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A new Japanese-style restaurant has opened in downtown Santa Barbara, with a menu focused predominantly on ramen.
The Sachi Ramen & Robata Bar opened three weeks ago at 721 Chapala St. in the former Esau’s Cafe location, which closed last May after 55 years of serving customers.
Hieu Vo is managing the new restaurant that specializes in ramen noodle dishes and robata, a form of barbecue with skewers.
Vo’s parents opened the eatery, adding to their local collection that also includes two Saigon Vietnamese restaurants — at 1230 State St. and 3987 State St. near La Cumbre Plaza.
“The idea just came to us,” Vo told Noozhawk. “What does Santa Barbara need? We decided this was something we’re missing.”
Sachi Ramen & Robata Bar serves only ramen and robata, not sushi, although Vo said the restaurant has a pretty extensive sake selection.
So far, the restaurant has been busy, said Vo, who guessed the business wouldn’t even have time to host a grand opening.
Community West Bank Plans Expansion
Goleta-based Community West Bank is working to open a full-service branch banking office at 4464 Broad St. in San Luis Obispo.
Community West Bank filed an application with the Comptroller of the Currency on Dec. 21, 2015, for permission to establish the first branch office in San Luis Obispo County.
The bank would replace a Community West Bank loan production office at 1977 Santa Barbara Ave., which opened in September 2015, and is expected to open in the third or fourth quarter of 2016.
Community West Bank currently has five full-service banking offices, in Goleta, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Ventura and Westlake Village.
“There has been significant consolidation among community banks in recent years, and some of the regional and national banks have closed branches and cut back on service,” bank CEO and president Martin E. Plourd said in a statement.
“There’s room in San Luis Obispo County for the flexible and responsive service that locally owned and operated Community West Bank provides.”
San Francisco Company Scoops Up State Street Space
San Francisco-based SFO Forecast, Inc. has leased the former So Good Jewelry space at 717 State St. to open a footwear retail store, according to Hayes Commercial Group.
SFO Forecast, Inc. currently operations 12 retail stores and two restaurants in San Francisco, Carmel, Monterey, Palm Springs and San Diego.
The Santa Barbara location will be called No Bare Feet Sock & Sandal Shop and is scheduled to open in in the first quarter of 2016.
Michael Martz and Kristopher Roth of Hayes Commercial Group represented the property owner in the deal to lease 1,822 square feet — a space that garnered multiple offers.
Broadview Mortgage Hires Sim
Sumika Sim has joined the Santa Barbara branch of Broadview Mortgage as a loan originator.
In her new position, Sim will assist clients in choosing the financing options to best suit their individual needs.
Ms. Sim joined the real estate industry in 2002 as an assistant, previously working at HomeServices Lending, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, and Prudential California Realty.
Broadview Mortgage Corp, an Orange County-based, family-owned business, provides residential loan programs in California and has a Santa Barbara office.
Companies Lease Carpinteria Space
Continental Automotive Systems, Inc and Procore Technologies, Inc have helped to fully lease a 119,695 square-foot office campus in Carpinteria, also home to CKE Restaurants (Carl’s Jr.).
The nine-acre oceanfront property at 6303-6309 Carpinteria Ave was purchased in June 2015 by Montana Avenue Capital Partners (MAC), a Santa Monica investment, management and development firm.
Procore is located at 6307 Carpinteria Ave., now settled into two buildings on the same campus totaling 61,079 square feet.
Continental Automotive Systems, a division of the German company Continental AG, leased 19,071 square feet in December. Continental is a supplier of electronics and other automotive components.
Francois DeJohn and Steve Hayes of Hayes Commercial Group assisted in locating tenants.
MAC is completing upgrades inside and out, including facades, patio areas, glass roll-up doors, EV charging stations, and exposed ceilings. PK Architecture of Agoura Hills is the architect on the project.
— 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.