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Bob’s back in town.
One of the South Coast’s most venerable businesses, Bob’s Vacuum, has started again.
Longtime service representative Gilbert Short, who says he has fixed 5,000 vacuums over the years, has purchased the business and reopened it on the other side of the highway.
Nestled into the Hollister Professional Park at 5276 Hollister Ave., No. 403, Bob’s Vacuum once again is surging.
“It’s extremely important, especially to the older people in the community, to have somewhere to go,” Short said. “They are not savvy online. They need somewhere to have their vacuum fixed.”
Short worked with previous owners Dave and Stephanie Evans when the store at 5660 Calle Real closed in May. He needed to keep working, so he started his own mobile vacuum repair business called Gil’s Vacuums.
“Things got real busy and we wanted a dropoff location,” Short said.
He found the current spot, with a lower monthly rate than the Calle Real Shopping Center, and rolled with it.
After he found the new location, he decided to buy the Bob’s Vacuum name from the Evanses. He had already earlier purchased the inventory from them.
The new spot is smaller, but Short said he is realistic about the situation.
“I opened this place up with the idea that if we were never going to sell new vacuums, we could afford to stay here for repair,” Short said.
He reopened in August and already word is spreading. With COVID-19, the cleaning business has picked up so people are buying mops and vacuum cleaners or getting their stuff repaired.
For Short, opening up the store again is more than just business. It’s a way to serve the community.
“I appreciate all the support,” Short said. “I feel every comment people say.”
Take the Vegan Challenge
Santa Barbara-area restaurants are gearing up for a Vegan Chef Challenge in October.
The monthlong event challenges participating chefs to create vegan dishes.
“Our goal is to promote awareness of the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle while encouraging more healthful vegan menu options at local restaurants,” said Beth Wettstein, organizer of the Vegan Chef Challenge. “We hope to encourage everyone, not just vegans, to try out a dish.”
Restaurants must agree to add a new vegan dish to their menu to participate. To be considered vegan, ingredients must be free of dairy products, eggs, cheese, butter, meat, fish, poultry, whey, casein, gelatin and glycerin (unless vegetable-sourced). Oil free, low-fat and gluten-free options are also encouraged, but not required.
“Too often, the vegan option at restaurants is a salad or a veggie burger,” Wettstein said. “We want people to see that going vegan doesn’t mean giving up exciting, flavorful food.”
The event will give out awards, based on diner comments, photos and the dining experiences of the Vegan Chef Challenge organizers. Chefs will be recognized at a special ceremony in November.
Click here to participate.
Members of the Santa Barbara Vegan Chef Challenge organizing committee will not receive compensation from the event, according to a news release.
Venus in Furs Opens
Downtown Santa Barbara has a new bar, Venus in Furs, which replaces The Middle Child at 18 E. Cota St.
The wine, cocktail and cuisine bar opened in September, with outdoor dining and a parklet.
“We are honored to collaborate with Chef Julian, who you may know from @barbareno_sb. Julian has carefully sourced all his ingredients to develop this tasty regional menu,” according to an Instagram post.
It is open from 3 p.m. to midnight every day.
Idler’s Grand Opening
Idler’s Home in Santa Maria will celebrate a grand opening with giveaways and discount prices from Oct. 10 to Oct. 18.
The family-owned business is hosting nine days of sales and giveaways at all of its Central Coast locations to celebrate the grand opening of its new Santa Maria store.
“Our family feels very fortunate to be opening another Idler’s Home right now,” Jennifer Idler said. “This wouldn’t be possible without the community support we’ve received since launching our business 66 years ago. We want to share this milestone with the Central Coast and bring some smiles to our customers’ faces with big giveaways and promotions.”
The new Santa Maria showroom at 2406 S. Broadway will include indoor/outdoor furniture displays, a sleep experience area where customers can test mattresses, and a large, fully functioning kitchen for live cooking demonstrations.
Shoppers can enter in store or online. Click here for more information about entering the giveaways or making an appointment to shop safely.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
