The Future of Echo Park is filled with printed t-shirts, Doc Martens and vintage VHS tapes

After running an online store, blog and collective, Will Brinkerhoff is taking a step out of the virtual world and into the realm of retailing with an apparel and accessories store called Future. The 28-year-old Brinkeroff said the newly opened Sunset Boulevard store west of Lemoyne Street in Echo Park will feature the artwork and merchandise created by artists and new designers. Future will also stock as some well know brands - such as Doc Marten shoes - and mainstream products - such as jeans - that appeal to a young, budget-minded shopper.

"The physical shop is a way for us have a little business and is also a way to showcase things we think are rad at the street level," Brinkerhoff said. "Another cool component of FUTURE is our relationship with creatives all around the world and we're always thinking of new ways to share what they are doing with our customer base."

Why Future? "I thought it would be a cool name," said Brinkerhoff of his first retail venture.

Future and friends will be holding a party tonight featuring some a DJ and some deals on merchandise.

Working dogs have a new place to shop - and sniff - in Echo Park

Blue Collar, a pet supply store primarily for dogs and the occasional cat, quietly opened its doors for business this week on Echo Park Avenue. The store, located in a renovated 2,600-square-foot warehouse space, is serious about promoting itself as selling "supplies for the working dog." Not only does the store sell pet food and toys but training collars, bite-sleeves, and other equipment for police, rescue, hunting and service dogs used by the blind.

The owners, former music industry workers Michelle van Arendonk and Barry Hewitt (pictured above with their dog, Grimm, recovering from recent surgery), also said they will stock bigger harnesses and and supplies for bully breeds and pit bull mixes popular in the neighborhood. It will be several weeks before all the merchandise arrives and a grooming station and training classes will be available, van Arendonk said. The store, which is making available samples of grain-free and holistic pet food, is currently open seven days a week from 10 am to 7 pm.

Echo Park landmark makes room for a new restaurant *

Several of the storefronts in the landmark Jensen's Recreation Center in the heart of Echo Park's business district have been vacant as the building undergoes an extensive renovation. One of the empty spaces had been a high-profile corner spot at Sunset Boulevard and Logan Streets. But that space, a former medical clinic that has been transformed into a dramatic two-story space (pictures above under construction) has apparently been leased out to vegan and raw cuisine caterer Stephen Hauptfuhr of Mooi Food.

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Hauptfuhr has been looking for a space to open a vegan-raw food restaurant earlier in the year nearby on Glendale Boulevard where it passes underneath Sunset Boulevard, according to Daily Dish. But he ended up in a much more high profile location in the historic 1924 structure. Hauptfuhr said by email he will provide more details about the restaurant later today. News about Mooi moving into Jensen's comes after another local restauranteur, Gareth Kantner of Silver Lake's Cafe Stella, abandoned plans earlier this year to open a restaurant in the same building.

* Update: Hauptfuhr said his vegan-raw food restaurant might be as open as early as December on a limited basis for private parties before a grand opening early next year. He does not use animal products - not even honey. The tentative plans are to serve sit-down dinners on Wednesday through Saturday, featuring affordable meals - priced from $25 to $40 a couple -as well as more expensive specials. During the day, Mooi would focus on selling deserts, snacks and ice cream (based on cashews) during much of the week.

"This place is perfect," said Mooi. "It's just an amazing space."

Mooi (pronounced moy) means "beautiful" in Dutch, said Hauptfuhr who is half German.

Will coffee perk up an East Los Anglees landmark?

The owner of Silver Lake's Coffee Table restaurant plans to open a cafe inside the mosaic-covered Self Help Graphics & Art building in East Los Angeles. Brett Schoenhals expects to open Cafe con Leche early next year within the arts center at the corner of Cesar Chavez and Gage avenues. The menu at the cafe, which won't have a full kitchen, will focus on soups, salads and sandwiches, Schoenhals said.

Self Help, founded nearly 40 years ago, hired a new executive director earlier this year as the nonprofit seeks to establish a more solid financial footing. The building is home to a print-making studio, classrooms and gallery spaces. Schoenhals said his cafe will occupy about 2,000-square-feet of space, including the highly visible corner location. His plan is to showcase the work of Self Help artists during ongoing exhibitions in the cafe.

Photo from SelfHelpGraphics.com

Paper, please: A newsstand opens in Echo Park *

If everyone is buying, selling, reading and doing everything else online, somebody forgot to tell Echo Park business owners. The past year has seen the opening of retro retailers like a bookstore -Stories - and a record shop - Origami Vinyl - despite the explosion of online book and music sales. Now, another old school business has opened its doors in Echo Park, the Mohawk Newsstand on Mohawk Street north of Sunset Boulevard. Tucked into what looks like a former one-car garage behind The Coffee Pot cafe, the Mohawk Newstand is owned by Neil Forn, a Woodland Hills resident and businessman with a love of magazines. He opened the spot in partnership with the owners of the Coffee Pot, which will also make room for one of his magazine racks.

Echo Park used to have a large newsstand that once stretched along what is now a medical clinic at the northwest corner of Echo Park Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. What's left is a much smaller news hut of sorts that sells many Spanish-language publications. There's another small newsstand on Sunset Boulevard west of Alvarado. The Mohawk Newsstand, however, is much larger, stocking more than 200 titles that seem to appeal to every neighborhood niche. Some of the specialty titles include Vanidades, Pilates Style, Taost, Low Rider, Tattoo and Cesar's (of Dog Whisperer fame).

"People still want to buy magazines," said Forn, who is a fan of Popular Science and Popular Mechanics. "Print is not completely dead yet."

* Correction: Previous versions of this post misspelled the owner's last name as Form. The correct spelling is Forn.

Cupcakes & Capitalism

What is it about these little cakes that has professionals abandoning corporate careers to open their own business or juggle day-time work with night-time baking? Genevive Ostrander, for example, worked for a dozen years promoting beauty products before opening up Delilah Bakery, a center of cupcake consumption in Echo Park. Meanwhile, another Echo Park resident and business professional, Celeste Alleyne, is also pursuing her passion for cupcakes and baking. This Saturday afternoon, Alleyne's Soul Cups Cupcakes & Catering will have a cupcake tasting - how about a bite of "Pound 'O Butter" and "Peanut Butter Cup" - at Say Cheeze in Silver Lake.

But, Alleyne, who was trained by her father, a professional chef, has no plans to walk away from a 25-year-long career in public relations and community affairs. So, at least for now, you will have to special order that "Pound O Butter."

Can Tavin fill the void Show Pony left behind at Chicken Corner?

The closing of Show Pony, a popular Echo Park boutique and art space, and the departure of Han Cholo, a showcase of Ghetto fabulous jewelry, nearly three months ago left many wondering about the fate of Chicken Corner. That's the name of the crossroads where Echo Park, Delta and Morton avenues meet and where a half-block of storefronts have served as a magnet for art lovers, shoppers and coffee drinkers. The owner of Show Pony was reportedly paying $1,200 a month in rent and it was not clear, given the tough economy, who would fill the voild. Well, the Hans Cholo space is still vacant but the formerly pink-and-white striped Show Pony space is being converted into a "concept boutique" called Tavin.

Tavin is named after Echo Park resident Eric Tavin, a cosutmer and stylist who was looking for a change. So, the former New York actress moved quickly to lease the Show Pony space.
Tavin is expected to be open in time for launch party on July 11.

"Our store is going to be a concept boutique featuring selective vintage and new designer clothes, jewelry, and accessories for women and children," said Tavin in an email "We hope to feature local designers, especially. On top of that, to create an atmospheric, lifestyle space, we will also sell art pieces, books, and home items. We are looking forward to making Echo Park an even more interesting and cool place to shop live hang and be."