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Santa Barbara’s co-working scene has expanded with the recent opening of The Sandbox, a collaborative working space at 414 Olive St. in Santa Barbara’s Eastside neighborhood.
Like Impact Hub and other co-working spaces, the 5,000-square-foot facility offers members 24/7 access to a variety of group tables, desks, offices, conference rooms and private rooms — including an Airstream trailer — which individuals, organizations or companies can use as their offices and meeting spaces.
People can also get a day pass, and use the working spaces only when they need to.
The business is the product of Goleta natives and longtime friends Kyle Ashby and Mark Schulbach, who wanted to found a place where local start-ups could launch, grow, collaborate and receive mentorship.
Ashby said the pair felt “there was a need for (a co-working place) that was a little more creative, a little more open, a little more inspired by creativity.
“Those are sort of the goals we have in mind here: Make it a little more friendly, a little more relaxed, but still able to get stuff done. A little more inspirational.”
The Sandbox also partners with local business and organizations to host events like benefits and movie screenings. The Lagoon District building is the former home of a furniture store of neighboring Santa Barbara Design Center, as well as a number of local entrepreneurial businesses.
Like Uber and Airbnb, the business is part of the booming sharing economy.
“There are a lot of benefits in sharing a printer or sharing the coffee or sharing the Wi-Fi,” Schulbach said.
“Beyond that, it’s really about the networking and the productivity — about working at a place instead of working at home or fighting for a spot at a coffee shop.”
Most of The Sandbox’s members have been local entrepreneurs, software-as-a-service companies, marketing and PR businesses, creative types and nonprofits.
“You’re going to meet people who are also doing the same thing, you’re going to be able to collaborate, you’re going to be able to create new relationships that are going to further your business,” Schulbach said.
Orangetheory Fitness aims to get Goleta’s heart rate up
Fitness franchise Orangetheory has arrived in Goleta.
The 5700 Calle Real center opened to the public Thursday night, with a full schedule of classes starting this Friday.
Orangetheory Fitness now has over 600 locations worldwide after its founding several years ago in Florida, and are all franchised.
Goleta’s was opened by Brandon Cox, who co-founded CorePower Yoga with a friend in Denver 15 years ago — a business that has mushroomed to well over 100 locations, including in Goleta and Santa Barbara.
Cox characterized Orangetheory’s method as a “fun, interactive workout that blends technology and fitness and accountability.”
The focus, he said, is on one’s heart rate.
Patrons’ optimal workout heart rate is determined by their weight and age. Though it’s optional, patrons wear heart rate monitors, which convey the pace of their hearts on a screen that everyone can see — hence, the accountability aspect.
Heart rate speed is divided into color-coded zones, with orange being the range workouts aim to maintain most of the time.
Cox said he’s looking to open a second franchise somewhere in Santa Barbara, and noted people’s first Orangetheory class is free.
9Round Fitness cuts the ribbon in Goleta
A few miles west, 9Round Fitness has cut the ribbon on its first Santa Barbara County location at 6831 Hollister Ave., Suite I.
The ceremony, in conjunction with the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce, took place June 2, and the kickboxing studio’s doors officially opened June 5.
Before Monday, the closest 9Rounds were in Oxnard and Camarillo. Its programs revolve around nine workout stations that are completed in 30 minutes.
The studio does not hold class times, but says trainers are always on hand to guide patrons.
The Mex Authentic closes on State Street
Two years after opening at 413 State St. in Santa Barbara, The Mex Authentic has closed.
The highly rated Mexican restaurant opened in May 2015 in the former home of Pace Food + Drink. Owners Gabriel and Tori Franco cited the loss of a close family member and the need to return to their other restaurant to help and be with their family.
“We truly believe we gave our all and stuck to our high standards of home-made authentic recipes from Gabe’s family,” they announced in a Facebook post.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.