About

About Curleys Key Shop

About Curleys Key Shop

For more than seven decades, Curleys Key Shop has been a fixture of the Pomona Valley. What started as a small 300-square-foot shop in 1951 has grown into a trusted, full-service locksmith and key shop serving generations of customers across Pomona and the surrounding communities. Ours is a family story — one built on honest workmanship, fair pricing, and a genuine love for the trade.

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A Legacy That Started with a Quarter

The story of Curleys Key Shop begins with Hobart “Curley” Causey, born in 1906, who opened the original shop in 1951 at a small storefront on East Holt Avenue in Pomona. He later moved to 455 East Center Street, and for one of his granddaughters, those early years meant pedaling over on her bicycle to visit grandpa at the shop — sweeping off the key machines in exchange for a quarter to spend on candy.

Curley’s son Carroll learned the trade alongside him, eventually working as a locksmith for Pacific State Hospital while helping part-time at the shop. Around 1973, Carroll bought the business from his father. By 1975, a young Debbie — Carroll’s daughter — began working there, making her one of the few women in the locksmith trade at the time. In 1977, the family had the current building constructed at 306 East Monterey Avenue, with 800 square feet of workspace and eight parking spaces. Stocking thousands of keys into that new space was no small task — but it set the standard for the large key selection Curleys Key Shop is known for to this day.

Curleys Key Shop
Five Generations, One Shop

Five Generations, One Shop

Debbie and her husband Avery Carter have owned Curleys Key Shop since 1996, carrying on the tradition Curley started. Their son Brian learned the trade as well and now operates his own key shop. Today, their grandson Chase works alongside them — making Curleys Key Shop a five-generation locksmith family.

Over those generations, the shop has seen the industry transform dramatically: from skeleton keys and antique automobile locks to electronic keyless entry, smart access control, and the latest automotive key fobs and remotes. Avery still repairs old skeleton key locks — a skill that’s increasingly rare in today’s locksmith trade — and the shop still cuts keys for antique cars, because at Curleys Key Shop, no key challenge is too old or too new.

What We Believe

Curleys Key Shop is built on honesty and fairness. We believe that if we carry the right inventory, offer the right skills, and treat every customer right, the rest takes care of itself. When it comes to keys, we like to say: if we don’t have it, no one does. We’re proud to be your Pomona Valley locksmith — and even prouder to still be here after more than 70 years. Stop by and see us, or give us a call at (909) 622-6716.

Curleys Key Shop
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