New Faces at Montecito Country Mart
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   April 19, 2022

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 […]

Letter Perfect Moves
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 29, 2022

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 […]

 

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Montecito Country Mart Update
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 29, 2022

Last week Montecito Country Mart announced that its newest eatery, Alma Fonda Fina, is scheduled to open in June. The restaurant is the latest offering from Ramon Velazquez, a local Santa Barbara chef and Michelin Bib Gourmand winner, and the owner of the popular Corazon Cocina in the Public Market in downtown Santa Barbara. Alma […]

Montecito Deli to Change Hands
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 15, 2022

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 […]

Letter Perfect Still Seeking Buyer
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   March 15, 2022

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 […]

Juniper on Coast Village Road
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   February 22, 2022

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 […]

Montecito Bank & Trust Reports Record Income
By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   February 15, 2022

Montecito Bank & Trust reported that total assets grew $398.62 million, an increase of 20.41% during the 12-month period, to $2.35 billion for the year ending 12/31/2021. Strong deposit growth of $401.15 million or 23.15% year-over-year, pushed year-end deposit totals to $2.13 billion. Loan growth declined $143.4 million or 10.88% year-over-year due to Payroll Protection […]

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  • Letter Perfect for Sale
    By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   January 25, 2022

    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 […]

    Exotic Petits Gâteaux and Lemon Raspberry Kisses: These are a Few of Pâtissiere Alessia Guehr’s Favorite Things
    By Claudia Schou   |   December 28, 2021

    It all started with a desire for a well-made cappuccino. I was headed to a work meeting and needed a quick jolt of caffeine. I crossed the street and followed my curiosity to the French-inspired bakery that opened last summer adjacent to the Presidio. That morning, the first of my many visits to Alessia Patisserie […]

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    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 […]

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