Tag archives: business

A Way to Wellness — In Our Backyard
By Dalina Michaels   |   January 18, 2022

There’s a Montecito mom who is challenging Montecitans of all ages to reclaim their health and wellness with her new wellness center in the Upper Village. You need to see Talina Hermann before you get sick — it’s a novel idea to most, but for Hermann, it’s the smarter and better way to take care […]

Montecito’s First Plant-Based Market
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   December 28, 2021

Montecito and Santa Barbara locals have opened Montecito’s first “meatless” market, PLNT PWRD MRKT (i.e. Plant Powered Market), in Coast Village Walk on Coast Village Road. Borne after owner Tim Morton-Smith and his wife, Kamren, found themselves buying plant-based items mostly online instead of in local stores, the goal of opening the market was to […]

A Pair of Local Last-Second Shopping Options
By Nick Masuda   |   December 28, 2021

With the hustle and bustle of Paseo Nuevo or Montecito Country Mart, or either the Upper or Lower villages, there are a couple of other local options if you’re looking for last-second holiday shopping ideas. And they’re just a short drive down the 101 — OK, depending on the time of day, it can be […]

PWRD Up
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   December 21, 2021

Montecito’s first plant-based market, PLNT PWRD MRKT, has opened on Coast Village Road; we’ll have more on the new shop in next week’s edition.

Hone Your Shopping Craft by Going Local
By Nick Masuda   |   December 21, 2021

The pandemic has brought about a lot of changes to people’s everyday lives, with eating out replaced by delivery services, while brick-and-mortar shopping took a temporary backseat to online services. But, along the South Coast, small business is the spine of our community, the glue that keeps us all together. And that has never been […]

Hotel Santa Barbara Sold to Wisconsin-Based Hospitality Group
By Nick Masuda   |   December 14, 2021

The iconic Hotel Santa Barbara has been sold for $41.9 million to the Geronimo Hospitality Group, ending a 46-year run by the current ownership. Hotel Santa Barbara, located at 527-533 State Street, has seen renovations as recently as 2019, but the new ownership will be utilizing 2022 to prepare upgrades to the 75-key facility. “We […]

The Upper Village is Bustling with Holiday Shopping Options
By Nick Masuda   |   December 14, 2021

Shopping local isn’t just something that Montecitans say, it’s something that they do — 365 days a year. That becomes especially apparent over the holidays, when boutiques, pop-ups, and mom-and-pop shops get the opportunity to help all of us provide a bit of holiday cheer through locally crafted gifts. The Upper Village in Montecito has […]

The Man in the Miramar
By Gwyn Lurie   |   December 13, 2021

In the movie version of this story, we open on a shot of Invictus, a sleek 215-foot yacht with sophisticated, timeless maritime beauty – all six decks of it – replete with a swimming pool, a gym, a theater, nine bedrooms, and an elevator. Of course.  We pull out further to reveal Rick Caruso, the […]

Holiday Cheer in High Gear at Country Mart
By Nick Masuda   |   December 7, 2021

The Montecito Country Mart might be a bit small, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a big punch. Just ask Kristin Teufel how busy she is nowadays trying to coordinate a multitude of events, pop-ups, and marketing of the holidays at the MCM. “I feel like I’m going around the clock,” Teufel said. “We […]

Holiday Spirit Returns, and It’s Worth the Trek to Paseo Nuevo to Experience It
By Nick Masuda   |   November 30, 2021

‘Tis the season to hit the pavement to find the retail steals of your dreams, even if you are tempted to stay in your pajamas and do the ordering from the comforts of your cushy couch. But then you wouldn’t get to experience Mary Lynn Harms-Romo’s favorite holiday tradition. The longtime marketing director at Paseo […]

It’s Apropos! Catering Business is the Perfect Fit for Michelle Isom
By Dalina Michaels   |   November 16, 2021

On these chilly fall days, nothing sounds better than a warm grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of homemade soup. Nothing sounds better — except perhaps having someone else make that deliciousness for you. (And bonus points if they can set-up and clean-up!) Enter Michelle Isom, a longtime member of the Santa Barbara foodie community, […]

Beautyhabit Opens at Montecito Country Mart
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 9, 2021

After a successful pop-up location over the summer in Montecito Mercantile, Beautyhabit, a company known as a renowned online resource for offering the best in beauty, has launched a full retail location in Montecito Country Mart. The “modern luxe apothecary” concept offers the best in global indie beauty brands, now gathered together for the first […]

‘Perfect Location’: Cottage Dishes on New Montecito Digs
By Nick Masuda   |   November 2, 2021

Taryn O’Connell couldn’t help but crack a smile, the relief of Cottage Urgent Care set to open in Montecito like a weight lifted off her shoulders. Finding real estate in town can be quite the task — a bit more so than its other urgent care centers in San Luis Obispo and Camarillo. “Finding the […]

Little Alex’s Is Out at Country Mart Despite Community Uproar
By Nick Masuda and Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   October 19, 2021

Just a few weeks after Cava leaving its longtime post on Coast Village Road, another community cornerstone is being shown the door by its landlord, as Little Alex’s has been told it needs to vacate the Montecito Country Mart by November 22. Jim Rosenfield, the retail center’s landlord, delivered the news via a letter, with […]

Parachuting in With a Brilliant Idea
By Dalina Michaels   |   October 12, 2021

From wet bags to wetchutes — one mom is on a mission to make it easy to put on a wetsuit. If you have ever tried to slip a slippery and sandy surfer kid into a wetsuit, you know it ain’t easy. The wetsuit has to fit snugly, so it’s a fine dance of pulling, […]

Planet Duck: An Out-of-this-World Solution to a Real-Life Problem
By Nick Masuda   |   September 28, 2021

As the Richard Bransons and Elon Musks of the world compete for their moments in space, ducks have seemingly beat humans to the punch. Welcome to Quackzar, home to ducks that lived in harmony before The Snake King — or Oxyuranus — attacked, putting the duck population in peril in this galaxy not so far […]

“Intimidation Politics” Quo Vadis?
By Rinaldo Brutoco   |   September 28, 2021

Credit for today’s headline goes to MSNBC commentator Chris Hayes who used the phrase a couple of weeks ago on his nightly broadcast to describe the threat Kevin McCarthy leveled at the business community that week. In case you missed it, McCarthy as the Minority Leader in the House proclaimed that the Republican party, as […]

Happy Anniversary!Bristol Farms Celebrating First Year on South Coast
By Joanne A Calitri   |   August 24, 2021

Joey Castanon, the Santa Barbara Bristol Farms store director,and his team are celebrating their one-year anniversary on August 21. With a last-minute pivot to adhere to the updated mask protocols, they are proceeding with in-store special events and freebies, like having their chef make your guacamole order with ingredients you select, 40% off meats from […]

Marc Gelinas, Known for Interior Design, Now has a Store for his Antiques
By Nick Masuda   |   August 12, 2021

That look? That’s Marc Gelinas smiling from ear to ear — and he has plenty of windows to check out his pearly whites at his new digs on East Valley Road in the Upper Village. It’s the perfect space to not only promote his flourishing interior design business, but also his budding career as an […]

Juniper Moves to Coast Village Road
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   August 12, 2021

Upper Village clothing and accessory boutique Juniper has moved to the Lower Village, next to Sakana in Coast Village Walk. Owner Marie Ferris, who originally hails from the East Coast, moved to Montecito in 2017 to open the store after operating a successful boutique in Del Mar for more than 16 years. Ferris’s well-known Del […]