After 57 years in business, The Black — an iconic smoke shop in Ocean Beach — is fading to black.

For decades, the shop has been a cultural landmark in OB, known as a go-to stop for pipes, rolling papers and bongs. For a long time, it was the only head shop in Ocean Beach, drawing locals, tourists and generations of loyal customers.

“Parents have been coming here when they were kids, so, I mean, it’s an end of an era, for sure,” employee Cedric Garcia said.

“This is the culture of SD, one of the staples,” customer John Castro said.

If you were a hippie — or a hippie wannabe — in the late 1960s and 1970s, the OB Rag says The Black was the place to visit. Customers looking to buy certain items, like a bong, had to be careful with their wording, asking for a “water pipe” instead.

For some teens, visiting the shop became a rite of passage.

John Castro, also known as Ambassador Juda Lion, said the shop is often recommended to visitors looking for the true Ocean Beach experience.

“If you visit San Diego and know a local, they tell you and know what’s up with the vibes in OB, they’re going to be like, ‘Stop at The Black. That’s the place,'” he said.

Owner Kurt Dornbusch began working at the store as an employee before taking over the business in 1981, when he was 24 years old. Now 69, Dornbusch said it’s time to retire and start a new chapter with his wife.

“I just need to move on. I need to retire,” he said. “I haven’t had any really nice vacations in quite a while, so I’d like to take some time. And I just got into scuba diving, so that’s one of my new hobbies.”

Over the decades, The Black became a cornerstone of the Ocean Beach community, even attracting celebrities. Dornbusch recalled a memorable encounter with martial arts actor Chuck Norris.

“He wanted to buy a knife, and I’m like, ‘Chuck, why would you want to buy a knife when you can kill somebody with your bare hands?’ Anyways, he did end up buying the knife,” Dornbusch said.

As Dornbusch prepares to embark on a life of leisure, customers are saying their goodbyes — and taking advantage of discounted prices to grab a piece of nostalgia.

“There’s an opportunity to take this culture to the world. Come and take advantage of this 40% off, get what you can. These are memorables. This is the culture,” Castro said.

Dornbusch says he doesn’t know when they’ll close for good. They’ll just figure it out, when it comes.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.