SAN LEANDRO, CA – Shaun M. has done it again. For the third year in a row his open-air pharmaceutical business has won the ‘Downtown Top Retailer’ award sponsored by the Downtown San Leandro Association. M. operates out of several locations in the Downtown Plaza area: “You can usually find me around the fountain, but sometimes I need to temporarily relocate to either behind the 85 Bakery or near those weird musical benches.”
No matter the location though, his customers keep coming back for more. Brittany has been a loyal customer for years, saying Shaun “has a way to keep you coming back for more. And to be honest, he’s the only reason I come to the Washington Plaza shopping center, but I usually hang around for a while after a consultation with Shaun.”
M. says he is concerned about the current trajectory of the Washington Plaza shopping center, calling out the increased use of private security guards as well as the opening of multiple restaurants in previously vacant storefronts. “I used to be the only draw to this place, but now I even see kids walking through here. Where are my clients supposed to lay down and take a nap now?” The installation of police cameras in the area worries M. as well, and he calls them an invasion of his privacy. He is currently considering filing charges against the Police Department, although there is no record of any interaction between the SLPD and M. since 2018.