
[BizHawk is published weekly, and includes items of interest to the business community. Share your business news, including employee announcements and personnel moves, by emailing news@noozhawk.com.]
The flagship for regional chain Rusty’s Pizza is going up at 5934 Calle Real in Goleta, where a flashy restaurant designed with art deco in mind will open for business this fall.
Crews with Santa Barbara’s Allen Construction tore down the building that formerly housed Takanoya Restaurant last month, making way for the new headquarters, according to Scott Jacobs, manager of the company’s commercial division.
He said the local Duncan family and Rusty’s Pizza founder Roger Duncan picked the design as a sort of legacy and gift to Goleta — not far from where the first Rusty’s opened in Isla Vista in 1969.
The pizza purveyors have seven locations along the South Coast, eight counting the recently acquired Summerland restaurant.
Once the new location is complete, the Rusty’s Pizza at 6025 Calle Real will close and relocate, Jacobs said.
The flagship Rusty’s will boast seating for 190 customers, a banquet room, and dining and game area within its 4,761 square-foot space.
Rusty’s owners could not be reached for comment.
New Clinic Opens in Goleta
Jackson Medical Group Inc. has opened a new clinic in west Goleta at 220 Pacific Oaks Road.
The primary care group, which began as the solo practice of Dr. Douglas Jackson in 1978, has since grown to include four Santa Barbara-area offices from Carpinteria to the new site (behind the DMV) in Goleta.
Demand increased after rollout of the Affordable Care Act and along with the growing population of Goleta itself, said Dr. Karen Engberg, the group’s CEO and managing partner.
She said the JMG Pacific Oaks clinic would provide outpatient family and internal medicine to Goleta, with services including same-day appointments for urgent care issues and morning hours on Saturdays.
The group accepts most insurance plans including PPOs, HMOs, all Medicare plans, Covered California and CenCal.
Denny’s Restaurant Closes
The Denny’s Restaurant in Goleta has closed its doors.
For-lease signs have gone up outside the large location at 5677 Calle Real.
Wellness Professionals Plans Grand Opening
The Santa Barbara Wellness Professionals will host its grand opening celebration from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25 in its upper State Street center.
The event at 3015 State St. marks the relocation of four individual businesses — each with a commitment to natural, holistic practices — under one roof.
Santa Barbara Wellness Professionals represent a new trend in the health industry, offering a safe haven and welcoming environment to those searching for alternatives to conventional therapies. The four businesses offer an impressive array of more than 30 natural approaches to optimal wellness and beauty.
Vons Gas Station Closing
The Vons gas station at 175 N. Fairview Ave. in Goleta will close this weekend, making way for the grocery store’s switchover to Haggen, according to a Vons employee.
A Haggen spokesman said the gas station would remain open but under a new third party operator, although more specific details weren’t available.
The Fairview Vons will close at 6 p.m. Sunday and reopen after an ownership and rebranding change on Tuesday afternoon.
SB Menus Launches New Service
SBmenus.com has rolled out a delivery tracking tool, which allows customers to see the status of a food order from the start to delivery in real time.
As soon as an order is placed, a message pops up with a map showing SB Menus sent the order to the restaurant, with updates until the food is at the door.
SB Menus, which now offers ordering from more than 70 local restaurants, also allows customers to create and place group orders with a menu sharing link
Business Expo Set for Next Weekend
The third annual Santa Barbara Business Expo will be next Saturday, April 25, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Fess Parker DoubleTree Resort at 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd. in Santa Barbara.
The interactive business convention is designed to provide business owners, entrepreneurs, students and consumers the tools and resources to connect, learn and network. In its third year, the conference expects to attract more than 500 attendees. For more details, click here.
Event founders Gino and Sandy Goe, local business owners and entrepreneurs, established the expo event to bring the business community together by encouraging collaboration, improving profitability and encouraging social responsibility by giving back to the community.
Automobile Club Celebrates 100
The Santa Barbara branch of the Automobile Club of Southern California celebrated its 100th birthday this week with member appreciation days.
On Friday, members are invited to the branch at 3712 State St. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to see historic Santa Barbara photos and an antique Auto Club tow truck and to participate in prize wheel drawings and meet-and-greets with AAA travel partners Grand Canyon Railway and Hertz.
The Santa Barbara branch — the fourth location established by the Auto Club since its founding in 1900 in Los Angeles — is also offering passport photos to members for $4 and to non-members for $11.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

