Petrogylphs - Darren Jones Interviews Jose Jimenez

Good morning, Tucson. I'm Darren Jones with the Tony Ray Baker Group, and today we're here at the MSA Annex in Tucson, Arizona. Today we're visiting with José Jiménez, owner of Petroglyphs, very interesting shop here at the Annex. So good morning.

Good morning.

It's great for you to have us here today. So I have a couple of questions for you. I was wondering, um, what do you recommend? I mean, there are so many beautiful things, uh, in your shop. What, what is your favorite?

Oh my goodness. Um, well, they're all my favorite because mostly I chose them, but, uh, I would say if I had to take something home today, I love these copper frogs by Christopher Todd.

They're fantastic.

Yeah, they're— it's a— there's a lot of talent displayed in that and right, have personality of their own.

They're fantastic and they're, they're so big I want them in my garden. But now this is not your first location? You came from—

I came from the Los Barrio. Uh, well, originally started the store on Grant Road in 1999. I eventually made my way to the Los Barrio. I don't even know how much time I spent there, but, uh, the bulk of the business, which has been a little over 20 years, has— was at Los Barrio up until recently. Oh wow.

And how long have you been here?

I have been here since, uh, the day after Thanksgiving of 2019. That's what I remember. So whatever, so much has happened since then with COVID and what have you.

But, uh, now you're also, uh, getting ready to relocate again. Yes, close by.

Uh, yes, uh, so we are currently in the Mercado District. I'm located at the MSA Annex, and the Mercado District is about to launch a brand new project which is called the Mounier. It's a 4-story apartment building 122 units will be available, but the bottom floor will be retail and services, and I get to move into a brand new building.

That's fantastic. We're really looking forward to that. But now, how did you get into your specialty? It's such a unique shop.

Uh, you know, I— strange story, but I, uh, I— one thing led to the other. I was in a car accident which changed my life, uh, and because I had nothing better to do at that time I fell into business with a friend of mine, and I have just been kind of inventing and reinventing what you see here today, mostly because I didn't know, and I still don't know, anything about retail, generally speaking. So I make it up as I go along. I like stuff.

But you do all your own buying?

Yes.

Okay, so it's very unique, it's very personal to you.

It is. It is. I fell in love with it as a person, with the business itself. Even now, quite some time into it, I enjoy every single day that I show up, and I show up almost all those days.

That's great, because even though it's an eclectic shop and there are lots of different genres, there is a cohesiveness here, which I think is probably your personality, because so many people— every time we come, so many people are here saying hello and stopping in to just see you.

Yeah, so one of the things that I enjoy— I grew up in Tucson. I'm not a native, but I consider myself one. And I, to this day, love this city. So if there is a theme, is that I try to create the ambiance of what I feel Tucson is. All the multiculturalism, all the different types of people as I observe it, of course. And so I try to create a space that when people walk in, they feel like this is Tucson.

Well, I think they really do. Uh, culturally, it is such a mixed bag, and it's such a beautiful shop, and we wish you great luck in your new location. If anyone is over by the MSA Annex, please stop by the Petroglyphs and come in and say hello to José.