••• Shalhoob’s is leaving the Santa Barbara Public Market. The last day for food is March 30, and the last day for drinks is March 31. No word yet on what’s next for the spaces. A rep for the restaurant says it’s leaving on good terms, and “there is totally a possibility of a return in the next year or two, if everything aligns for both parties.” And the farewell post says that the company will be “refining our Shooby concept in hopes we can open a standalone Shooby Burger n Fry location in the next year or so.” P.S. Shalhoob’s Magnolia Center outpost is on track to open by mid-April.
••• Oat Bakery‘s outpost at the Montecito Country Mart is shooting for the first week or April, or mid-April at the latest.
••• “Santa Barbara Council Moves Forward with New Fees for Outdoor Dining Parklets […] The council voted 6-1 to approve a $514 application fee for all parklets, $2,500 for a parklet license application fee and an annual parklet license fee for all parklets at $24 per square foot per year. […] The fees would apply to parklets not on State Street. Additional Planning Division fees also would apply.” Any guesses what the difference is between an “application fee for all parklets” and a “parklet license application fee”? —Noozhawk
••• Augie’s posted its new dinner menu, and the prices are indeed much more reasonable.
••• The UCSB Edible Insect Initiative is hosting an exhibition April 1-5, with an event on April 4 that involves “an exciting celebration of insect cuisine” (via Edible Santa Barbara).
••• The Natural Coast Wine Festival—”the first and only wine festival showcasing natural wines grown and produced in California’s magical Central Coast”—is on April 20, and it’ll be held at Satellite’s event space on E. Haley.
••• Seattle’s Piroshky Piroshky is popping up at the Brass Bear Uptown on April 20 19. “You may be asking, ‘What is a piroshky?’ It’s an Eastern European turnover sandwich that we have put a taste of traditional recipes with an infusion of local flavor locked inside. Available in both sweet and savory, its fillings are as diverse and different as those who make them.” Order by April 17.
················
Sign up for the Siteline email newsletter for the freshest food news in town.
Surprised about Shalhoob’s. They have a lot of real estate at the public market and it’s always packed these days. I believe they run the front bar area (as well as back bar and restaurant ) which is very busy.
From what I heard from an employee, the Public Market is taking over the space and it will remain a bar, but they’re closing the kitchen.
Corazon could double their space and still have a line. Assuming all the other restaurants are doing well. Love Empty Bowl also.
There is no line at Corazon during off hours. None at all. That would be financial suicide.
And to put things into more perspective, Empty Bowl is literally the ONLY business still standing after day 1 of the Public Market opening. That says something about the $/sq foot of that location. Bottom line – if Hoobs was profitable, they would not be moving.
Eating Insects?! Does the world economic forum and bills gates sponsor UCSB?! Have they lost their minds?! What is wrong with real food?!?
It’s been a part of human diet forever and is still very common throughout the world. But yeah let’s go with the conspiracy theory. That’s always the easier way to explain something you don’t know anything about
I heard the insects are actually 5g microchips controlled by Hunter’s laptop and Fauci!! Do your own research sheeple!?!
LOVE IT!!
Love your conspiracy theory. Hunter’s laptop rules. Go Brandon!!!
Keith… what conspiracy theories are you referring to?? We are just making educated assumptions
Piroshky! Love ‘em. Just checked, on 19 not 20 April. Thanks for keeping it interesting!
Thanks for the correction!
Maybe they could not afford to pay the rent at the PM. As I understand it can be very very expensive.
I wish they were Pierogi and not Piroshky. Pierogi popup would do very well!!!!
Piroshky is the same as pierogi. Just cuter name by public. Please don’t change!
Are pop-ups the cruise ships of hospitality?
If you read the details in the agenda it’s a $514 preliminary application fee and a $2,500 license application fee. My guess is that the first fee is for the initial review to make sure the application is even feasible (making sure that the property owner isn’t proposing a two-story deck structure that sits in the middle of the 101) and all the proper forms are filled out, while the latter is the fee for the actual full review of the details.
Does this seem like govt sanctioned robbery to anyone… jes askin.
Interesting about Shalhoobs.
Only one vegetarian item on the entire menu at Augies! I am so baffled by many of the restaurants in Santa Barbara that are heavily meat centric; get with the times! The environment. And on so many menus, the only veg item is mushroom base. C’mon people, it is not rocket science to have a diverse, tasty and healthy vegetarian selection these days. Santa Barbara feels like the dark ages in that regard. I don’t want to be forced to go to a vegan place, although Rascals rocks, to get vegetarian food. It’s also nice for non meat eaters to be able to dine with carnivorous friends and get more than a salad.
Do u think they put items on the menu that sell?
Have you ever owed a restaurant or managed one..?? How can you tell restaurants what they should be putting on the menu????? I am vegetarian myself and I’m not expecting restaurants to cater to my every need.
Please be more considerate when writing comments and remember the world doesn’t revolve around you like your parents might have told you.
Foodie out!!
Ex-Seattleite saying Yippee for Piroshky Piroshky! Devine!
The Parklet fees are totally bogus & a total shakedown by the city! City council beware… Don’t bite the hands that feed you!! What will be left in our fair city of restaurants start closing their doors?? Extremely disappointed in the direction that city council & big flop of mayor randy rouse chose to go down!! Shameful!
I’m probably a lonely person who is glad that shalhoobs is departing… Now, hopefully, we can resume purchasing alcohol from whichever restaurant we like & drink wherever we choose. Standing or sitting near service area of Wabi Sabi isn’t pleasant, for example. And how was that rule implemented anyway? Seems a bit of infringement on other restaurants abilities to sell liquor! It is after all, The Public Market!! Not Shalhoobs’ extension #1, 2 & 3!!
If a stupid rule exists about alcohol consumption, you can be certain it’s because of some ABC/State licensing requirement rather than a business or owner’s wishes. It is the same at Third Window Brewing which shared an outdoor space with a winery, same with Topa Topa Brewing where you can’t buy a beer at Lama Dog and walk next door, and have to talk to people in the wine tasting over a physical divider.
Here it is, B&P Code 25607 – apart from certain exceptions “it is unlawful for any person or licensee to have upon any premises for which a license has been issued any alcoholic beverages other than the alcoholic beverage that the licensee is authorized to sell at the premises under their license. It shall be presumed that all alcoholic beverages found or located upon premises for which licenses have been issued belong to the person or persons to whom the licenses were issued. Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. The department may seize any alcoholic beverages found in violation of this section.”
Shalhoob seemed to be doing great business. That leads me to believe that they either didn’t pay their rent or had a disagreement with owners of the public market.
Does anyone know any more details? Very curious
I’m guessing with their new place about to open , they didn’t want spread their staff too thin . Also the might have decided they could move some fixtures and equipment to Goleta and save some money.
If shalhoobs was profitable at the public market they would not be closing down even if they are opening up another store across town. Once a restaurant becomes profitable it’s a terrible business decision to close down unless your lease is not renewed or you get kicked out by the owner of the business. It’s to difficult to make a restaurant work, so closing just because your opening up another restaurant makes zero sense!
We are not buying it sorry!
I never said it was profitable
My understanding is that Shalhoob’s wanted to focus on opening the Magnolia Center location. And both sides said it was completely amicable.
I am thrilled that parklets will finally be paying for all the services they receive from our City and County. We taxpayers have been subsidizing the additional clean-up required by parklets for way too long. The raised public parking rates (a detriment to all of us to do our best to support our local retailers and restaurants) have also been subsidizing the costs of parklets…not to mention all of the restaurant owners who did not get free rental space and paid their fare share of taxes over the last nearly four years….
They’re still being subsidized. City staff came up with a rent structure for the parklets that covered the city’s costs, city council then arbitrarily knocked that rate down significantly.
Not the entire city council, Mayor Rowse and Eric Frieden wanted to follow the city staff.