Augie’s, Santa Barbara’s “Mexican Flair and Tequila Bar,” is closing for an “undetermined period of time.”

The company told Noozhawk that the restaurant will close Monday for a menu and concept refresh.

“The Augie’s team would like to thank our guests in advance for their patience during this time,” the company said in a statement. “Augie’s 2.0! Coming soon.”

The restaurant opened in October 2022.

Augie’s is owned by Berkeley “Augie” Johnson, who grew up in San Francisco and always dreamed of opening a restaurant and bar.

The building, at 700 State St., has a whimsical design, a trademark of Santa Barbara architect Jeff Shelton. The building has been home to Panera Grill and Left at Albuquerque in recent years.

Johnson and his wife, Karen, lost their home in the Montecito debris flow. The disaster ignited an interest in fires, what caused them and how to prevent them from spreading. 

During his research, Johnson came across a 1970s study from the U.S. Forest Service that stated that the water-rich agave plant was slow to burn and a perfect plant to halt the spread of a wildfire.

Working with local fire departments and homeowners, Johnson then planted thousands of agave plants between Carpinteria and Buellton to serve as potential breaks in a fire.

That got Johnson interested in agave and the concept of opening a tequila bar.

Hollister Brewing Shuts Down

There’s another vacancy in the Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta.

Hollister Brewing Co. shut its doors on Monday. The restaurant posted a message on its window.

“We enjoyed and appreciated all of the business over the years and truly enjoyed being part of the community,” according to the statement, signed by Tom Fuhrmann.

The statement said the company plans to continue at another location “in the future.”

“We are identifying possible sites currently and will keep everyone posted on the progress,” Furhmann wrote.

Calls to Camino Real Marketplace management about the vacancy were not returned.

The former Pier 1 Imports space and a restaurant area next to Jane also are vacant.

Santa Barbara Hotel Tourism Plummets

The occupancy rate declined 6% and revenues dropped 11% in August, compared with the prior year, according to Visit Santa Barbara.

The average rate for a Santa Barbara South Coast hotel room in August was $400 a night, down 5% from the same month last year. Revenue per available Santa Barbara South Coast hotel room was $308 in August, falling 11% compared with the same month last year.

“Despite August’s weather being relatively pleasant and sunny, Santa Barbara hotels continue to accommodate fewer guests than we would like,” Kathy Janega-Dykes, president/CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, said in a statement. “While business conditions have improved since last winter, local hotel operators and their employees have the capacity to welcome even more visitors to further support the regional economy.”

Asher Market Expands to Santa Ynez

Santa Barbara-based Asher Market, specializing in handmade clothing, accessories and home goods, has opened a new boutique in Santa Ynez, according to a news release.

“Expanding to the valley is a dream come true,” owner Ashley Hayes said. “We look forward to serving Santa Ynez, Solvang and Buellton families with our unique, thoughtfully crafted designs.”

Asher Market has another location at 535 State St. in Santa Barbara.

Asher Market features women and children’s clothing and alpaca wool throws, ponchos and scarves, and men’s clothing, decorative home goods, jewelry, shoes, children’s books, toys, and pet accessories.

Products are designed locally in Santa Barbara and handmade in Peru, with an emphasis on sourcing the softest, highest-quality fabrics and craftsmanship, according to a news release.

Asher Market Santa Ynez is at 1090 Edison St., Suite 103.

Lucid Therapeutics Opens in Santa Barbara

Lucid Therapeutics, a medical practice dedicated to improving mental health and well-being through professionally guided use of psychedelics, has opened a location near downtown Santa Barbara, according to a news release.

The medical practice has five treatment rooms and a “state-of-the-art” integration lounge.

The clinic offers ketamine-assisted therapy and intends to provide additional types of psychedelic treatments “in light of a California bill to legalize them,” according to a news release.

Ketamine is an FDA-approved dissociative anesthetic that has been shown to effectively treat depression and other mental health conditions. It is the only legally available psychedelic drug. The business is at 331 N. Milpas St., Suite 1B

“This is proven to be a non-addictive, very powerful modality,” Dr. Remi Drozd said in a statement. “We can give you access to safe psychedelic therapy with trained medical professionals, who can guarantee the best dose and conditions.”