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Gas is coming to western Goleta.
The former site of Zizzo’s on Storke Road soon will tranform into a Fuel Depot gas station, car wash and drive-through coffee shop establishment.
The City of Goleta has approved the gas station, and construction on the site could begin in October or November, according to Price Management.
“This is going to be a really nice project,” said Jordan Price, vice president of Price Management. “By bringing a Fuel Depot out to western Goleta, we are going to save traffic on Fairview Avenue and Calle Real.”
The company recently started serving Point Market Coffee, and a yellow development sign went up.
Residents of western Goleta have to travel to the most congested intersection on the South Coast — Calle Real and Fairview Avenue, where four gas stations compete with one another — to get competitvely priced gas. Chevron, Mobil and the 7-Eleven sell gas, but it’s at the high end of the market. Old Town Goleta also has two gas stations.
The Fuel Depot site, 370 Storke Road, is about one acre and extends past the current self-serve car wash site. The gas station will be built where the car wash sits, and the car wash will move back deeper on the property.
“Everyone is going to be able to keep their car wash,” Price said.
Construction on the gas station is expected later this year, followed by the car wash. The design of the car wash is working its way through the Goleta Design Review Board.
Price Management is still in talks about the drive-through.
Currently, the site is open for drive-through coffee from The Point Market.
Tap Thai Closing
Tap Thai is closing its doors on Sept. 15.
The Santa Barbara restaurant, at 3130 State St., has struggled to hire employees, according to owner Preaw Chamchoi.
“I love this restaurant and the San Roque neighborhood — lots of great memories and amazing people,” Chamchoi said. “However, I haven’t been able to fulfill all the positions needed for both restaurants since opening the Goleta store last year.”
Tap Thai in Goleta, at 7060 Hollister Ave., Suite 106, will remain open.
“The juggling has had a big impact on my health, both physically and mentally,” Chamchoi said. “Well, I am not a wonder woman after all!”
The owner said “it’s been such an amazing journey.”
Chamchoi said in the coming weeks that two friends plan to open their own Thai restaurant, Thai Bistro, in the San Roque space.
Sunkissed in Santa Barbara
The Sunkissed Pantry has opened in Santa Barbara.
Sunkissed Pantry carries “everyday home essentials for the kitchen, bath and beauty, personal care items, and apparel. All our products are reusable, recyclable, compostable, and better for the planet,” according to its website.
The store sells a variety of products that have zero waste, including soaps, cleaners, bath bombs, brushes, lotions and dozens of other products.
“We believe in transparency and making a positive impact on the planet by promoting ecological awareness and conscious consumerism,” the company states on its website.
The company, at 31 E. Canon Perdido St., also sells “unpaper towels,” toothbrushes and biodegradable dog poop bags.
Fashion Eyes No Longer Watching
Fashion Eyes in downtown Santa Barbara is closing its doors.
The store is locally owned, and it opened in 1988.
It sold Ray-Ban, Spy, Von Zipper, Persol, Maui Jim, Oakley and other name-brand sunglasses.
— 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.