••• The Palace Grill on E. Cota Street will close after 39 years in business. Its tentative last day is September 8.
••• The Old Town Coffee outpost at Mosaic Locale on State Street has closed, reports Restaurant Guy. Goodland Waffles & Melts has taken over the space and is making coffee and tea. And apparently Buena Onda has left as well.
••• Restaurant Guy also posted that the Breakwater Restaurant on the harbor “has been purchased by the guy that owns The Shop Kitchen and Wing Stop [sic*],” but Dudley Michael tells me that any deal is still in the discussion phase. *Michael owns Wingman Rodeo, not Wing Stop.
••• The Tyler x Lieu Dit tasting room at 23 E. Canon Perdido Street has launched the core of its all-day food menu. Photos by Augusta Ottillia give a sense of what to expect.
••• The Independent profiled Moby Dick Restaurant on Stearns Wharf, which has been undergoing a revamp. An interesting tidbit: “Moby Dick is owned by a group of investors who created the restaurant in the 1980s. One of these investors was Jim Gildea, an environmentalist and one of the earliest supporters of the Community Environmental Council. When he passed away, he left his shares in Moby Dick to the CEC, and the Central Coast nonprofit group became a part-owner of the restaurant.”
••• Poke House in Paseo Nuevo has opened.
••• Intermezzo launched Sunday brunch. Below: French toast with banana whipped cream.
••• The Daisy‘s Dominic Schiach copied me on an email he sent to the city, and I asked if I could run it here. Owning a small business is hard enough without feeling like the city is working against you. The capriciousness with which some decisions get made—and changes implemented—is alarming.
Dear Council Members,
It’s been many months since I last wrote regarding the summary removal of our parklet. Indeed, it was November last year.
I remember well that some of your were taken by surprise after being given assurances that The Daisy would not be affected by the opening of the northbound lane of State Street. Nevertheless, it did happen, apparently due to traffic safety concerns—despite there being two bike lanes between our parklet and vehicular traffic.
Per the instructions we were given, we did remove all tables, benches, planters, heaters, stanchions and umbrellas from the street.
In the belief we would become a pilot scheme for using the space adjacent to the sidewalk, we put a smattering of our tables and benches on the sidewalk—none of the other apparatus—and made sure to leave substantial space for pedestrians. There was talk of us being allowed to occupy the (approximately) 8 foot wide space between the sidewalk and the street; a space which is currently occupied by some scrubby bushes, which are primarily used by the homeless to store drugs and to defecate. We would gladly do the clearing work ourselves – leaving the more noble trees, of course—and infill with some fresh gravel before placing our tables.
Nevertheless, we were given a “final warning” last week about these few tables and benches and have now removed everything. It seems particularly cruel to make us remove these (inoffensive) tables at the height of the busy summer season—adding insult to the injury of the pre-Christmas eviction. Especially as we’ve been waiting (and waiting) to hear positive news about the potential pilot scheme.
The pilot scheme solution would keep everybody happy, I think. Particularly our immuno-compromised customers—we have especially many due to the type of food we serve—who have had to pay the price in exchange for the two or three Granada attendees who need to be dropped off during performance nights. (And yes, I’ve taken frequent tallies of the number of drop-offs. It is less than minimal.)
It seems both Bouchon and Olio have been accorded very expeditious solutions to the opening of two-way traffic on Victoria Street. Treatment which we have been denied. Indeed, there is a mere 12-inch barrier between seated diners and rushing traffic (considerably less space between cars and people than in our previous circumstance.)
All we ask is the same speedy and thoughtful consideration. It is very straightforward. We feel like we’ve been forgotten….
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Thank you for sharing Dominic Schiach’s letter. This is why we can’t have nice things.
The city of Santa Barbara should focus on actively supporting small business not continuing to talk about a “better” state street.
Outdoor dining brings life and joy to Santa Barbara. A community blessed with beauty should have more spaces to enjoy it. Yet, the city would rather create a desolate wasteland that is increasingly in hospitable to residence and visitors a like.
How, pray tell, do moves like this, increase the value of Santa Barbara? How to they attract visitors? How do they attract business? How does it support residence?
It’s shameful that this restaurant now has harder economics is an already hard business. It’s sad that a family can no longer share a meal in the sun.
It’s small things that make us. It’s small things that break us.
We have to remember we live in a community.
It is very sad to see some great places go out of business in Santa Barbara and friends, colleagues moved out. With that being said the city and whoever else makes it so impossible for anyone to live in this community. They just want out of town people particularly to pay ridiculous money for school then graduated and move away then the circle keeps going on…
Tell me how fake and prejudiced most people are in this community especially the ones that think they’re helping out. The housing crisis in Santa Barbara is ridiculously prejudiced stating “we want people to make 3 times or 40% of income or more to rent a place here.” To be honest this is detestable, and inhuman to make this kind of rule by pretending they are for the people, so in fact they are really pushing good model citizens out of the city. Therefore everyone should be more genuine about the community to make it a better place for all.
It’s a brilliant idea to take out the crappy vegetation and replace with dining. Dining brings energy and fun out onto the sidewalks. There is plenty of room. Mayor Rouse- you were a restaurant owner- cut these guys some slack!!
The Mayor has made it eminently clear that he would rather have cars on State than outdoor dining. Not very business-friendly of him.
Cars on State Street does not equal no outdoor dining. We have very wide sidewalks, many of which could be expanded by bricking over the unkept shrubbery, with plenty of room for outdoor dining.
The city and the old guard have their favorites and promote and help “their own.” Anyone from out of town, like the Daisy owner, will not get equal or special treatment. It seems like they purposely try to harm and destroy as a cruel hobby. I’ve been unfairly deleted, forgotten, or ignored as well, even though my venture brings in a steady stream of tourists and out of town guests. It’s hard enough to make it in this town but to have active forces against you is disheartening and unfair.
The Daisy is a well-loved restaurant that is finally a different option than all the other Italian and Mexican spots that line State. The city needs to step up and stop playing favorites. Other restaurants are afforded huge parklet and sidewalk spaces (Chase, Mizza, Satellite), come on!!
The city must focus on helping the small businesses succeed. When the businesses are succeeding the energy of state street will rise.
Amen to comments below, in particular Todd’s. The city is displaying contradictory behavior, professing to be working on revitalizing State St. but pursuing actions which make it harder for current and prospective businesses to operate profitably. Given the rise of shopping on the internet, retail establishments are not going to fill the empty commercial spaces. Food and beverage establishments are the best hope for revitalizing State St. The city should be helping them, not making it harder for establishments such as The Daisy to operate. Local residents need a reason to go downtown. Why do cars all of a sudden get priority on State St. when the city extolls pedestrian and bicycle traffic elsewhere?
Probably because the cars business model works pretty much everywhere in every city in this country.
Not to mention that the one block with one way vehicular traffic is confusing and surprising to drivers, pedestrians and bikers. It feels dangerous and unexpected, a likely place for accidents. Sigh.
Agreed Tammy – I have stepped into the street and been stunned to see cars approaching. Very dangerous!
I find the treatment of The Daisy to be appalling but not surprising. This is a very unfriendly city for business. I am in Portland OR at the moment scoping it out as a place for me to move my lighting and home store.