As tutoring center 826 Valencia prepared to open its doors in 2002, the founders – including author and McSweeney’s editor Dave Eggers – discovered that the space was zoned for commercial use.  In order to comply with San Francisco city regulations, the creative team decided to open a Pirate Supply store in the front of the building, an idea that became so successful that as the group opened new centers in other major cities – a Superhero Supply Co. in Brooklyn and a Time Travel mart in LA, among others – they’ve adopted similar themes with all proceeds supporting the [...]