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Wait until you try the orange juice.
Baha Shehab, otherwise known as “Mr. B,” has opened a restaurant specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine, at the site of the former Pizza Mizza in La Cumbre Plaza in Santa Barbara.
His freshly squeezed, pureed, whipped orange juice, which tastes a lot like an Orange Julius, only way better and healthier, is just the beginning of the fresh items Shehab is selling.
He sells falafels, beef, chicken, burgers, sandwiches, hummus, baked goods, espressos, lattes and a variety of Middle Eastern foods.
“Most of the stuff we specialize in here is Jordanian food,” Shehab said. “We try to make everything as fresh as possible. We don’t like to use anything pre-cooked. We cook everything here.”
Shehab spoke with Noozhawk on Wednesday from his restaurant.
He was born in Jordan and immigrated to the U.S. in 2011. The 30-year-old initially moved to the San Fernando Valley, where his father lived.
“I love food,” Shehab said. “That’s why I want people to taste something good and healthy.”
The biggest challenge he’s facing now is hiring people. No one is applying for jobs, he said, from cooks to service staff. Once he’s able to hire more people, he wants to offered grilled kebabs and other barbecued food.
He also plans to open a second Mr. B restaurant in the food court at the Pacific View Mall.
So far, he said, Santa Barbara and La Cumbre Plaza are great fit for his restaurant.
“I love this mall,” he said. “I really hope to see it alive again. I am really trying my best to bring customers down here. It’s beautiful. It’s gorgeous.”
Shehab redesigned the inside, which has been vacant since 2018. He sanded the tables, painted the walls, and gave the restaurant a new elegant, classy look.
He’s married with three kids, and is looking forward to opening a chain of restaurants throughout California.
“I am really confident about what we are offering,” Shehab said. “It’s fresh, healthy, and is cooked like at home.”
The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Dune Coffee Opens on Calle Real
Dune Coffee continued its expansion with a new restaurant in Goleta. Dune opened on Dec. 20 at 5915 Calle Real.
“This coffee shop is the light of the pandemic: we signed the lease March 7, 2020,” according to the company’s Facebook post. “Thank you for your patience. Can’t wait for you all to enjoy coffee out here with us, it’s really special .
Despite its high visibility on Calle Real, the spot has struggled under previous ownership. A yogurt shop and pizza place both failed inside the building in recent years.
Dune has another location in Goleta, near Target, along with two spots in Santa Barbara. It was formerly known as the French Press.
Toyota Mechanic Earns National Award
Noah Marx, an ASE Certified automotive technician, was recently honored with a national achievement award as the Toyota/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year, according to a news release.
The event was held in Arizona, at the fall board of governors meeting of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.
About 48 automotive professionals were recognized at the event.
“Noah, who works at Toyota of Santa Barbara, is one of the outstanding ASE certified professionals recognized annually by different segments of the automotive service and repair industry,” said Timothy Zilke, ASE President & CEO, according to a news release.
“ASE has honored extraordinary industry professionals from across the nation for more than 40 years. We are proud to partner with Toyota to recognize Noah’s commitment to excellence in providing the very best in automotive service and repair. This dedication is reflected in the talented professionals we recognize each year and Noah represents the best of the best.”
County Unemployment Rate Shrinks
The unemployment rate in Santa Barbara County was about 3.9% in November, with the highest jobless rates in Guadalupe, at 6.1%, and Santa Barbara, at 5.9%.
Unemployement was down from 4.4% in October and from 5.7% a year ago, according to the Workforce Development Board of Santa Barbara County.
Buellton had the lowest unemployment rate in the county, at 1.3%, followed by Goleta, at 2.6%
Unemployment numbers shrunk by 3,300 in November for the hiring of seasonal employees.
— 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.
