Downtown Santa Barbara will get a little bit sweeter on Saturday.
Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream is finally opening its downtown storefront at 509 State St. with a soft opening.
The announcement comes days after local residents noticed that the official building sign went up, hinting at its potential opening.
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“With Ghirardelli’s rich history in California, this beautiful location on Santa Barbara’s State Street is the perfect place for us to expand our vision of Making Life a Bite Better for our guests, and we can’t wait to welcome them here soon,” Lacey Zane, vice president of restaurant and retail at Ghirardelli Chocolate Co., said in a statement.
The downtown Santa Barbara sweets store will boast more than its signature chocolate squares. It will offer a Dubai-style hot fudge sundae, a seasonal peppermint bark sundae, a strawberry passion hot fudge sundae, hot chocolate with milk chocolate, caramel square and classic dessert options.
The shop has scheduled its official opening celebration for 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 22.
The first 100 people will receive a complimentary hot fudge sundae. After the ceremony, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., the store will offer its famous sundae for $5.
Bar Lou Closes Its Doors
Bar Lou in Montecito is saying goodbye to its restaurant at 1198 Coast Village Road after opening its doors about a year ago.
The French restaurant shared the news in a statement on Monday, saying its last day will be Friday.
“Every meal shared, every conversation, every familiar face meant more to us than we can put into words,” the restaurant staff said in a shared statement. “We are deeply grateful to everyone who crossed paths with us and made this place feel like home.”
Renew Room MedSpa Brings More Treatments
Renew Room MedSpa, a medical spa in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, has been offering a handful of services since opening in September.
The spa, at 116 E. Yanonali St., Suite C-1, offers additional offerings such as tattoo removal, skin rejuvenation and microneedling services, to name a few.
Some treatments range in price from $600 to more than $2,000.
Community West and United Security Bancshares Announce Merger
Community West Bancshares and United Security Bancshares signed a merger agreement, the companies announced in a statement on Wednesday.
United Security Bank will merge with Community West Bank.
United Security Bank’s five full-service branches across the state will merge with the 12 Community West full-service branches in Central California.
“This merger represents a major step forward in our long-term growth strategy and our commitment to the communities we serve throughout Central California,” said James Kim, CEO of Community West Bancshares.