At the Lucky Penny on Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara, more than 100,000 pennies were used to line the walls of the building. The pizza restaurant is set to open a new location in Los Olivos.
At the Lucky Penny on Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara, more than 100,000 pennies were used to line the walls of the building. The pizza restaurant is set to open a new location in Los Olivos. Credit: Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo

Santa Barbara pizza restaurant Lucky Penny is expanding to the Santa Ynez Valley.  

Los Olivos will be the lucky town to get the new location, at 2902 San Marcos Ave., with an opening set for April. 

“Los Olivos felt like a natural next step for Lucky Penny,” said Morgan Gray, general manager of Lucky Penny. “The town’s strong sense of community, family-friendly atmosphere and vibrant food-and-wine culture align closely with our brand. We saw an opportunity to create a casual, welcoming gathering place for locals and visitors alike, while bringing a familiar Acme Hospitality concept to a new audience.”

Gray said guests can expect the same fresh salads, wood-fired pizzas, Helena Avenue Bakery pastries, McConnell’s ice cream and weekly family-friendly programming. They are also working to offer delivery to local tasting rooms. 

Ahead of the opening, Lucky Penny is hosting a pop-up at the Los Olivos location Feb. 14-16 from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., featuring three popular pizzas to give residents a taste of what’s to come.

Coyote Little Market to Move Into Former Carp Kitchen Space

After Carp Kitchen closed in October, a new market is moving in at 4945-A Carpinteria Ave.

Caroline and Peter Hernandez will be opening Coyote Little Market later this spring, supplying local meat and seafood, pantry staples and kitchen goods.

“We’re so excited about this because it’s a really good combination of our two skill sets and also something that’s new for both of us,” Caroline Hernandez said. “So we really feel like we’re taking all of our professional experience, and it’s kind of led us to the shop.”

The Hernandezes are childhood friends turned sweethearts. They grew up in Santa Barbara County, attended Santa Barbara High School and started dating in 2020 before getting married in 2023. 

The idea for the market came after Peter Hernandez’s family bought a ranch in Lompoc and started raising cattle five years ago. They soon realized most of their beef was being sold outside of Santa Barbara County.

Caroline and Peter Hernandez plan to open Coyote Little Market later this spring, supplying local meat, seafood, pantry staples and kitchen goods.
Caroline and Peter Hernandez plan to open Coyote Little Market later this spring, supplying local meat, seafood, pantry staples and kitchen goods. Credit: Rebecca Caraway / Noozhawk photo

“We just didn’t have a location for us to go find local products,” Peter Hernandez said. “We didn’t have a location for us to sell our local products, and we realized that there’s still a pretty big need for that in Santa Barbara and in Carpinteria as well.”

The plan is for all of the meat at Coyote Little Market to be sourced from California and all of the seafood will come from the West Coast. There will also be California-sourced kitchen items such as pans, linens and utensils, and internationally sourced kitchen knives, Caroline Hernandez said. 

There will also be some prepared items, and eventually they hope to work up to providing grab-and-go meals. 

The goal is to have the shop open the first week of April, which coincides with their wedding anniversary on April 1. 

Bodega Flower Girl Will Offer Alcoholic Beverages

After opening Bodega Flower Girl in December, Emma West Roldan is getting ready to serve beer and wine.

The back of the store at 15 W. Gutierrez St. is under a bit of construction right now as West Roldan works to add a fridge and shelving for alcoholic beverages.

“I feel like that’s gonna be a fun kind of element that was part of my initial plan that’s coming into fruition,” West Roldan said, “which feels nice to kind of get pieces in order.”

After opening Bodega Flower Girl in December, Emma West Roldan is getting ready to serve beer and wine.
After opening Bodega Flower Girl in December, Emma West Roldan is getting ready to serve beer and wine. Credit: Rebecca Caraway / Noozhawk photo

West Roldan said she plans to stock a kombucha line from the Apiary Beverage Co. called “Drink Your Flowers,” fitting in with the name of the bodega. 

The store will start with canned drinks and grow into more bottles and other options. Eventually, West Roldan hopes to host a happy hour tasting with beer, wine and appetizers.

“I’m really hoping to be finished with construction at the end of February, to be kind of launching into spring,” she said. “and then moving on to some workshops and little classes here, hopefully trying to do a little bit more community based organized events.”

Ojai Rôtie restaurant is set to open at 5003 Carpinteria Ave. in Carpinteria.
Ojai Rôtie restaurant is preparing to open at 5003 Carpinteria Ave. in Carpinteria. Credit: Rebecca Caraway / Noozhawk photo

Ojai Rôtie Preparing New Carpinteria Location

Construction is underway at 5003 Carpinteria Ave., the former home of Giovanni’s, as Ojai restaurant Ojai Rôtie prepares to open a new location in Carpinteria.

An opening is set for this spring. 

New Pilates Studio in Santa Barbara

Mighty Pilates celebrated its grand opening in Santa Barbara on Thursday.

The new studio is at 1014 State St., Unit A, with single classes starting at $47.

Goodbye to 19 Blue Salon

After 18 years, 19 Blue Salon at 19 W. Ortega St. in Santa Barbara closed its doors on Tuesday.

The hair salon had six to eight stylists and sold candles and hair products. 

Have you noticed any businesses opening, closing, or moving locations? Send us your BizHawk tips and photos at news@noozhawk.com.

— Noozhawk staff writer Rebecca Caraway can be reached at rcaraway@noozhawk.com.