SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – New life is coming to Downtown Santa Barbara. More businesses are starting to move in and open, filling the downtown vacancies.
“This just came at the right time. The price was right. It was just such a good opportunity that I just couldn’t pass it up, so we’re really excited about it,” said Sara Gehris, owner of SB Urban Flea Market.
Gehris expects to open her market next month, taking the old home of Pascucci Restaurant.
“It’s going to be a vintage, just a flea market, very eclectic. I have over 18 dealers in here. I’m going to have some artisans, most of them are local,” Gehris said.
SB Urban Flea Market is joining businesses like M Special and Tondi Gelato which also recently opened on State Street.
Downtown Santa Barbara attributes this success to the State Street promenade—which will remain for at least another year.
“I think it’s tripled traffic. Like I haven’t seen State Street this busy in probably five years,” said Gehris. “On the weekends it’s so packed it looks like a street city in New York. It’s going to be really good.”
The downtown area is also expecting a new Gastropub to move into the former Starbucks location on the corner of State Street and De La Guerra. They say the speed at which the spot found a new tenant, from one business closing to another opening, is an optimistic sign for State Street.
“I think shows a lot of promise for downtown. I think people are excited about the future. They are ready to get out of this pandemic, and they’re seeing opportunities downtown, and we’re very excited about that,” said Robin Elander, executive director for Downtown Santa Barbara.
The downtown area said it’s continuing to recruit more businesses to move in soon.
Hayes Commercial Group says owners are looking for tenants in 20,000-to-40,000-square-foot office spaces on top floors
The former Macy’s building in downtown Santa Barbara will be transformed into office space, the Hayes Commercial Group announced Monday.
Located at 701 State St., the 132,500-square-foot building in the Paseo Nuevo shopping mall will feature the “largest office floor plates” in Santa Barbara’s downtown, with more than 40,000 square feet on each level and half-floor suites in the 20,000 square feet range, according to Hayes.
“Frankly, there aren’t a lot of tenants in our area looking for 20,000 or 40,000 square feet of office,” Francois DeJohn of Hayes Commercial Group said in a statement. “So we are marketing to companies in Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, and beyond to consider adding an office location in Santa Barbara.”
The ground floor of the three-story building is being marketed to retail, restaurant and grocery tenants, Hayes Commercial Group said, and the building is expected to accommodate a mix of commercial uses.
In 2018, El Segundo-based Pacific Retail Capital Partners acquired the vacant structure, which is now known as the Ortega Building.
Pacific Retail’s architects determined that the structure is not suitable to convert into apartments or condos, according to Hayes Commercial Group, which will be marketing the office spaces.
“Office is the ‘highest and best use’ for the building, especially the upper two floors,” Greg Bartholomew of Hayes said in a statement. “State Street has more than enough retail space already, and bringing potentially hundreds of office workers to this location every day would help vitalize the area.”
He added: “Downtown Santa Barbara has become a focal point for tech tenants during the past 10 years. With companies like Amazon, Honey, Sonos and Invoca leasing large office spaces along the State Street corridor.”
Hollister has opened along State Street in downtown Santa Barbara, replacing Abercrombie & Fitch. (Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo)
Santa Barbara’s downtown is getting younger.
Abercrombie & Fitch, the well-branded clothing retailer that closed its doors in January, has opened a sibling store. It’s intended to attract even younger shoppers than the teens and twentysomethings who frequented Abercrombie & Fitch.
Hollister, at 721 State St., focuses on the “carefree spirit of the endless California summer for the teen market.”
It’s target demographic is the 15-to-19 age group.
“It fills a niche in downtown Santa Barbara for this customer who makes up approximately 22% of our demographic,” said Mary Lynn Harms-Romo, marketing manager for Paseo Nuevo mall. “We are encouraged that Abercrombie has made the decision to meet the needs of the market as retail is everchanging and retailers who are committed to evolving will continue to succeed.”
The store sells a variety of jeans, tops, dresses, sleepwear and jackets as well as three types of “skinny” jeans, including “exteme skinny,” “super skinny” and just plain “skinny.”
Santa Barbara native Kathy Rodriguez plans to open XO Aesthetics in Santa Barbara around April 1.
The shop at 3455 State St., Suite 6, will specialize in personal care services, such as eyebrow microblading, lip blushing, teeth whitening, and face and body treatments. Rodriguez decided during the COVID-19 pandemic that it was time to start her own business.
“I started realizing that I wanted to pursue something where I was going to be independent,” she said, “or do something where I would not have to work under somebody, and do something for myself.”
The company uses pigments to create semi-permanent makeup products that can last between 18 months and several years. The treatment is popular in Los Angeles.
Something’s Definitely Fishy
Hibachi Steak House & Sushi Bar at 502 State St. in Santa Barbara appears to have temporarily closed. (Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo)
The Hibachi Steak House & Sushi Bar, formerly known as the popular “Something’s Fishy,” appears to have temporarily closed its doors.
The restaurant at 502 State St. was dark all week, with the doors closed and no one on the inside.
Calls and efforts to reach the restaurant through social media were unsuccessful.
Yelp states that the restaurant is temporarily closed until April 22, 2022.
Although most of the other restaurants on the 500 block of State Street seemed to have enjoyed the benefit of outdoor dining, the Hibachi Steak House & Sushi Bar, known for its grilling in the middle of the restaurant for all to see, apparently has not fared as well.
The company, 4141 State St., Suite C3, provides films for windows from San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles.
Ponder will work as the director of sales.
He previously worked at Kinkos in 1992 as a color specialist before becoming operations manager. He left Kinkos in 2004 to be the chief operations officer at CyberCopy, a market leader in construction printing and graphics services for architects, engineers and contractors. He became vice president of sales and marketing in 2008.
CalCoast Glass Tinting Inc. is the Premier 3M Dealer and a leader in glass treatment films with its expertise, customer service and high-quality workmanship, according to a news release.
By Joshua Molina, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @JECMolina
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
Denise Zenteno, the maker behind Rain Frog Woodworking, sells handcrafted wood tools during the International Women’s Day Market at the Paseo Nuevo shopping center in downtown Santa Barbara on Sunday.
Makers and Wares Market hosted 59 women-led booths at Paseo Nuevo in celebration of International Women’s Day (which is today). The event, presented by Blissful Boutiques and Women’s Economic Ventures, was free for the entrepreneurs.
Lisa Green, president and CEO of the Makers and Wares Market, wanted to make the day free as a gift to vendors and shoppers.
“Everybody’s been suffering this whole year with COVID. And I figured, International Women’s Day — let’s do something to just get the community together and bring them out,” she told the News-Press.
She saw the holiday as a good way to honor women who might be struggling during the pandemic.
Paula Fell sits behind a mosaic portrait of David Bowie she was commissioned to make while selling her mosaic art at her booth.
“I think the women, in my opinion, were hit the hardest. Because they have to be mom; they have to be teachers; they have to get home with the kids, etc. So that was part of the other reason why it’s doing this and offering it free to the vendors,” she said.
Ms. Green, an entrepreneur herself, has presided over the market for nearly five years and just recently opened the market to include non-handmade items.
“A small business that wants to get up off their feet and they can’t afford to rent a brick-and-mortar storefront — we want to be able to give them a chance. We want to be able to take care of everybody,” she said.
The market, which is located beside State Street in downtown Santa Barbara, allows vendors from surrounding cities to participate. (Some local markets only allow Santa Barbara residents to join.)
Denise Zenteno of Rain Frog Woodworking heard about the market from friends in Santa Ynez Valley Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). Some of the moms had small businesses and were planning to represent Santa Ynez Sunday.
Shoppers stroll through the market on a gloomy day as entrepreneurs of various disciplines show off their craft.
Sunday was Ms. Zenteno’s fourth time selling at a market, and first time in Santa Barbara.
She began woodworking six months ago when she saw a lathe among the tools her husband keeps in the garage.
She describes discovering woodworking as falling in love. Her father was an architect and used woodwork in his designs, so the trade resonated with her.
Her display of pens, cooking utensils and bowls look as though she’s been making them for years.
“As an engineer, I’ve always worked with my hands, so it wasn’t a hard transition,” she explained.
She was an engineer for seven years before immigrating to the U.S. and starting a family with her husband.
She has many hobbies and likes to try new projects (which is why she browsed the tools in the garage), but she had never sold her work.
Jen Grasmere sells jewelry at her booth, displayed among wood boxes and succulents.
Ms. Zenteno started woodworking to make Christmas gifts, and her friends and family insisted she sell some of her creations. She had a large inventory already and decided to give it a try while she stays home with her child.
Paula Fell, an artist in Ojai, started selling mosaics and fused glass pieces after she retired three years ago. She always desired to become an artist upon retirement.
She has sold her mosaics in art exhibitions and decided to try the market when her neighbor Jen Grasmere told her about it.
“I think [Ms. Green] is really trying to help women artists and women with the cottage industries,” Ms. Fell said. “I think that’s really important during COVID that they have a platform to be able to share their work.”
Ms. Grasmere, a silver and turquoise jewelry artist, was grateful the market was a free opportunity.
“I think women need to help each other and encourage each other. We need each other in this world,” she said.
Her jewelry became her profession five years ago, which was an intimidating transition. She previously gave everything away.
“As an artist, you have got to get over your shame,” she said. “Because you put your stuff out there and you have a shame attack like, ‘Oh, no one’s gonna like that.’ But then you make a sale and then you get used to putting your stuff out there.”
She still worries about hitting the perfect price to get more sales and pay for her handiwork. But she says her husband is a good support.
