by Sara Beth Williams–
What began as a small garage operation grew into a brick-and-mortar storefront along Auburn Boulevard, where Antonio Reynoso now welcomes customers into Inca Threads, a custom embroidery shop rooted in family and heritage.
Reynoso said in an interview with The Sentinel that, prior to creating customized patches himself out of his garage, he used to work in another embroidery shop a long time ago.
“I was growing a decent amount of customers and decided to open a shop,” Reynoso said.
Reynoso’s custom embroidery shop will celebrate one year in business in April of this year. He and his family are Peruvian, and the name of the store is a nod to their heritage.
Family plays a central role in the business. His sister, Patricia Reynoso, began working alongside him when the store opened a physical location, and his parents have also been supportive of the venture, helping in the shop as well.
In the beginning, the family focused on embroidering hats and jackets with customized patches. Word of mouth helped him steadily build a customer base, which at the time consisted mostly of Hispanic customers, he said.
After opening the brick-and-mortar shop last year, Reynoso said his clientele has expanded and is now roughly evenly split between Hispanic and other nationalities.
Inca Threads is located along Auburn Boulevard in a storefront previously occupied by a candle shop that closed shortly after construction began on the roadway in summer 2024. Reynoso said it took him about a month to secure the space and move in last year.
Opening during an active construction period presented challenges. Reynoso said organic customer traffic was limited last year, as roadwork created confusion for drivers and pedestrians trying to access the strip of small businesses, which has only a handful of parking spots shared by four adjacent businesses.
Conditions improved during the holiday season when a temporary holiday construction moratorium reduced disruptions. Reynoso said the business experienced an uptick in foot traffic during that time, and he believes visibility and accessibility are gradually improving now.
Since opening, the shop has expanded its offerings beyond embroidered hats and jackets. Inca Threads produces car decals, banners and other customized items. Pricing is described as affordable and varies depending on the type of patch, level of customization and order quantity, his sister says.
Store hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The store has a presence on social media currently, and Reynoso said a website for the store is still in the works.
Inca Threads is located at 8215 Auburn Blvd. suite K.
