Tag archives: business

An Oscar de la Renta pop-up shop is coming to Montecito Country Mart, in the former home of Intermix, which closed last year. The shop will open Thursday, July 19, and will be open until August 26, according to brand representatives.  “Given our partnership with Lotusland and the fact that many of our customers from […]

One of the latest additions to the American Riviera’s most eccentric neighborhoods celebrated their one-year anniversary last week. Loveworn, a dual-owned clothing store on the southern end of Anacapa Street, down where the city meets the sea in the Santa Barbara Funk Zone, carries attire for the authentic and chic individual, one who holds a […]

This weekend, Allora by Laura, the women’s clothing boutique on Coast Village Road, will celebrate five years in business with an anniversary sale to thank loyal customers. “It’s truly been our great passion,” said owner Laura Dinning, who runs the store with the help of her daughter, TJ Breidenstein, and their employees.  The mother and daughter duo, who […]

It doesn’t matter how big or how small a wedding actually is: as soon as the bride and groom are permitted to kiss, they still walk away married with one marriage license for two people. However, this does not propose the ostracization of romanticism; when it comes to getting married, nothing is too amorous for […]

Many people possess an obvious and specific identity at a young age. One kid may be heavily into science or auto-mechanics, while another may feel they were put on the planet to play the drums or surf 40-foot waves after every major storm. And when the child reaches adulthood with the identity still in active […]

After losing hundreds of shoes and multiple pieces of expensive shoe repair equipment in a structure fire at his former location, Santa Barbara Shoe Repair – formerly De La Vina Shoe Repair – owner Bachir Ramadam has set up shop at a spacious location on Haley Street near Anacapa Street. “I’m happy that I have […]

On the northern tip of Santa Barbara, where Hollister Avenue and Modoc Road connect near the border of Goleta is a second-hand furniture and consignment store that sells vintage and modern decor. This single-story gem, owned by Vic Parvin, goes by the name of Finders Keepers. You can easily spot the display of unique and […]

“You and I are all as much continuous with the physical universe as a wave is continuous with the ocean.” – Alan Watts In 2005, the small town of Summerland welcomed The Sacred Space to what is now the heavily decorated corner of Lillie Avenue. But the wall of green foliage, the healing Buddhas, prosperity […]

Mayor Cathy Murillo made our town’s newest eatery, the Bluewater Grill, official at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The restaurant, formerly Rusty’s Pizza Lighthouse and Castagnola’s Lobster House, is just a tiara’s toss from Stearns Wharf, with the kitchen run by Chanel Ducharme, formerly of the Hungry Cat. Owners Rick Staunton and Jim Ulcickas, who have a […]

Nearly a year after moving to Montecito from New Zealand and taking ownership of Coast Village Road’s olive oil shop, Viva Oliva, Amanda and Sven Dybdahl are unveiling the store’s new look and offerings. “We really feel like we are part of this great community,” Amanda said during a visit to the store last week.  […]

This Saturday, April 28, merchants along Coast Village Road will welcome shoppers to a special shopping event: Coast Village Association’s Spring Fling. “This is a fabulous opportunity to support locally owned businesses with many offering great discounts and specials,” said Sharon Byrne, the association’s executive director.  Many of the CVR merchants will offer discounts and […]

How does an aqueous woman curb her frustration of Spring Break’s arrival, a mere confirmation that summer will soon follow, when every swimsuit she finds and adores does not satisfy her petite yet curvy physique?  Well, if you’re Danielle Rocha, 23, you don’t hide from the California sun and ocean, or avoid pool days and […]

Also happening at Montecito Country Mart: Poppy Store, a children’s boutique, will take up residence at the Mart for one month; a portion of sales will be donated to Montecito Union and Cold Springs School. Poppy opened for business on April 7 and will be open until May 7.  Poppy Store is a baby and […]

It is no secret that most women dream of the day they can walk arm and arm with Daddy down the flower-littered aisle while wearing a long white dress and veil while the organ serenades the bride-to-be in her, hopefully, once in a lifetime experience amid their closest friends and family. However, the cost of […]

Making money and living a conscious life are not mortal enemies. So suggests May McCarthy, who over the last 35 years has founded and grown seven profitable companies, in a variety of industries including fashion retail, telecommunications, healthcare software, and capital equipment, that employs 250 people and bring in more than $100 million in annual […]

Next Friday, April 13, Jennie Reiter, owner of Blanka on Coast Village Road, will officially mark the closing of Blanka and opening of Ambiance, a new boutique with new ownership. Hit hard by the business loss attributed to the Thomas Fire and mudslide during what is the busiest time of the year in retail, Reiter […]

Nearly a year-and-a-half after the closure of Montecito Café at the Montecito Inn, Los Angeles-based restaurant group Scratch Restaurants has announced the opening of the first of four concepts at the historic Coast Village Road hotel: Frankland’s Crab & Co will open its doors on Friday, April 6.  Chef-owners Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee […]

In 1974, a little more than 100 years after the publication of Arthur Rimbaud’s poem “A Season in Hell” – the same year Stephen King terrified America with his first thrilling novel, Carrie – Mahri Kerley opened Chaucer’s Books, a Santa Barbara business that continues to draw the same loyal customers, 12 hours a day, […]