Mattei’s Tavern, a fixture in Los Olivos since 1886, will close at the end of the month to make way for the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, a resort that will open in the small Santa Ynez Valley community — along with the restaurant — in spring 2018.
Some 64 bungalow-style suites will be built on the seven-acre site at 2350 Railway Ave. as part of the historically sensitive project. The Santa Barbara County Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission designated Mattei’s Tavern a historic landmark in 2010.
That was the same year Terroir Capital, a Santa Barbara investment firm specializing in hospitality and winery properties, acquired the parcel and accompanying tavern, frequented by the likes of John D. Rockefeller and Clark Gable back in the day.
Terroir Capital is partnering on the development with Mesa Lane Partners, a Santa Barbara real estate development firm. The project received full approval from the county Planning Commission in 2012.
Mattei’s Tavern will close Jan. 31 in anticipation of construction — slated to begin in late 2016 — but will be available on a limited basis for special events and weddings, Neil Dipaola, CEO of Mesa Lane Partners, told Noozhawk.
“Historically, Mattei’s has always been at the heart of the Los Olivos community and a social center for the Valley,” he said. “We want to bring Mattei’s back to locals as a place to convene, relax and celebrate special occasions, and look forward to sharing this local treasure with visitors to the area.
“We recognize the great privilege and responsibility involved with this historic, much-loved community treasure. As locals, we will ensure that the resort is designed around the needs of the local community, and that the area’s tradition of gracious hospitality lives on at the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern.”
A registered architectural historian will be present throughout construction, which will include renovating historic buildings for basic maintenance, structural safety and Americans with Disability Act accessibility, he said.
Developers envision the Inn at Mattei’s Tavern as a full-service boutique hotel and wine country resort, featuring the restaurant, full-service spa, outdoor pool with a bar, retail boutique selling local craft foods and artisan wares, a gym, on-site parking and valet, and 3,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor special event and meeting space.
The culinary team of Robbie Wilson and Emily Perry Wilson at Mattei’s Tavern — appointed by Terroir Capital CEO Charles Banks years ago — is expected to remain.
Developers estimate the new resort and restaurant will employ 75 local full- and part-time employees compared to the current six or eight.
Banks expressed a similar level of enthusiasm in revamping a property previously used as a stagecoach stop, restaurant, bar and hotel to serve some of the 1 million tourists who visit the Santa Ynez Valley annually.
“Mesa Lane Partners is the perfect partner for us, as they fully understand the dynamics of Santa Barbara County,” Banks said in a statement.
“Together, we look forward to creating a remarkable place for locals and visitors to come together and enjoy all that’s special about our community.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.