The USTA’s Northern California region contains approximately 35,000 members and 9,000 junior members. With all of that tennis being played, you would have guessed that San Francisco had at least one neighborhood tennis shop, right? Wrong… or at least you would have been wrong until this past week with the grand opening of City Racquet Shop.
Located in the Mission Terrace neighborhood of San Francisco, Marla Reid and Sheila Mackay opened City Racquet Shop so that San Francisco and Bay Area tennis players no longer have to face the dilemma of needing gear advice, recommendations or racquet stringing having only the option of large sporting goods stores with small tennis departments, and advice/stringing from college kids home for the summer.
Okay, so they opened the shop for a few more reasons than that. I’m not against anyone’s summer job opportunity. But as a tennis player, I need to know that I’m getting the best advice when spending money on racquets, shoes, or stringing. With City Racquet Shop you can be certain you will get excellent advice, service, and a smile from someone who has the knowledge to outfit you with all the correct gear to help you achieve your tennis goals.
Marla Reid has been a respected tennis pro and coach in the Bay Area for many years. She has coached nationally ranked teams and players at Occidental College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, University of Kansas, and Florida Tech. Marla has worked with both men’s and women’s collegiate teams. Moreover, Marla has over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. This is the kind of experience I look for when I need advice like “Would a Head racquet work better for my game, or should I try a Wilson?”
However, it takes more than good knowledge to successfully open a business these days; and Marla has some great allies by her side to help ensure the best chance of success. Her primary ally is her partner in business and life, Sheila Mackay. Sheila has a background of 20-plus years in Management and Customer Service. But don’t let that fool you into thinking that she is merely the business side of this tandem. She was also an NCAA collegiate athlete. Couple all of that with Sheila’s shared love of tennis and you have a perfect complement to Marla’s tennis expertise.
This duo is more than ready to take the step into the retail tennis business… with a unique twist. From its’ inception City Racquet Shop has always been about more than just selling tennis gear and stringing racquets. For Marla and Sheila, the shop is also about creating a sense of community: becoming part of their local neighborhood community and fostering community within for shop patrons. A place where tennis players can come, share knowledge, and just hang out. There’s no rush to get your money then send you on your way. City Racquet Shop wants to build a relationship with its’ customers.
City Racquet Shop is so committed to community that they have the following “mission statement” on their website: We want to share our love of tennis with players of all skill levels by offering a unique neighborhood retail experience that delivers high quality gear and stringing services, expert advice from knowledgeable professionals, and a place to connect with others who are passionate about the game.
This includes patrons dropping by the shop to watch the US Open, or other programs of interest on the Tennis Channel. There is no level of interaction that is too small for Marla and Sheila. On a recent visit to the shop, Marla mentioned that they were going to see an upcoming tennis match between local rival schools. She was excited because this gives the shop an opportunity to get involved in helping to develop the game within their community… and hopefully beyond.
To most tennis players, community involvement is all well and good, but “price” is what matters most! In this internet age, buying gear at local “brick and mortar” shops often means higher prices. City Racquet Shop is committed to offering competitive pricing, and they are quick to point out the major advantage of buying with them over online stores: no shipping charges. They are confident that for most items you will be able to pay less and get expert hands-on help.
Need a racquet? Or just looking for a better racquet that fits you and your game? You can participate in their racquet demo program. All racquet demo fees are applied to the purchase of your racquet. Plus, you get expert advice from someone who can really help you select the best racquet and strings for your game.
Speaking of community, City Racquet Shop is down the street from the SFPD’s Ingleside Station. As they were prepping for the grand opening, an officer came by to ask about the shop. When told it was a tennis shop, he perked up and said he looked forward to coming in for supplies. He even suggested that it would be great for Marla and Sheila to come by and give a tennis clinic to some of the officers since the station is right next to SF’s Balboa Park tennis courts.
At this rate, I have a feeling that tennis clinics to SFPD’s finest is only one of the many opportunities that lay ahead for them!
City Racquet Shop, 1798 San Jose Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
(415-841-0580)
Check them out online at http://www.cityracquetshop.com.
Check them out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityracquetshop.