Local baker and Cupcakes By Mary owner Mary Gonzalez snagged a win at CookieCon — advertised as the largest gathering of cookie artists around the world — for her 8×11 Santa Barbara postcard-inspired sugar cookie.

The cookie art convention brings together bakers to share techniques, attend workshops and face off in the Sugar Show competition, according to its website.

A Santa Barbara native, Gonzalez attended this year’s CookieCon in Florida in late June. Her creation won third place in the convention’s “Anything Goes” category at the intermediate level.

“Hearing my name was surreal,” she said.

Gonzalez said she was hoping to place, but was not expecting it.

A longtime baker, Gonzalez had attended the convention a few times before, but she submitted her first entry in June.

When deciding what design she wanted to put on her cookie, she said it was a no-brainer for her to draw inspiration from her beloved hometown.

“I love Santa Barbara,” she said. “The Mission is special to me because I danced flamenco, and it’s a huge part of Old Spanish Days.”

Gonzalez drew the Santa Barbara Mission, the beach, palm trees and California poppy flowers in detail with frosting. Her design also featured three smaller cookies on top to provide dimension.

However, she said, her drawing abilities extend just to decorating cookies with frosting.

“If I were to draw this out with pen and paper, you wouldn’t be able to recognize it,” Gonzalez said.

She worked on the cookie between fulfilling custom orders for her dessert business. She estimated it took her about two days to finish.

While completing the cookie was one task, flying it across the country to the convention was another.

She packed it in a plastic tub full of other treats as her carry-on. She said she remembers feeling like she was holding her breath until the flight landed, hoping it hadn’t broken.

After returning from Florida, Gonzalez coated her award-winning cookie in resin to preserve it.

Local residents hoping to get their hands on her treats can often find her at the Mujeres Makers Market monthly pop-ups at 123 E. Canon Perdido St. or on Instagram.

The Harbor’s West Marine Will Close Its Doors

Boating and fishing supply store West Marine, located at the Santa Barbara Harbor, is set to close its doors. 

West Marine, a chain, filed for reorganization bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. It has 200 retail locations.

According to a press release, the company has “faced headwinds in recent years, including supply chain disruptions, extreme weather events and shifts in consumer behavior.” 

The Santa Barbara location at 132C Harbor Way has banners informing customers of its impending closure. 

However, there is no timeline for an official closing date, according to Michael Reidinger, a store employee.

“I think this is a critical part of our community,” he said. 

Candy Shop Coming in August to State Street

In other dessert news, a new candy store is coming to Santa Barbara’s State Street. 

Confectionarium is set to move into the storefront at the corner of State and De la Guerra streets. 

Hiring signs have already been posted on the vacant storefront’s windows at 800 State St. ahead of its expected mid-August opening, according to Joanna Hobday, chief operating officer of Event Network. 

Event Network describes itself as a “leading operator of retail experiences at some of the most iconic and inspiring destinations across the United States,” according to an online job posting. 

The store is designed to be a “memory-making” experience that will offer bulk candy, “nostalgic favorites,” locally inspired treats and interactive moments, the posting stated. 

That location was home to a Starbucks before its closure in 2021, Noozhawk previously reported. 

Carpinteria’s Apiary Beverage Co. Coming to Santa Barbara

Carpinteria’s Apiary Beverage Co. is coming to Santa Barbara.

The mead, hard kombucha and cider company announced its expansion to downtown Santa Barbara on social media earlier this week. 

It will take over Idyll Mercantile’s former space at 703 Chapala St., next to Lighthouse Coffee.

The beverage company was founded by Nole Cosart and Rachna Hailey. It first opened in a warehouse space in Carpinteria in 2016. 

While no official opening date for the Santa Barbara location has been announced, the original location is still open at 4191 Carpinteria Ave., Suite 10. 

New Furniture Store Opens on State Street

A Royal Suite Home Furnishings, a furniture store, officially opened its doors in downtown Santa Barbara in June. 

The storefront at 1109 State St. was home to a CVS Pharmacy before its closure in 2024, Noozhawk reported.

The furniture company has two other locations, in Santa Clarita and Oxnard. 

The Oxnard location frequently saw Santa Barbara customers, according to Chris Isham, A Royal Suite Home Furnishings general manager. 

The expansion to downtown Santa Barbara has been “brewing for a few years,” he added.

Santa Barbara residents received mailers about the store’s grand opening, which Isham said brought in a flurry of activity. 

“I feel like all the locals are stoked we are here,” he said. 

Isham said he hopes the furniture store will transform into a State Street staple.

“We love the atmosphere, we love the location, and we hope we can be here for a while,” he said. 

The new store offers different products from its other Central Coast location, based on what Santa Barbara customers told Oxnard store staff.

Signs on the storefront say the store offers affordable custom furniture on “your budget.”

“We want to hit the college prices, the medium, the high. We offer all of that,” Isham said. “That is what is so unique about us.”