Flushing former jobs for off-road fun

Ryan Carter

Jim White had his fill of plumbing, and Marc Cereghetti was tired of

being a techie. Both were doing well, but they agreed it was time to

make a career move.

The answer was obvious to both of them. Start a business based on

what the fledgling retailers had always enjoyed: riding two-, three-

and four-wheel off-road and all-terrain vehicles.

Together they own J & M Sand Toys at 4130 W. Burbank Blvd. In

June, they moved into a space once occupied by Barron’s restaurant,

where they sell everything from spark plugs and watercraft parts and

accessories to motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. Tires for all

manner of traveling in the sand and dirt adorn the shop’s

checkerboard floor.

For White and Cereghetti, it is a new lease on life.

“He was tired of chasing turds and I was tired of being a nerd,”

Cereghetti said.

White, 35, and Cereghetti, 33, met two years ago through their

mutual interest in off-road vehicles. Late last year, White called

his friend and told him he was tired of plumbing. He asked Cereghetti

if he wanted to go into business together.

Part of what prompted White to toy with the idea of starting a

business was seeing the vacant space they are in now without a tenant

for so long. White lives near the store, which was Barron’s until it

was gutted by fire in November.

Barron’s, which opened in 1962, was known for its pies, sliced

pork smothered in gravy and friendly service. It was a spot

frequented by celebrities and local firefighters.

When they moved in, the Barron family treated them to some pies,

White said.

As for starting a business in a time when the economy is not on

firm ground, the pair of new owners said there would always be a

market for their products.

“We’re not trying to get rich,” White said, as he touted the fact

that he will soon be selling dune buggy parts. “We’re just trying to

have fun.”