The bread is here to stay.

Pascucci Italian restaurant, one of Santa Barbara’s mainstays for more than 30 years, has found a new home in the city’s arts district.

“We are excited to be renting from local landlord Ray Mahboob and be close to The Arlington, Granada and New Vic theaters, while surrounded by all the other wonderful small restaurants and unique, local shops in the downtown arts district,” owner Laura Knight said.

Pascucci will move to 1230 State St., Suite A, and open at the end of April. The restaurant will remain open at its current location, 509 State St., until then.

In Knight’s statement, she said Pascucci hopes that all of its loyal customers will continue enjoying Italian-inspired food at the current location while renovations and remodeling are underway farther up the street.

It will be the third location on State Street for Pascucci. Knight originally opened the restaurant 31 years ago in Paseo Nuevo. Five years ago, the lease expired, and she moved to 509 State St., where that restaurant has been for the past five years.

Knight is one of downtown Santa Barbara’s biggest champions. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, she advocated for restaurants and retailers.

Mahboob keeps a low profile but has been responsible for dramatic redevelopment of parts of the Funk Zone, including the Flor de Maiz and Oku restaurants.

“Thank you, community of Santa Barbara, for your love and support for 31 years,” Knight said. “The team at Pascucci is looking forward to settling into our third downtown location. We think it will be the best one yet.”

Yona Redz Update

Originally, Santa Barbara Mexican restaurant Yona Redz was set to move from the 500 block of State Street to 1230 State St., Suite A.

Now, however, Yona Redz and Santa Playa Mariscos, owner Jonathan Estrada’s other restaurant, remain under the same roof, at 1230 State St., Suite C.

Estrada moved Yona Redz to his Santa Playa Mariscos site temporarily, but now the two restaurants will remain together, under the Yona Redz name.

Hotel Occupancy Rises in January

Santa Barbara South Coast hotel occupancy increased 10% to 63% in January, compared with the same month in 2024, according to Visit Santa Barbara.

The average rate for a Santa Barbara South Coast hotel room in January was $280 a night, up 14% from the same month last year. Revenue per available hotel room was $176 in January, increasing 25% compared with the same month last year. 

“Although the numbers point to growth, we know so much of the demand in January came from an increase in visitors due to the devastating fires in Los Angeles,” said Kathy Janega-Dykes, president/CEO of Visit Santa Barbara. “While we never hope for tragedies to be the reason visitors are attracted to our community, we are grateful to the many hospitality businesses that provided comfort to evacuees during this difficult time. Seeing our hotels and vacation rentals doing whatever they could to ease the burden for impacted guests was truly heartwarming.”

Visit Santa Barbara is running a locals-only lodging promotion, offering 30% discounts for residents from Goleta to Carpinteria who book overnight trips to the Santa Barbara South Coast. The deals apply to stays through early 2025 at more than a dozen properties.

Although the off-season deal is only for locals, area residents can extend the offer to their visiting friends and relatives. Dates of stay, as well as terms and conditions, vary by property, and blackout dates may apply, according to a news release.

To view all of the available offers, terms and instructions for booking, visit santabarbaraca.com/locals.

Santa Maria Valley Chamber Promotes Suzanne Singh

Suzanne Singh has been promoted to vice president of economic development and government affairs for the Santa Maria Valley Chamber.

“Suzanne has been a driving force behind some of Santa Maria’s most impactful economic development projects,” said Michael Boyer, president and CEO. “Her leadership, vision and ability to bring together key stakeholders have been crucial to the success of major initiatives, and we are excited to see her continue shaping the region’s future.”

Singh has been instrumental in “driving business expansion, infrastructure improvements, and regional growth initiatives,” according to a news release.

“Throughout her tenure, Singh has successfully led major development projects that have transformed Santa Maria’s economic landscape, including A.T. Still University (ATSU), where Singh played a key role in facilitating the establishment of ATSU’s Santa Maria campus, which is now training future health care professionals and addressing critical workforce shortages in the region.”

Singh will focus on the Solomon Hills Project and the Downtown Specific Plan, “both transformative developments that will blend economic growth, residential expansion and tourism opportunities to strengthen Santa Maria’s long-term prosperity,” according to a news release.

“I’m excited to take on this role at such a pivotal time for Santa Maria,” Singh said. “With past successes like ATSU and Enos Ranch setting the stage for continued growth, I look forward to working with our partners on the Solomon Hills Project, Downtown Specific Plan and other initiatives that will define the future of our community.”

Santa Maria Valley Chamber Gets New Marketing Coordinator

Jennifer Ayala will join the Santa Maria Valley Chamber as its new marketing coordinator.

Ayala will manage the Visitors Center at 614 S. Broadway, act as a spokeswoman for tourism-related activities, and play a crucial role in developing, growing and serving visitor activity in the Santa Maria Valley, according to a news release.

“I am thrilled to step into the role of marketing coordinator at the Santa Maria Valley Chamber,” Ayala said in a statement. “This opportunity allows me to share the stories of our community and to connect with visitors in a meaningful way.”

Ayala was born and raised in the Santa Maria Valley and graduated from California State University, Fresno with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and journalism.

Two State Street Leases Signed

Property owner Ray Mahboob said two of his Santa Barbara properties — Lululemon at 740 State St. and BlueMercury at 742 State St. — have signed new five-year leases, in a sign of retail confidence on State Street.