After 38 years doing business in Pacific Palisades and the last 22 years at 874 Via de la Paz, Carpets West owner Bob Byrne has retired. ‘It was just time,’ Byrne, 65, told the Palisadian-Post on Tuesday. ‘I don’t want to kill myself any more.’ He figured out that after working every Saturday for 38 years, he had added 5.4 work years to his life. ‘I didn’t tell everybody I was retiring,’ he said. ‘I’m kind of shy that way. The funny part is, I wrote more business the first week of February than all of January.’ He was surprised that so many people would give him business when he warned them he was retiring. ‘It made me feel really good that they had that kind of faith in me,’ Byrne said. Byrne, who lives in Marina del Rey, plans to travel, play golf and still do some business for people he’s known for a long time. His daughter Brenna, who attended Corpus Christi School, received her master’s degree from the University of Maine and now lives in Maine. He plans to visit her more frequently. ‘I appreciate all the business the people of the Palisades gave me, so that she could have that opportunity.’ Landlord Don Hecker praised Byrne as a businessman who ‘was always early with his rent. He was a superb tenant and a model human being–a super nice guy.’ ‘He loved his customers,’ said Richard Klein, who owns the adjacent Chefmakers store. Hecker said that Byrne had spoken to him about retirement in October, but didn’t make the decision until January. Once he decided there was no hesitation. On Friday, February 1, there was merchandise in the store and the following Monday the store was empty. Meanwhile, Hecker has already found a new tenant: Paul Buchanan, who will open a carpet store in the same location with his daughter, Claire. Buchanan, who is from England, spent 15 years as a carpet apprentice. ‘I’m excited that he’s going to be selling a product that he knows intimately,’ Hecker said. The new owner has been a carpet manufacturer representative for nine years, which is how he met Byrne. When Buchanan learned that Byrne was retiring, he decided to take the opportunity and open a store. ‘I’ll be taking care of the day-to-day operations, but my daughter will be running the store,’ Buchanan said. ‘She will be the main person selling the carpet. She has some fresh ideas from Europe and we’re going to combine my experience with her flair.’ After redecorating the store, the Buchanans plan to open the second week in March. ‘As a landlord, I’m very excited about the combination of experience and fresh new ideas coming to the Palisades,’ Hecker said about his new tenants. Byrne can be reached at (310) 454-0697 or (310) 301-2445. He warns callers that they have to let it ring.
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