Residents in the Wilshire-Montana neighborhood have a new place to buy stamps or send packages. Miko Photo at 718 Montana Avenue is now Miko Photo and CPU (Contract Postal Unit); in other words, the friendly neighborhood version of the U.S. Postal Service.
The CPU opened officially on August 28 at 11a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and refreshments of canned soda and cookies. Present were Santa Monica Postmaster Joe Yusan and contract postal unit coordinator Denise Bunn.
Sang Park, who has owned Miko Photo for seven years, told the Mirror that his business has been dropping off due to the new photography technology. Miko sells disposal cameras and film, develops camera film, and makes prints and CDs, but with almost everyone using digital cameras, Park has been seeing fewer customers. Wanting to have another business to back up his income, Park thought of starting a CPU, but the process took three years. “The first coordinator I contacted retired,” he said. When Bunn became coordinator for the Los Angeles District, Park’s idea came to fruition.
“Everything that a post office has, you can get here,” says Bunn, “except for money orders.” Miko now carries postage stamps and other postal products and offers UPS shipping.
Hours are from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday – Friday, and 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday.
Miko Photo and CPU, 718 Montana Avenue, 310.393.0838.
