Some things just go together. Chips and salsa. Coffee and a sunrise. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

And, of course, chicken and waffles. Wait, chicken and waffles?

That’s right, that combination of fried chicken and buttermilk waffles has arrived in Santa Barbara and at the Paseo Nuevo mall with the opening of Bruxie.

“If people say, ‘What the heck is a waffle sandwich,’ they can still get it on a bun,” owner Eric Strohl said. “People won’t be disappointed. Everyone leaves here with a smile.”

Patrons can dine on the “Chicken & Waffles” — two jumbo chicken tenders on a Bruxie waffle, with butter and syrup. Throw on a bacon slice and an egg for $1.50 each.

There’s also the “Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich,” and the “Holy Chicken!” that comes with a maple glazed chicken, bacon, cheddar, siracha mayonnaise and a sunny side up egg, on a waffle.

In addition to all of the waffle and chicken items, there are waffle fries, tater tots and desserts, including waffles with chocolate chips and strawberries, milkshakes and sundaes. Bruxie, which is a Belgium brand, also has a kids menu and salads.

Strohl is the franchise owner, along with partners Scott Timpe and Ron Perrotta. They opened Bruxie this week.

They own a Bruxie in Santa Monica and plan to open others in Ventura and San Luis Obispo County.

“We knew to really establish our presence we wanted to be here in this part of Santa Barbara,” Strohl said.

All of the food, he said, is made fresh in-house, with nothing frozen. They marinate the chicken in a buttermilk brine for 24 hours to “really increase the flavor.”

“It’s not like fast food,” Strohl said. “Everything is made in-house, and so we’re able to have flavorful chicken, light, fluffy waffles.”

He also sells hot Nashville chicken, regular or grilled chicken.

There are Bruxies in Orange and Los Angeles counties, and one in Georgia.

Strohl ate at a Bruxie in Orange County and fell in love with the food, so he decided to become a franchise owner. He also owns the three Carl’s Jr. restaurants on the South Coast.

Strohl said he’s in the perfect setting, in the mall, off State Street, with outdoor seating.

As for those talks of demolishing the mall to build housing?

“There’s only certain things I can control,” Strohl said. “We came in here knowing fully what the situation was.”

Whole Foods Building for Sale

Santa Barbara’s upscale Whole Foods building and land is for sale, according to SRS Real Estate Partners.

The 29,000 square-foot-building and property on 1.9 acres of land is on the market for $59.2 million with a 3.8% cap rate.

The tenant is Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Food Markets, doing business as Whole Foods Market. It has been open for 15 years and has 11 years remaining on its initial term, with six (five-year) options to extend, according to a real estate marketing brochure.

The lease includes a 10% rental increase in November 2029 and at the beginning of each option period.

“Whole Foods Market is strategically located along State Street, a major retail and commuter thoroughfare averaging 25,300 vehicles passing by daily,” the brochure states.

Whole Foods underwent a full interior remodel in 2022, with the tenant investing approximately $3.5 million into the renovations, “demonstrating their long-term commitment to the location,” the brochure states.

According to the brochure, “the property features stunning Spanish Colonial Revival architecture that characterizes the city of Santa Barbara.”

The brochure also notes that Whole Foods is located within a dense retail corridor, within close proximity to a variety of national/credit tenants, including “Gelson’s, Bristol Farms, Trader Joe’s, Target, Macy’s, Chick-fil-A, Chipotle and Starbucks.”

In addition, the brochure describes Whole Foods as being in the “affluent residential community of Hope Ranch, one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Santa Barbara,” with a median home value of $5.1 million.

Santa Barbara Bed Tax Revenue Down

Santa Barbara’s transient occupancy taxes are 4.1% under budget so far in the 2024 fiscal year.

The city has collected $17.4 million in overall transient occupancy taxes, according to a City of Santa Barbara news release.

About $16.2 million came from hotels, and another $1.2 million was from short-term rentals.

Lompoc Home to Aspen Dental

The Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the grand opening of Aspen Dental at 8 a.m. Feb. 13 at 675 North H St. 

Aspen Dental is a full-service dental provider offering a wide range of services, including clear aligners, dentures, dental implants, emergency dental care, cosmetic dentistry, checkups and other general dental services, according to a news release.