After a long closure, a new restaurant will soon be serving “polished casual” food inside Santa Barbara’s newly renovated — and renamed — Cabrillo Pavilion.
The Orange County-based Reunion Kitchen + Drink will take over the spot formerly occupied by East Beach Grill, at 1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd. adjacent to East Beach.
“Restaurants are in my DNA,” owner Scott McIntosh told Noozhawk. “I am a 45-year restaurant veteran.”
He and his family own two other Reunion Kitchens, in Anaheim Hills and Laguna Beach. McIntosh expects to open the Santa Barbara addition in the next month or so, but is working through final permitting so he was hesitant to commit to a date Saturday.
The restaurant’s opening follows the $20 million renovation of the historic Cabrillo Pavilion, formerly known as the Cabrillo Arts Pavilion.
The project was slowed by the coronavirus crisis, but is now open after renovation that includes a new beach boardwalk; storm water improvements; restoration of the Bathhouse lobby; renovation of the men’s and women’s shower and locker facilities; adding multipurpose rooms for gym/fitness, recreation programs, meetings and special events; and a renovation of the restaurant location.
“We are very excited,” said Jill Zachary, director of the city Parks & Recreation Department. “We have been working toward this opening date for some time.
“It was unfortunately delayed as a result of the COVID pandemic. We are excited about the style of food and the openness.”
The locally owned East Beach Grill operated the restaurant for decades, but lost out on a request for qualifications to a different restaurant operator, La Sirena. That deal fell apart financially amid the pandemic, however.
McIntosh said the investors behind the project then reached out to him to take the space and run the restaurant. He added that Zachary met with him in Orange County, checked out his other restaurants and approved of his concept.
The city’s Cabrillo Pavilion web site still makes reference to “La Sirena Restaurant.”
“It’s coming out beautiful,” Zachary said. “It’s going to be a comfortable, nice spot for people to enjoy lunch or breakfast.”
McIntosh said all the dishes will be made from scratch, and the menu will offer everything from fried chicken to filet mignon. There will also be a champagne brunch.
“We do our best to make friends with the neighborhood,” he said of his company’s goals when opening a new restaurant.
McIntosh and his wife, Roxanne, are heavily involved in their restaurants. They have five daughters, all of whom work in the business, he added.
Reunion Kitchen + Drink also will feature local seafood, wines and beers.
McIntosh said he has great appreciation for the building and its history.
Designed by Royland Sauter and E. Keith Lockard for philanthropist David Gray, the building opened in 1926.
The next year, Gray donated it to the City of Santa Barbara with the stipulation that the building be self-sustaining, and that it should be used for parks and recreation purposes, providing a community resource open to all.
The venue offers a space for parties, weddings, lectures, speaking events and other private gatherings.
“When I toured the facility I was blown away,” said McIntosh, who visits Santa Barbara two or three times a year.
“If we do things well, we have the potential to become part of the fabric of the building,” he said. “I hope we’ll be there the next 25 years.”
— 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.