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Three’s a charm.

Elena’s Kitchen has opened at 738 State St. in Santa Barbara from the family that brought SB Sweets and City Hats in the Paseo Nuevo mall.

The new restaurant brings traditional Mexican flavors.

“It’s something your mom would make back home,” said Angel Benitez, the general manager. “It’s comfort food. You are going to feel very happy eating this food.”

The restaurant is named after Benitez’s mom, Maria Elena Rangel. A couple of years ago, she and her husband, Julio Rodriguez, started SB Sweets, an ice cream and candy store. Earlier this year, she launched City Hats.

Elena’s Kitchen will sell traditional Mexican food, tacos, burritos, tamales and, Benitez’s favorite, the chilaquiles. The family convinced Maria to open a restaurant because “every time she cooks, it always runs out.”

The family had the idea to open the restaurant earlier in 2022 and found a spot downtown. It’s convenient because Benitez and employees can walk back and forth from their stores in the mall.

The restaurant is waiting on a couple of final sign-offs from the city, but Benitez said the restaurant is expected to open in the next few days. It will stay open until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights to catch the hungry crowd from the bars. During the week, Elena’s will also offer breakfast, he said.

“Come down and try some good food and bring your friends,” Benitez said.

Big Commercial Sale

A local investor purchased a three-story medical office building near the corner of State and Mission streets in Santa Barbara, at 1919 State St.

The sale consisted of three buildings on three parcels, totaling nearly an acre. The property was listed for $9,495,000.

Christos Celmayster of Hayes Commercial Group represented the buyer in the transaction, while Bob Tuler, Paul Gamberdella and Gene Deering of Radius Commercial Real Estate represented the seller, according to a news release.

The 21,200-square-foot building primarily has been leased to medical practices and health-related professionals.

The sale also included two single-story buildings on the premises at 1913 and 1921 State St., which comprise an additional 4,750 square feet of office space, according to a news release.

“Medical office property has become a premium commodity in our market over the past few years,” Celmayster said, “which reflects the fact that tenant demand for medical space held steady through the pandemic and the rise of remote work.”

Black Sheep Is Back

After a short closure, The Black Sheep “SB Brasserie” is opening on Friday.

“We are thrilled to give Santa Barbara back one of its favorite institutions,” it posted on Instagram.

The restaurant is a locally owned and operated, modern-classic California-French Pub.

The Black Sheep, at 18 E. Cota St., is locally owned and operated, and is billed as a modern-classic California-French pub. According to its Facebook page, “Black Sheep is a local eating spot that was created on the premise of being different.”

The new spot is inside the previous Venus in Furs space and “boasts a rich history of French restaurants and saloons dating back over a century,” according to The Black Sheep’s website.

No More Shine

Funk Zone clothing and retail store ShineUP will close its doors Dec. 26.

The company recently posted an Instagram post with the announcement: “It’s time for me to move on from ShineUP on Helena Avenue. I have been evicted from my space. I haven’t found a new space in the Funk Zone yet. So I will take a pause and do all the things you can’t do when you own your own business.”

The post also said, “In the last four years I have met so many of you from all over Santa Barbara, the state and the world. You have all enriched my life and my experience, and I am forever humbled and grateful.”

The store is at 14 Helena Ave. in Santa Barbara.