Century-old LA store gets dramatic transformation amid community complaints

A beloved Los Angeles corner store has traded dusty shelves for designer vibes — and some longtime Venice residents say the makeover has stripped away a piece of neighborhood history.

The century-old building at 1915 Penmar Ave., home to the neighborhood market since 1935, has reopened as Bodega & Palms after an extensive renovation that transformed the once-humble convenience store into a bright, boutique-style market stocked with artisanal eats.

The revamped shop sits in the same historic building that housed generations of corner stores, most recently Mitchell’s Little Market, a neighborhood institution where locals stopped for everything from snacks and groceries to beer and wine.

Over the decades, the market changed hands and names — first Jack’s, then Gilbert’s and eventually Mitchell’s.

New owners Phil and Kaila Neuville moved to Venice in 2021 and purchased the market three years later after longtime owner Mr. Woo died. They said they promised Woo’s family they would preserve the store’s legacy while giving it new life.

After two years of renovations, the dark, roughly 800-square-foot market now features skylights, exposed ceilings and a fresh coat of paint.

A new mural is also in the works honoring Woo and the store’s past, the message on the side of the building reads, “The little market since 1935.”

“A small reminder of the history we get to continue,” the owners wrote on social media.

“We will also have a mural drawn of Mr. Woo and the original Mitchell’s and hang it in the new market,” they told YoVenice.

The store officially reopened Wednesday, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner items from local vendors alongside specialty drinks and upscale grocery items.

“We will also be featuring local vendors by serving prepared foods such as focaccia sandwiches and breakfast burritos. There will also be local, unique beer and wine offerings,” the owner said.

The menu also features trendy offerings including matcha, mesquite coffee and soft-serve ice cream.

Many longtime residents welcomed the revival.

“The messages from people who grew up in the area have been so meaningful!” the owners wrote.

“Two brothers messaged us separately saying how Mitchell’s was a very important staple of their childhood… riding scooters to grab strawberry shortcake ice cream.”

“Neighbors who live in their childhood homes have told us stories about how Mitchell’s was the first place their parents let them walk alone with a few dollars. They went after school every day.”

But not everyone is raising a toast to the upscale reboot.

The reopening ignited a heated debate on a Venice community Facebook page, where critics blasted what they see as another sign of the neighborhood’s relentless gentrification.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

“Heartbreaking. I grew up on Preston Way in the mid 1970s to mid 1980s. My brother & I always walked over to the little store. I remember the 25 cent Now & Laters,” one resident wrote.

“It was called Gilbert’s Little Store before the new owners renamed it Mitchel’s after their son. Many Many fond memories!”

Others argued the neighborhood had lost a practical convenience store in favor of another trendy destination.

“We are losing a valuable neighborhood amenity that made this area much more walkable, for a profit grabbing grab and go coffee shop that’s not really needed, there’s several coffee shops within walking distance,” another commenter wrote.

“The character and charm are gone, another victim of gentrification.”

Another local predicted the transformation is just the beginning.

“In the next 10 or less yrs there will be no more Mom n Pop stores or any original stores in Venice they will all be like what you see on Abbott Kinney,” the commenter wrote. “If you do not own the property they will raise the rent to get you out as they already are …”