Tag archives: local business

When life throws you curveballs, what does the owner of the vegan joint Rascal’s do? In short, Dalan Moreno gets to work and gets things done!  After a sudden and unexpected notice to vacate his downtown residency on Cota Street on November 4, 2022, Dalan was left in a moment of uncertainty. But if 17 […]

Former Montecito fashion magnate Terry Pillow is fit to be tied! Terry, a former head honcho with Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Coach, and Tommy Bahama, who opened his new bijou bridle leather boutique on Coast Village Road, a tiara’s toss from Tre Lune last month, has a most unusual rug at the entrance to his […]

Last week marked 10 years since Rori’s Artisanal Creamery opened their first scoop shop at the Montecito Country Mart.  Owner Rori Trovato has been creating her beloved ice cream from a commercial kitchen in Carpinteria since 2010; the shop at the Mart was the first retail shop followed by locations in Santa Barbara (at the […]

With the pedestrian paths that now run down State Street, it is easier than ever to do some holiday shopping or just spend a day downtown with the family. In week three of our Home for the Holidays Guide, here are just a few of the fun events and spots to stop in along the […]

Montecito’s Aimee Miller recently opened Home Crush on Lillie Avenue, after converting a 1930s ocean-view Bungalow into an interactive design studio with multiple rooms, terraces, and destinations. “We kept the home feeling like a residence, but removed the doors so customers can come in and actually see stuff and how it lives in a room,” […]

The turkey has been put to rest (or maybe it put us to bed), and the holiday season is underway. With so much around our beloved town, it is easy to shop and support local. This is part one of four articles featuring the local stores that make our area so distinct.  This week features […]

On behalf of the entire ownership team, thank you to the community for supporting our application for a new cannabis retail dispensary in the Carpinteria Valley. While we recognize we have some additional hurdles to clear, we are 100% confident that Roots Carpinteria will open for business at 3823 Santa Claus Lane in 2023.  I […]

Blue skies, swaying palm trees, and warm weather make our city the perfect setting for California Dreamin’, but diners can still find hearty winter dishes on the menus of many of Santa Barbara’s best eateries.  Game birds, root vegetables, chestnuts, truffles, and other seasonal ingredients are among the rich cornucopia of flavors awaiting diners. “You […]

This past Monday, Halloween, Here’s the Scoop at Coast Village Plaza closed its doors, just nine months after owners Ellie and Bob Patterson sold the business to a new owner. According to an employee at the shop, the business will be closed until January, when it will reopen as a different concept.  Rumor has it […]

Earlier this year the Las Aves business complex on the corner of E. Cabrillo Blvd, Channel Drive, and Los Patos Way, across from the Andree Clark Bird Refuge, sold to a Los Angeles-based investment group to the tune of over $19M. Now, rumors are swirling that the group, called the Runyon Group, have big plans […]

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 […]

It’s almost always happy hour somewhere in Santa Barbara. I love the tradition of getting together with friends, work colleagues, and neighbors to ponder a myriad of topics over food and drinks: “How’s the marijuana odor control in Carpinteria coming along?” “Do you think Southern California Edison will move the utility lines underground in Santa […]

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 […]

Dozens of people turned out last Thursday, September 22 to mark the grand opening of Montecito Med Spa on Coast Village Circle in Montecito. Owned by Karen Neary, MSN, RN, the med spa offers a discreet, luxurious space in which to experience the latest innovative techniques for facial and body enhancements, under the care and […]

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 […]

The businesses that run up and down Coast Village Road (CVR) make up a neighborhood brimming with pride. There are old, fabled institutions like Lucky’s, generational property owners à la Jeff Harding, and small business owners who took leaps of faith and ended up with dreamy storefronts such as the folks atWhiskey & Leather. The […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

In April, Montecito restaurateur Gene Montesano – with the help of general manager Leslee Russell – took over a Coast Village Road staple: Montecito Deli. The new-and-improved “Montesano Deli” has brought fresh changes to the space and the menu, and this weekend, the market next door is set to open.  The duo of businesses, Montesano […]