://neatthriftstore.wixsite.com/neatfinds

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neatthriftstore/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neatthriftstore/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/neat-thrift-store-lake-elsinore