Centinela Feed

We began as a small store at 4307 Centinela Avenue in Mar Vista. In 1926, Al Barnes the co-owner of the Carson and Barnes circus decided that he wanted his own city. The building that became the future home of Centinela Feed was the city hall for Barnes City. Barnes City only lasted less than a year before it became a part of Los Angeles. However that was long enough for the building to be later declared an historical landmark.

In the 1930s the building became a feed and paint store. Over the next forty years the business had four different owners. In 1974 Tom and Mieko Nakagawa purchased Centinela Feed. Tom and Mieko are the parents of the current owners Chris and Dwight Nakagawa.

Chris Nakagawa started working at the store when he was 11 years old. In 1987, Tom Nakagawa turned over the store to Chris, and then in 1995 Dwight joined the company. In 1989, the next store was built on 12553 Venice Boulevard, when the building at 4307 Centinela Avenue began to deteriorate due to age. The small building no longer stands today; it was torn down due to the condition of the building and safety issues in the summer of 1999.

In 1994, our largest retail store (located at 3860 Centinela Avenue) opened. This store opening brought the Company back to the original street where it had all begun.