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The Santa Barbara Fish Market plans to open a Goleta location this October.

Owner Brian Colgate told Noozhawk that the plan is for a market and small restaurant.

“I have always envisioned having a place in Goleta to offer our seafood,” said Colgate, who grew up in Goleta and Santa Barbara and attended Dos Pueblos High School. “I have always had a vision of a having a fish market there with a restaurant element.”

Colgate hung a banner outside the site, at 7127 Hollister Ave., Suite 18, inside The Plaza, and crews are busy working inside to renovate the building. Colgate is working with Steve Andre at Southwest Construction, which is widely known for building out restaurants around Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

“There’s going to be a restaurant element,” Colgate said. “We are really excited. We haven’t gone public, so to speak, with who the chef is going to be, but we are really excited with the chef we are bringing on board.”

The new location will feature the same items as the wholesale location in the Santa Barbara Harbor, with some new aspects — including a smoker.

“I am just really excited to be able to offer the seafood that we are producing day in and day out and distribution to our wholesale customers,” Colgate said.

At the Goleta location, the company also will have a smoker to cook black cod, sable fish, wild salmon, yellow tail and more.

The menu will include fish and chips, fish tacos and grab-‘n’-go items.

“The market is going to naturally demand what the market demands,” Colgate said. “Our bread and butter is fresh seafood. I want to create an environment that brings people together with fresh seafood.”

He added that “it feels totally natural” to open a shop in Goleta. “Especially in Goleta, there’s so much happening out there.”

The Goleta location also will offer a “raw bar element,” with live sea urchins, shucked and ready to eat, and many varieties of oysters in a half shell.

“We are really grateful for the support from the community,” Colgate said. “We’re really excited to continue to feed and provide healthy, nourishing food, in just a great atmosphere where we can share food together and share our energy together. We’re really excited.”

Cearnal Collective Hires

The Cearnal Collective is expanding its partnership by welcoming Laura Benard and Steve Nuhn to the team.

Nuhn brings more than 25 years of experience in the architecture industry, having worked on various projects including commercial, residential and institutional buildings, according to a news release.

Nuhn also serves on Santa Barbara’s Architectural Board of Review.

“Nuhn is looking forward to contributing to the Collective and our community for years to come,” according to a news release. “His expertise in sustainable design and commitment to innovative and creative solutions will undoubtedly enhance our firm’s capabilities and contribute to our continued success.”

Benard has been a part of the Collective since her internship during college.

She serves on the Coastal Housing Coalition board and previously chaired the Emerging Professionals group with AIA Santa Barbara.

“Laura draws upon her strong organizational and design skills to lead efficient and collaborative teams, and looks forward to continuing The Collective’s reputation for creative excellence, involvement in the community, and festive Fiesta parties,” the news release states.

The addition of Nuhn and Benard “will strengthen our position as a leading architecture firm in the community. We are excited to work together and leverage their experience and skills to serve our clients better,” the news release states.

Hayes Report Shows Office Vacancies

Office inventory is in over-supply, as remote work has “left a glut of large office spaces on the market,” while limiting demand to absorb vacancies, according to the first quarter report by Hayes Commercial Group.

The combined South Coast office vacancy rate of 11.4% is a new high mark, and for the first time on record Goleta, Santa Barbara and Carpinteria cities are carrying double-digit office vacancy.

Remote work has been the single-largest factor behind the expansion of available inventory during the past two years, according to Hayes. Orange County office vacancy is 17%, and Bay Area vacancy is pushing 30%, according to Hayes.

There are 34 spaces larger than 10,000 square foot available on the South Coast.
Aside from renewals, according to Hayes, only 16 office leases larger than 10,000 square feet have transacted during the past three years, and none of those was signed in the past 12 months.

“While that sounds grim, there are some deals in the pipeline to fill a handful of large vacancies,” the report states. “For some landlords, dividing vacant space into multiple suites to attract smaller tenants may be worth the expense.”