About the company
Pat Clemens is seriously old-school, and not just because his grandfather was second cousins with Mark Twain. When Clemens moved here in 1951 at age 5, Santa Barbara was still a small town, and the Mesa, where he grew up, still had farms. His father built the first grocery store there, and the city limits sign read “18,000 inhabitants.” The farmer, whose farm was near Cliff Drive and Oliver Road, used to drop off free fruits and vegetables on his neighbors’ doorsteps. “That’s just what happened,” Clemens mused.
This decidedly down-home vibe still permeates every nook and cranny of the
jewelry store on Haley Street — Patco Jewelry — out of which Clemens has done business for nearly 50 years. He makes and designs jewelry, buys pieces on consignment, and repairs jewelry in various stages of distress. It’s strictly a word-of-mouth sort of place: where you go to get your wedding ring resized when it no longer fits, and where you get old family jewels — laden with emotional memories — repurposed. Clemens, who attended McKinley, Washington, Santa Barbara Junior High, and San Marcos High School before attending Westmont and serving in the Navy, takes care of his customers. “We try to do solid work at reasonable prices,” he said. “We’re not always perfect, but that’s our philosophy.” Business is always brisk.
Clemens and his staff — some have been there for decades — have seen Haley Street change for the better, the worse, and the better again. Since 2016, Clemens, who has a degenerative muscle disease, has been confined to an electric wheelchair with an American flag flying from the top. Fortunately, his large hands remain nimble. At 80 years old, he’s still happy to go to work. He’s proud he kept all his workers through the economic ravages of COVID. He’s proud that his shop contributes to various nonprofits, such as the Rescue Mission. “This community has taken care of me. You have to give back,” he said. “It’s what you do.”
