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The popular downtown Sandbar restaurant is serving up food, tequila shots and margaritas once again.
It took 11 weeks, but one of Santa Barbara’s most prominent and longstanding downtown restaurant and nightclubs has re-opened its doors, after a ventilation fire damaged part of the interior.
“It seemed like forever,” said Aron Ashland, managing partner of the restaurant, told Noozhawk. “We learned how much we were missed.”
Firefighters were dispatched to the restaurant at 514 State St, just after 1 a.m. on Aug. 15, after employees reported the smell of smoke in the kitchen and bar area.
Firefighters found the fire in the hood system above the kitchen in the attic space. They arrived quickly and doused the fire.
“Firefighters got here within minutes,” Ashland said.
He praised the city’s expedited permitting process, saying the restaurant re-opened as soon as it could thanks to the city of Santa Barbara’s help.
Still, the business suffered from the lost time. The financial damage was about $100,000 to re-open. The restaurant took a financial hit also; August is the restaurant’s busiest month. Only a handful of the restaurants 70 employees didn’t return.
Ashland is looking forward to better days ahead and continuing to be a prime State Street destination.
“I love the people,” Ashland said. “Whether it’s the customers or the employees. It’s a family.”
Juice it Up!
A well-known smoothie chain has opened in Isla Vista.
Juice It Up! will celebrate the grand opening of its new Isla Vista location from 2:30 to 9 p.m., Friday inside HiWi Tropical Fusion.
The event offers free small smoothies to the first 50 customers and 50 percent off all smoothies, juices and bowls till closing. The event will also feature live music.
A portion of the day’s proceeds will be donated to Isla Vista Church
Founded in 1995, Juice It Up!, specializes in fresh-squeezed juices, blended-to-order real fruit smoothies and nutrient-rich options such as Açaí and Pitaya bowls.
The shop is at 6555 Pardall Road.
Four Diamonds
The Automobile Association of America announced this week that the Santa Barbara Inn has been awarded the prestigious Four Diamond rating.
“This achievement ranks the Santa Barbara Inn as a premier establishment. Fewer than six percent of the nearly 28,000 properties approved by AAA achieve Four Diamond distinction,” said Tamara Hill, AAA Travel Services Manager.
The Santa Barbara Inn reopened in July 2016 after a two-year extensive renovation. The resort features 70 guest rooms and suites.
Guest amenities include complimentary use of the resort’s fitness center, pool and whirlpool spa. The rooms feature high definition 42” and 55” flat-screen televisions with movie channels, hard wire and wireless internet access.
The hotel’s Convivo Restaurant and Bar features Italian inspired food, including fresh seafood, house-made pasta and wood-fired pizza. The restaurant features 140 seats, half inside, half outside.
Silverhorn closes
Silverhorn plans to close its high-end jewelry store at 1155 Coast Village Road. A going-out-of-business sale began Wednesday.
Carole and Michael Ridding are the owners of the store.
“After 31 years in this location we have made the strategic decision to close this store and sell its entire inventory,” said Carole Ridding, CEO and president of Silverhorn.
“It is the end of an extraordinary era for Carole and me, one we have enjoyed very much,” Michael Ridding said. “It’s been such an honor and pleasure to be a part of the lives of our customers over the many years of our careers in the jewelry business.”
Ridding said: “We will continue serving our customers in the Coast Village Road store during the sale and at our Biltmore location, providing the same great service and finest jewelry, loose gems and carvings.”
Sale hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm and closed Sundays. Visit Silverhorn.com.
— 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.
