Working -- Matt Rooney

Story by Paul Clinton; photo by [TK]

HE IS

Shading eyes from the summer sun

HAVING FUN IN THE WARM CALIFORNIA SUN

Every morning, Matt Rooney hangs the white metal-frame racks of

sunglasses outside his Balboa Fun Zone shop. Clinging to the racks in

neat rows, the glasses are a rainbow of varieties -- colored lens, metal

and sports wrap.

A whole rack is devoted to a colorful array of children’s glasses.

Rooney, who is gearing up for the summer rush of tourists to the

Balboa Fun Zone, said he couldn’t be happier to man his closet-sized shop

at the heart of the Fun Zone.

Profit margins are usually slim, but Rooney and the friendly

longhaired Dachshund that keeps him company seems to enjoy the

atmosphere.

“It’s a tough business, but I have a love for it,” Rooney said. “A lot

of the locals are friendly, as well as the tourists.”

KEEPING TRACK OF THE COMPETITION

Rooney, 36, has owned and run Bayside Sunglasses for two years. The

Balboa Island resident opened the shop as a way to reduce stress-levels

caused by his other job -- as a location scout for movies and television

shows.

With the sunglasses business slow during winter months, Rooney still

spends about five months a year helping manage the personnel and permits

involved in location work.

He recently worked on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s upcoming thriller

“Collateral Damage,” which will reach theaters this fall.

As for summer, it’s all about sunglasses.

To move more glasses, Rooney began offering three pairs for $11.

To his dismay, nearby clothing shop Santan matched Rooney’s 3-for-11

deal.

“They decided to go into the 3-for-11 business,” Rooney said. “It hit

me hard.”

CONSTANTLY STRIVING FOR THE REPEAT CUSTOMERS

Rooney doesn’t sell any of the high-end glasses such as Ray-Ban or

Oakley. He has instead focused his energy on the budget side of the

market.

Rooney said he works to give his customers value with their purchases.

As a result, many are loyal to him.

“I try to pride myself in [offering] the best glasses I can get for

the value and giving people their money’s worth,” Rooney said. “They come

back again and again. I see a lot of the same faces.”