Tag archives: local business
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
‘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 […]
After premiering at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2014, the documentary Lutah – A Passion For Architecture: A Life In Design aired at the Lobero, fittingly a building she conceived, to raise funds for a George Washington Smith pavilion restoration project at Lotusland, the 37-acre Montecito botanical garden owned by opera star Ganna […]
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, […]
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 […]
Enterprising sisters, Malia Christensen and Makena McGinley, who lives in San Luis Obispo, used the enforced downtime cause by the pandemic to launch their own business, the charmingly named Petite Fleet, which consists of a converted horse trailer and two vintage mail cars. “We love events and everything they entail,” says Santa Barbara-based Malia. “Planning, […]
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 […]
For John Price, his property at the corner of Coast Village and Olive Mill roads has admittedly caused him headaches, with some 28 hearings between 2004 and 2017 looking to prevent him from developing his prime real estate spot into a mixed-use opportunity. He won, time and time again. And now he feels like he’s […]
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 […]
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, […]
Quickly and quietly opening in time to capture the summer tourism rush, Jeannine’s at the Shore, which opened early July, is the latest – and the largest – outpost opened by Alison Hardey of the Hardey Family, who have operated the locally-owned family bakery business for over 30 years. “We’ve always wanted to be at […]
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 […]
Customers at Montecito’s quaint upper village grocery store may notice a new face behind the meat case: Don Fortin is the store’s new meat manager and butcher. “I have big shoes to fill,” he told us during a recent visit. Fortin was brought on the team to fill the position left by longtime butcher Tony […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
If you recently moved into the neighborhood and you want to fit right in, these few tips should assist in the transition from city slicker to Montecitan. Despite almost a half-century of living here under my belt – and summer forays in my youth with my best friend whose grandparents had a second home in […]
