In a message shared with the community, the shop confirmed that longtime owner Kurt Dornbusch is officially retiring, bringing to a close a chapter that began in 1968 and helped define Ocean Beach’s free-spirited identity for generations. “For 57 salty-air, sun-soaked years in Ocean Beach, The Black has been an OB staple - more than a shop, it’s been a vibe, a hangout, a heartbeat,” the post read, thanking the neighborhood for decades of support.
Founded in 1968 and named for the simple fact that it was profitable “from the start,” The Black quickly became far more than a retail operation. Located just steps from the ocean on Newport Avenue, the shop emerged during Ocean Beach’s rise as a hub of the Southern California counterculture movement, standing as a living artifact of the late-1960s and 1970s hippie era that reshaped the neighborhood’s character.
Over the decades, The Black built a reputation for its eclectic mix of merchandise, blending smoking accessories with clothing, jewelry, incense, housewares, and offbeat gifts. The store often described itself as a department store, gift shop, and smoke shop rolled into one, a reflection of Ocean Beach’s anything-goes ethos and its embrace of creativity, individuality, and self-expression.
Just as important as what it sold was the atmosphere it cultivated. Walking into The Black meant stepping into a bohemian environment filled with bold displays, the scent of incense, and a sense that time moved differently inside its walls. For locals, it became a regular hangout; for visitors, a rite of passage and a crash course in OB culture.
Dornbusch took over ownership of the shop in 1981 after starting there as a teenager, eventually becoming the sole steward of a business that had already woven itself into the community’s identity. Under his leadership, The Black weathered four recessions, shifting cultural attitudes, and periods of intense scrutiny from law enforcement during decades when marijuana remained illegal.
In the early 1980s, federal agents raided the store and seized merchandise, though no charges were ever filed. Dornbusch later explained that the shop survived by operating within the letter of the law, carrying pipe tobacco and related products while maintaining discretion and trust with its diverse clientele. That clientele ranged widely, from surfers and artists to families, older residents, and even elected officials, all of whom found their way through the door over the years.
Despite the legalization of recreational marijuana in California in 2016, The Black’s business model remained largely unchanged. Dornbusch noted in past interviews that legalization barely altered sales, since customers had long relied on the shop for smoking accessories rather than cannabis itself. The Black continued to thrive on low prices, loyal customers, and an emphasis on friendly, respectful service.
National recognition followed. In 2018, High Times magazine named The Black one of the Top 10 Legendary Headshops in America, praising its resilience, its role in surf and skate culture, and its ability to survive raids, recessions, and changing trends while remaining unmistakably itself.
More than anything, The Black served as a community touchstone. Parents brought their children inside. Longtime residents swapped stories. Tourists wandered in and left with a tangible piece of Ocean Beach’s soul. In a neighborhood known for fiercely protecting its character, the shop stood as a symbol of continuity in a city that has otherwise changed rapidly.
With Dornbusch’s retirement, Ocean Beach is now preparing to lose one of its most visible links to its past. While the future of the storefront remains unclear, the impact of The Black on the neighborhood’s cultural fabric is not.
The shop remains open for now at 4995 Newport Avenue, with hours listed daily from 10am to 10pm, as the community awaits word on when the final page will officially be turned. For more information, visit theblackoceanbeach.com.
Originally published on February 2, 2026.
