OCEANSIDE, Calif — An up-and-coming cowboy hat maker in Oceanside is flying high after a summer of success.
In this Zevely Zone, I learned how San Diego Padres all-stars and a famous wrestler were eager to showcase his product at the drop of a hat.
Zito Hat Co. sits in South Oceanside just a few blocks from the beach and may be the last place you'd think about buying a custom cowboy hat.
"Yeah, people are like you are two blocks from the beach what are you doing?" laughed Austin Zito.
The hat maker who was born and raised in eastern San Diego County is often asked why he opened a cowboy hat company in Oceanside.
He used to live in Texas, but he chose to hang his hat here for a reason.
"San Diego County has more farms than any other county in the country so when people ask me why are you doing cowboy hats in Oceanside that's one of the reasons," said Austin.
Austin's talent caught the eye of the San Diego Padres organization which outfitted five of their players in his hats for this year's Major League Baseball All-Star game.
"It was a pretty big deal. I got a lot of press from it. I got a lot of people coming up to me in the grocery store saying, 'Hey, did you do the Padres hats?' which is super cool. It's never happened to me before," said Austin.
During the 2024 MLB All-Star game in Arlington, Texas, the hats worn by the San Diego Padres became a big hit.
"I grew up in San Diego, and so, of course, the Padres were a huge inspiration. I've been a Padres fan since, you know, the day I was born," said Austin.
The Padres organization then shared those hats with a WWE wrestler.
"Dirty Dom ended up wearing two of my hats," said Austin. WWE superstar Dominik Mysterio wore Austin's hat during Monday Night Raw.
Austin grew up watching Dirty Dom's famous father. "His dad is one of the most legendary wrestlers in the world. Rey Mysterio, "Mr. 619." His signature move is the area code where I grew up you know," said Austin.
Now, it's Austin's turn to wrestle with the marketing opportunity of a lifetime and make some headway with new customers.
"Once I make you a hat, I have your measurements exactly. Usually, I cut your exact head shape out of a piece of wood," said Austin.
His hats range in price from $500 to $1,200. He promises his high-quality hats last so long, you'll only need one for life. "It will last you upwards of two hundred years," said Austin with a big smile.
His cowboy hat shop is unique in another way.
"It's not maybe immediately obvious, but we are physically making everything single thing that we sell. We don't sell anything that we don't make," said the hat maker.
Hats off to Austin Zito who spent a hundred hours making his Major League mark on baseball's best. "What my brand is about, is about delivering a cool experience, but also delivering the highest quality hat that you can buy," said Austin.
Customers can stop by the Zito Hat Co. in South Oceanside and work with Austin to create a custom hat on the spot. For more information, click here.