Kelly Brown, owner of the Natural Cafe restaurants, is a new investor in Dutch Garden Restaurant.
Brown, along with Dutch Garden operating partner Matt English, plans to revitalize the menu more in the spirit of previous owner Ken Luetjen, and expand the hours, including a Happy Hour.
“The Dutch Garden is a Santa Barbara treasure, and it has a very loyal, passionate clientele that we want to continue to serve well into the future,” Brown told Noozhawk. “I am excited for this opportunity.”
Dutch Garden, 4203 State St., is an iconic locale that serves German food with a “local feel.”
The restaurant closed in 2020 during COVID-19 and reopened in 2022. It originally opened in 1925 as the Poppy Cafe, according to Santa Barbara Magazine. Ken and Laurie Luetjen owned it from 1984 to 2020, before they sold it to English and Charlie and Jen Fredericks.
The Frederickses put out a statement on Instagram a week ago:
“We want to express our profound appreciation to everyone that has shared a meal, beer, story or laugh with us, with special nods to our staff (we are short adjectives adequate in describing our appreciation), our very special Friends of the Dutch (you will always have a seat at the bar) and our incredible regulars, all of whom have become family, filling our restaurant and lives in the best way and keeping the local spirit of Santa Barbara alive.”
Fairview Theatre Site for Lease
The Fairview Theatre in Goleta could be showing its final movies in 2025.
Hayes Commercial Group is marketing the 10,378-square-foot property for lease.
The listing states that it is available in the first quarter of 2026.
“Retail opportunity in the Fairview Shopping Center, the area’s finest grocery-anchored neighborhood center bolstered by Sprouts, Michaels, Rite Aid and Miner’s Hardware,” the listing states. “The subject offers prominent signage and plentiful shared
parking. Other tenants include highly trafficked businesses such as Starbucks,
Jersey Mike’s, Chicken Ranch, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank and more.”
The Fairview Theatre business is owned by the Metropolitan Theatre Corp., which filed for bankruptcy in 2024. The company at the time said it was working to restructure its debt, which included possibly shedding some of its properties. The former Fiesta Five Theatre is now leased by the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Hayes partner Caitlin Hensel said there’s no guarantee that the theater is leaving.
“Marketing the space doesn’t mean that we don’t want them at the property,” she told Noozhawk. “We were just asked to see what alternative uses are out there in the event they don’t figure out their restructuring and we end up with a vacant building.”
La Paloma Adds New Chef
Pasadena native John Parker is the new executive chef at the La Paloma Cafe in Santa Barbara.
“We’re thrilled to have John join our Acme family,” said Skyler Gamble, director of operations at Acme Hospitality. “He shares our passion for our Santa Barbara farmers markets as well as our commitment to sustainability. I’m confident that our community will embrace the great things he is bringing to La Paloma Cafe.”
His culinary style is “defined by bold, approachable flavors inspired by his Californian roots,” according to a news release.
“As a master of wood-fired cooking, he is a perfect fit for La Paloma Cafe concept and brings a deep passion for the Central Coast’s freshest ingredients and showcasing them in every dish,” the news release states.
With Parker at the helm, La Paloma Cafe, at 702 Anacapa St., has infused the lunch, brunch and dinner menus with vibrant new dishes that reflect his culinary vision, bringing fresh energy and inspiration to the restaurant’s offerings, according to the news release.
New weekend brunch items include Farmers Market Parfait, Smashed Breakfast Potatoes, Smoked Salmon Toast, Avocado Toast and sourdough blueberry pancakes, among other items.
Unemployment Rates in County
Unemployment in Santa Barbara County in January was 5.4%, a full point ahead of the national unemployment rate of 4.4%. In California, unemployment was 5.5%.
Those are preliminary numbers, according to the Workforce Development Board of Santa Barbara County.
In the county, Santa Maria had the highest unemployment rate for a city, with 9%. Guadalupe was the second-highest at 6.6%. Lompoc had a 5.7% unemployment rate. Carpinteria was next at 5.3%. Solvang showed a 4.2% unemployment rate, then Santa Barbara at 3.3%. Goleta was at 3.1%, and Buellton’s unemployment rate was the lowest of cities in the county at 2.4%.