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The beer bonanza in Santa Barbara isn’t just happening on State Street.
Make way for the Corner Tap Room.
Owned by Chris Chirarappa, who also owns The Mesa Burger, the beer spot is set to open in late February.
The tap room and kitchen will be at the former location of Giovanni’s Pizza, at the corner of Cliff Drive and Meigs Road.
“It’s a place to get some really good beer on draft,” said Corner Tap Room General Manager Jason Saavedra.
The tap room, he said, will offer more than 25 local craft beers.
It will also have a wine menu with 10-15 wines by the bottle.
The kitchen will serve flat bread and other “bar-style” appetizers, including macaroni and cheese and chicken wings.
Breweries and wine bars have erupted in recent years in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone and on State Street. With retail struggling, beer, wine and restaurants have achieved success as night-life destinations.
Saavedra said the corner location offers a great spot for visibility and is unique.
“The Mesa doesn’t have anything like that,” Saavedra said. “There’s a whole community on the Mesa, but there’s not a tap room-style place on the Mesa.”
The restaurant will also feature eight TVs with sports channels.
“It will just be a casual place to have a great time,” Saavedra said.
Santa Barbara Jobless Rate at 2.1%
The city of Santa Barbara’s unemployment rate was 2.1 percent for the month of November, according to the Workforce Development Board of Santa Barbara County.
Santa Maria had the highest unemployment rate with 4.8 percent, followed by Lompoc with 4.4 percent.
Carpinteria had a 3.2 percent unemployment rate, while Guadalupe’s was at 2.8 percent; Goleta’s rate was 2 percent, ahead of Solvang at 1.9 percent and Buellton at 1.1 percent.
Overall, Santa Barbara County’s unemployment rate was 3.1 percent for November, besting the U.S. unemployment rate of 3.3 percent and the California rate of 3.7 percent.
The largest opportunities for employment, according to the Workforce Development Board, are in health care, energy and environment, building and design, aerospace and defense, biotechnology and related devices, information and communication technologies, business services, food, beverage and agriculture, tourism and hospitality.
Yume Sushi Has New Name & Location
Yume Sushi, 428 Chapala St., has relocated, and with a new name.
The former eatery shut down on Oct. 31, but re-opened recently at 1134 Chapala St, as Sushi Bar 29.
The restaurant is open from 11:30 to 2:30 and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.