BizHawk: New Owners Reimagining the Future of Santa Barbara’s Paradise Cafe | Business

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Paradise Cafe at the corner of Anacapa and Ortega streets in Santa Barbara has closed its doors for good.

The new owners announced on Thursday that after 37 years of success, a new era is set to begin.

“It enjoyed a long and well-deserved run as a neighborhood watering hole, a place for celebrations, date-night headquarters, and as the best patio in downtown,” publicist Jannis Swerman said. “It’s no wonder that the community fell in love with this iconic corner. We are grateful to you, Santa Barbara, for your support over the years.”

Swerman told Noozhawk that a new concept will be revealed this fall.

“As difficult as change may be — especially in 2020 — history is in the remaking,” Swerman said.

Longtime owner Randy Rowse sold the restaurant to Sherry Villanueva, owner of Acme Hospitality, which owns several restaurants, including The Lark.

He told Noozhawk on Thursday that he was proud of the restaurant’s success.

“We had a great run at Paradise Cafe, and I was the very last person who would have thought I’d be in the restaurant business for over 37 years,” Rowse said. “The staff and regulars at Paradise became like an extended family and, while I don’t miss trying to make payroll twice a month, particularly in these times, those are the relationships we treasure.”

Rowse said he remains grateful for the good times and that he looks forward to supporting the new restaurant. 

“My old partner and I used to say that we didn’t have a concept,” Rowse said. “In fact, we didn’t even have a clue at Paradise. We just tried to keep it simple and treat people well. The new and creative evolution at this location is exciting and timely. We saw ups and downs in the business, but nothing like we’re seeing today. “

Villanueva said it’s time to “reimagine the future for this iconic location.”

She said Acme tried to keep the restaurant open for two months after it took over on Jan. 1. The company cleaned up the space and kept the menu largely same, while improving food quality standards, Villanueva said. Still, that wasn’t working.

“This made us reflect on whether it’s possible to freeze an institution in time, and we determined that it’s not,” Villanueva said. “COVID-19 shut down our restaurant and gave us an opportunity to pause and reimagine the restaurant’s future. The pandemic has demanded a reshaping of the entire restaurant industry and forced us to re-evaluate our business models as we desperately work for long-term sustainability.”

She said the new concept will pay homage to the property’s storied past and retain its familiar old-school vibe while celebrating its long history.

Santa Barbara’s Faitell Attraction

New Santa Barbara resident Lisa Faitell has created a resale and consignment furniture showroom in downtown Santa Barbara.

Faitell Attractions, a design showroom and curated furniture consignment store, has opened at 619 State St.

“I realized very quickly that people are spending all this extra time in their homes, looking at their walls and interiors and wanting to make improvements,” Faitell said in a news release. “They’re spending money on their homes because they’re not spending it on other things like travel.”

Faitell has a loyal following on the East Coast, according to a news release.

She has run two of her own design firms, Faitell Interiors and Homme Interior, for more than 20 years in New York, winning the Best of Houzz Award three times, and the Best of Manhattan Award for Design.

She said she moved to Santa Barbara three years ago to be closer to her daughter, Nikki, then a student at UCSB.

The Santa Barbara store also features a design showroom with custom window fashions, including blinds, woven wood shades, roman shades, honeycomb shades, and drapery from Horizon Window Fashions and Norman Shutters. Faitell also offers private interior design services for clients seeking personalized design expertise.

On Saturday, Faitell Attraction will hold a warehouse sale featuring an expanded array of furniture from stored inventory, some at discounted prices, as well as champagne and wine. The sale will run during regular store hours, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The store is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

New Dog Treats

Pacific Health Foods has CBD treats specifically made for pets and has added Shelter CBD’s beef-flavored dog treats to the lineup.

According to a news release, it’s common for pets to suffer from anxiety, such as trembling uncontrollably at the sound of loud noises, acting fearful around strangers or panicking at the veterinarian’s office.

Ryan and Emily Miller decided to start their business to create CBD dog treats designed to calm the nerves of stressed-out canines and provide dogs with access to other medicinal benefits attributed to cannabidiol.

The couple developed a beef-flavored dog treat that contains CBD and other phytonutrients derived from the hemp plant. They worked with a veterinarian and an animal nutritionist.

Shelter CBD treats do not contain THC compounds, the chemical that creates the “high” associated with cannabis.

The Millers are donating 5 percent of the profits from each sale to their featured charity.

“There are just so many dogs in shelters needing a home,” Emily Miller said. “We just want to do our part by helping dog owners and industry professionals realize the power of CBD. We measure our success as a company by the number of dogs we are able to help.”

New Waterfront Restaurant

Salty at the Beach Bar and Grill has opened in Santa Barbara at 113 Harbor Way, Suite 180, at the former spot of the Endless Summer Cafe. 

The restaurant opened Sept. 16 and is the first of two that will open in that space. In October, a restaurant will open by the owners of Chomp in Solvang.

The spot is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.