We get the question at the shop quite a bit. “What’s the story behind the sign on the front door?”
When we installed the graphic on our front door we didn’t really expect a simple gesture to garner so much attention. Mostly positive, some negative. That’s ok. But I’ve never really spoken about my motivation for including that message so prominently on our storefront, and I thought it was time to share.
The Berkeley neighborhood is quite literally the reason we still exist. When we lost our old building, the community stepped up and supported our move via Indiegogo. We wouldn’t be here without that campaign. It’s impossible to overstate that. So we don’t view our shop as a thing that we “own”. We view our role more as a caretaker. The FERAL shop is the Berkeley neighborhood’s shop. It’s your baby as much as ours, and we want anyone that walks through our front door to understand that.
Whether you shop here or not, we want to be a neighborhood front porch as much as we are a place to get adventure gear. Since we’ve opened we’ve had people use our hammocks for a nap, grab some much needed snacks to get through the day, stop by to jam with Jimmy and Dale around the “campfire”, and even seek assistance beyond some of the basics that a normal retail shop might provide.
The Berkeley neighborhood saved us, and it would awfully rude of us not to return the favor if the opportunity to serve you ever arises. So just like the sign says, FERAL is a safe space. If there is ever anything that this space can provide to you, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’re all neighbors here, and we’re always honored to have someone walk in the front door.
About the Author
Jimmy Funkhouser
Jimmy is the founder and owner of FERAL When he is not exploring the hinterland of Colorado he can usually be found at one of his favorite Berkeley neighborhood watering holes with Sophie and Ace the shopdogs.
Follow Jimmy on Instagram at@theadventuresoffunk.