Change is in the air for Jonathan “Yona” Estrada.
The entrepreneur opened his new, much-talked-about restaurant, Santa Playa Mariscos, this week at 1230 State St. in Santa Barbara. It’s a fresh seafood restaurant, with a Mexican flair and delicious tastes.
“A lot of the food is from the travels that I have done and the food I like,” he said. “I like freshness, I like good quality and I like simple.”
His seafood is in the style of seafood caught at Mexican ports.
“They catch it fresh off the shores,” he said.
Estrada wants to bring the Ensenada and Baja, California, style of mariscos to Santa Barbara. His supplier is the Santa Barbara Fish Market, along with local fishermen, and is using red snapper, wild shrimp and Spanish octopus.
The restaurant is at the site of the former Brasil Arts Cafe.
However, that’s not all that Estrada is working on. He also has decided to move his Yona Redz business from the 500 block to the 1200 block of State Street. For now, his Santa Playa Mariscos is doing double duty, also serving as home for Yona Redz. He split the restaurants into two counters.
Yona Redz will move to its permanent new location two doors down “in a couple months,” he said, after some permitting and renovations.
The new restaurant specializes in fresh fish, lobster, shrimp and other seafood.
Estrada grew up on Santa Barbara’s Westside and held many jobs, including as a dishwasher and auto mechanic. In 2019, he started cooking in a friend’s backyard.
His grew a name in the community by making queso tacos using family recipes. He then set up a pop-up taco shop at the former Casablanca restaurant on State Street. Eventually, he found 532 State St., a property owned by Ray Mahboob, and his restaurant has gone viral on social media across the world.
“I am happy here,” he said. “I have passion. Growing my business is important to me, and also keeping the quality is also as important.”
The restaurant received its license to sell alcohol on Tuesday, and a grand opening is planned for Oct. 10.
La Cantina Opens in Turnpike Shopping Center
The Turnpike Shopping Center in Santa Barbara continues its stunning redevelopment.
The center, across the street from San Marcos High School, is booming with vitality.
In recent years, there has been the opening of Lighthouse Coffee, Jersey Mike’s, Dave’s Drip House, Kin Bakeshop and now La Cantina.
The Mexican restaurant opened earlier this week.
The restaurant specializes in tacos, from pescado and camaron to asada and ribeye. The restaurant serves enchiladas, steak, burritos, nachos and all of the traditional Mexican cuisine.
There’s a kid’s menu, which features a cheeseburger, and desserts such as churros, pan de elote, arroz con leche and ice cream, with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry flavors.
The restaurant was busy Thursday night. In addition to a large bar on the inside, the restaurant is surrounded by several outdoor tables.
New Oyster Bar Coming
Clark’s Oyster Bar is headed to Montecito.
A sign hangs in front of the restaurant, the former CAVA site at 1212 Coast Village Road.
The sign on the front reads, “Docking soon.”
Transient Occupancy Taxes Down
Hotel bed taxes are below budget by 1.2% year-to-date in Santa Barbara.
So far this year, the city has collected $8.1 million. About $7.2 million came from hotels and $900,000 from vacation rentals.
The City of Santa Barbara collected $4.1 million in transient occupancy taxes for August.
The city’s adopted TOT budget for all funds is $34.5 million, of which $28.7 million is budgeted in the General Fund.
