Tag archives: business

We are always curating our environment to fit our feelings and lifestyle. Just as we put on music to match a mood, we select the colors, materials, and objects of our home to pair with how we want to feel there. Or as Aimee Miller of Home Crush puts it, “Design your life.”  Home Crush […]

Pierre Lafond passed away this past Sunday at the age of 92, after 60 years in Santa Barbara enterprise overlapping a 25-year career in architecture. Pierre Lafond and his wife, Wendy Foster, developed a number of shops in Montecito and in greater Santa Barbara. And they were vintners and early adopters of Central Coast viticulture, […]

Montecito’s newest restaurant, Local, opens next week, located on the lower level of Coast Village Plaza (1187 Coast Village Road). The new, vibrant eatery is the brainchild of owner Michael Sheldon, who retired from his role as CEO of Goleta-based Curvature in 2017. “I’ve always loved food, cooking, wine, and the experience of eating in […]

Montecito Country Mart (MCM) has welcomed two new stores this month, both bringing fresh products to the Lower Village shopping center.  DÔEN, the Los Angeles-based fashion and lifestyle brand, opened this past weekend; the opening marks the brand’s second permanent location. Owned by Santa Barbara-grown sisters Katherine and Margaret Kleveland, the shop features the brand’s […]

This weekend marks the grand opening celebration of Cashy’s Playpen on Coast Village Road. Owned by Caroline Martel-Miller, the new, aesthetically-pleasing doggie boutique offers toys, bedding, grooming supplies, wellness products, food, treats, home accent pieces, travel carriers, collars and leashes, and more. The grand opening is Friday, April 15, from 4-7 pm. Enjoy 10% off […]

A new pet boutique catering to dogs will softly open this weekend on Coast Village Road, next to Folded Hills Wine Tasting Room. The boutique is the brainchild of New York City transplant Caroline Martel-Miller, who landed in Santa Barbara with her husband about a year and a half ago. “I’ve always dreamed of having […]

Montecito’s Letter Perfect owner Leslie Person Ryan has relocated the stationery shop from its longtime location on Coast Village Road, moving temporarily to a showroom on Garden Street in Santa Barbara. Person Ryan tells us she is actively in negotiations to reopen a larger store by April, but cannot yet release the new address or […]

Philip Stein doesn’t fit the standard mold of a polo club chef. For starters, his warm and friendly personality is devoid of the stuffy airs that one might assume is mandatory among those in close orbit to the regal sport. Now the Fieldside Grill’s executive chef, he was completely unfamiliar with the game – and […]

Word on Coast Village Road is that the owner of Montecito Deli, Jeff Rypysc, is in talks with a well-known Montecito restaurateur to sell the business, located at 1150 Coast Village Road. If all goes as planned, the deal will close April 1.  The new concept for the deli, which has been in the same […]

Montecito’s Letter Perfect owner Leslie Person Ryan says she is still seeking a buyer for her 38-year-old stationery and gift store on Coast Village Road. After two failed escrows, Person Ryan is hoping to find a buyer who will be as passionate as she is about stationery, letter writing, and gracious correspondence.  Letter Perfect, located […]

Unique women’s clothing and accessory boutique Juniper is tucked between Sakana and Occhiali in Coast Village Walk, with owner Marie Ferris offering an array of luxury clothing lines not found in other stores. “I love pieces that are unexpected and unique,” Ferris told us during a recent visit to the shop. “My style is soft […]

Within seconds after arriving at the Montecito Farmers’ Market, the delicate, sweet smell of lavender wafts up to the noses of Friday morning patrons. The aroma pervades the market and leads the shopper to the last stand in the far corner: June Bloom Lavender. Melissa Broughton, known as the “Lavender Lady” by locals, stands over […]

Picnic benches, orange blossoms, and warm soft breezes. These days, dining is an outside affair as restaurants continue to exercise safety precautions and give diners a chance to indulge in one of the most celebrated days of the year.  Although restaurant owners and chefs are focusing on both patio dining and takeout options this Valentine’s […]

For nearly 18 years, Here’s the Scoop (aka Scoops) owners Bob and Ellie Patterson have operated their beloved Coast Village Road gelateria, scooping their daily house-made gelato and sorbet for dozens of customers every day. “Scoopie,” as the Pattersons have lovingly referred to their successful business, is a feel-good staple on Coast Village Road, and […]

The Santa Barbara City Council has adopted an ordinance that will provide an additional 22 months, until December 31, 2023, for businesses within city limits –including on Coast Village Road – to operate expanded outdoor business facilities and parklets. The ordinance also authorizes the continued closure of downtown State Street to vehicles while regulatory changes […]

Many people familiar with economic history are familiar with the huge influence that Milton Friedman commanded in our recent economic past. Friedman, an economist and statistician, had an outsized impact on nations around the world through his work heading up the “Chicago School” (referring to the University of Chicago where he taught and led a […]

In response to our reporting in last week’s edition that the City of Santa Barbara is considering adopting an ordinance that would extend operation of restaurant parklets on Coast Village Road until December 31, 2023, we heard from several local business owners and Montecito residents, all with differing opinions, who said they would like the […]

Montecito’s Letter Perfect at 1150 Coast Village Road is for sale, and owner Leslie Person Ryan is ideally seeking a buyer who would like to keep the 38-year-old business as a stationery and gift store, saying the shop, located prominently in the Villa Fontana shopping center, next to Montecito Deli, has unrealized potential.  Ryan, who […]

Santa Barbara City staff is recommending to the City Council to adopt an Economic Recovery Extension and Transition Ordinance, which would provide an additional 22 months until December 31, 2023 for businesses within city limits – including on Coast Village Road – to operate expanded outdoor business facilities and parklets. The ordinance also authorizes the […]

Ashley Anderson and Paul Hurst have welcomed esteemed veteran Realtor Fred Bradley to Anderson Hurst Associates, the award-winning real estate partnership at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties in Montecito. Bradley joins the team as Senior Associate, bringing a 40-year track record and a distinguished reputation as a top producer with record-setting sales.    As a […]