Adult entertainment store Hubba Hubba is closing its doors after serving the alternative and LGBTQ+ community in the area for four decades. In an Instagram post last week, owner M.J. Pullins wrote that the store is ceasing operations on Nov. 24, citing rising costs, "miserly landlords," and an economic climate that is not conducive to small businesses. Pullins wrote that the challenges "made this a fight not worth fighting anymore."
Ilunga, a native Angeleno and former Hollywood Farmers Market curator, dreamed of opening her store in Northeast Los Angeles and built momentum behind the idea. She says her original landlords, Baller Mineral LLC, approached her about opening a business and financed the buildout for her superette on the corner of North Avenue 50 and Monte Vista Street. She also received a $250,000 grant from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)'s patient capital initiative Asset Building for Communities of Color.