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vol . 5 , no. 8 : october 22-28, 2025 : losgatan.com
county mailer controversy p4 : no kings protests p4 : police blotter p9 : the butter paddle p12 Jonathan Natividad
SWIMWEAR SHOP STAYS CREATIVE TO WEATHER THE COOLING TEMPS Palapa Lounge owner Karen Jensen spills her retail success secrets Faizi Samadani, Contributor
With colder weather arriving, swimwear brands can face a chilly business climate. But West Main Street retailer Palapa Lounge has proven resilient, staying open consistently for almost 17 years. Owner Karen Jensen, has survived the highs and lows of temperature-shifts, a global pandemic and rent hikes, by staying attuned to the market—even in the face of fluctuating demand. The nearly 40-year veteran of the swimwear industry says she’s survived turbulent times by carrying popular brands, celebrating product arrivals on social media and offering high schoolers their first-ever jobs. Jensen, who grew up in Santa Monica, loved the beach from her earliest days. She’s lived in Los Gatos for the last 25 years and has maintained her passion for beachlife and swimwear despite moving to Los Altos Hills at the age of five. “The main reason I got into the swimwear industry was because, when I was in high school, I worked at Ujena swimwear in Mountain View, where they designed and manufactured the suits,” she said. Jensen traveled all over the world with the company, working on photoshoots—including as a model. In the 90s she moved to LA, where she opened a store on the corner of Melrose and ➝ Palapa Lounge, 8
VICTORY The Los Gatos High School football team chants the program’s fight song after its 47-0 win over Sacred Heart Prep in a PAL Bay Division opener on Oct. 10. Read the story on P10.
FROM A ‘BEST OF LG’ BOUTIQUE TO VAPORIZERS AND BONGS? A mystery “gift shop” tenant has been raising alarm across town Dinah Cotton, Contributor
Since the departure of women’s clothing boutique Jackie ‘O from what is considered prime retail space along North Santa Cruz Avenue, town residents, shop owners, Council members and the Los Gatos Chamber of
Commerce have been wondering what might replace it. The three-years-running Best of Los Gatos award-winner shuttered its physical store at the corner N. Santa Cruz Avenue and Elm Street July 31. Their Santa Cruz Ave.-side neighbor, East Kennedy, left around the same time as both businesses decided not to renew their leases. The others: Tassels and Forté did renew,
and the American Italian Delicatessen chose to remain at the improved building. After 28 years, the previous owner decided to sell this commercial building. The new owner, Mudfish LLC, purchased this property a yearand-a-half ago. At that time, significant property taxes were due, and the ADA restroom was ordered to be built. Mudfish ➝ Mystery Shop, 6
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