Tag archives: business

Ready Set Confetti
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 25, 2022

A new, locally-owned retail store has opened in Coast Village Walk, next to Blenders in the Grass. Montecito mom Emma Morton-Smith owns the new business, which offers an array of modern party décor and gifts from various on-trend brands.  Located in the former location of PLNT PWRD MRKT, Montecito first “meat-less” market, which closed in […]

New Restaurant May Take Over Pierre Lafond Space
By Richard Mineards   |   October 18, 2022

Montecito’s Pierre Lafond Wine Bistro restaurant, which has been closed since the pandemic, is having a new lease on life. The Charter Oak Restaurant in St. Helena in the heart of the Napa Valley run by chef Christopher Kostow, also of the Michelin 3-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood (TRAM), has just allegedly signed a lease […]

California Scheming: Fast Food Folly Unfrocked
By Bob Hazard   |   October 4, 2022

California, which already ranks dead last in Chief Executive’s “Best and Worst States for Business,” just took another giant leap backward. On Labor Day, September 9, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law, a new,deceptively named “Fast Food Recovery Act.” This legislation has nothing to do with fast-food recovery. Instead, once again, the government […]

Coast Village Mesa Burger Closes 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 27, 2022

Mesa Burger owner Chris Chiarappa confirms that his Montecito location on Coast Village Road is permanently closed. “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we are announcing the permanent closure of our Montecito location. We will be forever grateful to all our wonderful guests and the entire Montecito community for their gracious support. We […]

AMA Sushi: Seasoned chefs bring centuries-old Japanese traditions to Rosewood Miramar in Montecito
By Claudia Schou   |   September 20, 2022

Step inside AMA Sushi, Rosewood Miramar’s new upscale dining room, and experience an homage to Edomae – a centuries-old Japanese culinary tradition that has resurfaced in recent years. Named for women who ventured into the ocean to collect seafood for their village, “ama” means “women of the sea.”  The team at this beachside resort is […]

Silver Air Private Jet Opens
By Joanne A Calitri   |   September 20, 2022

The newest buzz in the air is the grand opening of the World Headquarters of Silver Air (SA), at 225 State Street, celebrated with a soirée Friday, September 9. The announcement comes at prime time heading into the fourth quarter for global business and wealth management.  On board at the event were its co-founders and […]

More Parklet Considerations
By Montecito Journal   |   September 13, 2022

There are important issues Bob [Hazard] doesn’t address in his article about creative solutions to CVR parking. The first is equity. Why does the wealthiest business owner on CVR get parklets adding 150+ seats to Lucky’s and Tre Lune, for free, for years, and not K. Frank? Angel? All the galleries? Every business would benefit […]

The Coast Village Road War Just Got Hotter
By Bob Hazard   |   September 13, 2022

Hours after last week’s Montecito Journal went to press, the war between the restaurants and the retailers over the future of Coast Village Road (CVR) got hotter.  Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse expressed his written opinion regarding his long-term commitment to the continuation of parklets on CVR. At the same time, CVR retailer Kevin Frank, […]

Parklets Slated to Change on Coast Village Road
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   September 8, 2022

After much community debate, including in the pages of Montecito Journal, City Administrator Rebecca Bjork sent a letter to stakeholders late Wednesday discussing the fate of the parklets on Coast Village Road.  As of October 28, 2022, the City is requiring new rules for parklets, mainly, that they will be limited to a maximum of two adjacent parking spaces in […]

A Solution to the Coast Village Road Parking Wars: Who Wins? Who Loses? Restaurants, Retailers, or the Community?
By Bob Hazard   |   September 6, 2022

Coast Village Road (CVR), though ceded to the City of Santa Barbara in 1960, remains an iconic pillar of the Montecito lifestyle. The CVR streetscape offers sophisticated dining, boutique shopping, historic hotels, real estate brokers, drugstores, medical offices, professional services, hair salons, banks, business offices – and yes, even a modern, high-priced combination gas station, car […]

Druville Pop-up Tour Stops in Montecito
By Sofia Fouroohi-Martin   |   August 30, 2022

Designer, speaker, author, and philanthropist Dru Hammer is bringing druville to town. Her new brand shows the 30-plus years of design experience under her belt through clothing and jewelry as well as acrylic trays and melamine tableware. The brand gets its name from her two sons – growing up they would joke about living in […]

Pedestrian-only Areas in Germany
By Montecito Journal   |   August 23, 2022

I saw a letter by Jeffrey Harding about CVR and removing the parklets. He just wants it to go back to the way it was – this is a mistake in my opinion. I am from Germany originally and know of the commercial value of pedestrian-only areas. Check out some images of this small city […]

Parklet Discussion
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 23, 2022

Last Friday morning, a group of 30 business owners, property owners, employees, and restaurant patrons gathered at the conference room of Montecito Inn to discuss the fate of parklets on Coast Village Road. A recent letter sent to the Santa Barbara City Council signed by over 25 Coast Village Road business and property owners sparked […]

New Pop-Up at Montecito Country Mart
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 16, 2022

KULE has officially opened in the Montecito Country Mart. This is the brand’s third store and its first location on the West Coast. After a successful six-month pop-up at the Brentwood Country Mart in 2019, KULE’s signature stripes are back in California. Their new “stripy store” also features limited edition KULE glassware made by the […]

Jenni Kayne Home Opens 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 2, 2022

Lifestyle guru Jenni Kayne has opened a second store in San Ysidro Village, located adjacent to her original apparel-focused Montecito store.  Kayne has created a line of home goods in the same welcoming palette of timeless neutrals and grounded earth tones for which she is known; the store features furniture, including couches, beds, benches, outdoor […]

Santa Ynez General Pop-up
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 19, 2022

One of Santa Ynez’s most popular shops has popped up in Montecito’s Upper Village, located in the space once occupied by George Meta Jewelry near Montecito Village Grocery. Owned by Pearson and Spencer Turnbull, the company, which features its own brand of goods along with other lifestyle and clothing brands, opened in downtown Santa Ynez […]

Ivy Cove 
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   July 5, 2022

Montecito resident Ivy Moliver has created a new collection of luxury leather goods, called Ivy Cove. Moliver serves as the Managing Director and partner of Superior Leather LTD, and says the Ivy Cove brand represents the culmination of her fashion journey across the runways and leather tanneries of Europe, producing quality goods out of Asia […]

Miss Daisy’s: Moving Your Dresser and Your Heart
By Charles Rous   |   July 5, 2022

For locals in the know, Glenn Novack has been heard to say, “Miss Daisy’s is kind of like May Madness, all year long!” Upon entering Moving Miss Daisy’s Consignment and Auction House, I first saw Glennstanding at a 360-degree checkout counter, the center of a vast solar system of furniture, artwork, and energy. Here, new […]

Coral Casino Under Renovation
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 21, 2022

Earlier this week, Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club owner Ty Warner gave members an update for his plans on reopening the exclusive beachside club, which has been closed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. It is anticipated that the club will reopen in the first quarter of 2023, after improvements […]

Coast Village Association Secures CBID
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   June 14, 2022

In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the Santa Barbara City Council voted to establish and form the Coast Village Community Benefit Improvement District (CBID), an idea that has been in the works since November 2020, brought forth by the Coast Village Association (CVA). The resolution came after a tallying of votes cast by Coast Village […]