Walls and shelves packed with an array of records fill the 1960s inspired American Pie Records and Coffee House in Old Town Camarillo.
Despite large coffee chains like Peet’s seeing closures across California earlier this year, the small shop founded by longtime Camarillo resident Mike Curtis has become a popular space for the community to gather and listen to old-school music alongside quality coffee. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, vinyl record sales surpassed $1 billion in 2025 in the U.S. and have increased year-over-year for roughly the last two decades.
While Curtis said he considered opening in other locations, he realized he wanted to be involved in developing a business and community in Old Town Camarillo. “I don’t know what it would be like to be in business just like in some random shopping center where everybody is just kind of doing their own thing,” he said.
Curtis previously worked as an attorney doing labor and employment litigation before his lifelong love of everything “vintage” led him to open the shop at 2211 Ventura Blvd. He said he was inspired by Greenwich Village coffee shops and the beatnik movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Fridays and Saturdays draw dozens of people to the cafe for live music – mostly jazz and blues – poetry, improv and stand-up comedy. While Curtis stated he had considered charging for performances, he emphasized that he sees live music as an opportunity to build community.
“I can’t pay what a real restaurant can pay” performers, he said. “But I can give you a room that’s really interested in what you’re doing and a great vibe.”
Specialty drinks take their names from some of Curtis’ favorite albums. The Cat Scratch Fever, a latte with four shots of espresso, pays homage to and is advertised alongside the Ted Nugent album of the same name.
According to Curtis, the original American Pie Record Shop began in Santa Barbara in the 1970s before moving to Ventura in the 2000s.
Curtis later bought the name and store inventory from the previous owner. In 2022, Curtis opened American Pie Records at 2195 Ventura Blvd. while the current coffee house opened a few doors down in 2024.
However, around six months after opening the coffee house, Curtis chose to close the record store and move part of the inventory into the coffee shop. He said his choice to consolidate was because the two stores created confusion and required him to frequently go between them.
Curtis commented that a large part of sales come from teenage girls and people without record players. For him, vinyl records are special for their physicality, sound quality, history and the commitment required when listening to an album all the way through.
Looking ahead, Curtis said he is considering expanding the current space and opening other locations.
Levi Kauffman is a summer intern for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at lkauffman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Record store offers coffee and choruses in Camarillo
Reporting by Levi Kauffman, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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By Levi Kauffman, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
