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State Street in Santa Barbara has another place to drink coffee, but don’t expect any flavored shots, whipped cream or anything resembling a frappuccino.
Lokum, a Turkish coffee and treats shop, opened a week ago at 1019 State St.
“This idea we started thinking about three years ago,” said Bulent Derdiyok, who owns the restaurant along with his brother, Levent Derdiyok.
The restaurant sells Turkish delights — sweet, candylike treats, including baklava — and Turkish coffee, which is strong. It offers more than 40 flavors of delights — all imported from Turkey. The delights are varied; some have pistachio, walnut, fig or creme. There’s a mix of candy, nuts and fruit.
The brothers said that in the future they might add a more formal Turkish breakfast.
Bulent Derdiyok came to the United States in 2001 and started a carpet-selling business in New York. It was too cold, he said, so he moved to Santa Barbara and opened a Turkish import store, also on State Street, with carpets and lanterns.
Customers can sample dozens of Turkish delights when they walk in. The display case is rich with a colorful display of delights, and hanging from the ceiling are beautiful lanterns. The shop also sells Turkish coffee pots for people to brew their own coffee at home.
“We just wanted to make something different on State Street with unique, ethnic things,” he said. “As you know, State Street the last couple of years, business has gone down, business is getting slow. We want to give a little bit of life to the street.”
Bulent Derdiyok said he hopes that people will sample the Turkish delights and coffee while strolling along State Street.
“As you know, State Street is a long street, and people, when they start walking, they get tired and they just want to have a small snack for five minutes,” he said. “This will be a good spot for them.”
The restaurant also offers free Wi-Fi.
A formal grand opening is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.
Goleta Cannabis Store Opens
Goleta has opened its first cannabis dispensary collective.
Organic Greens Collective has opened at 5902 Daley St. The collective has been in business since 2008, but it now operates as a retail outlet as well.
The opening means that people can purchase legal cannabis products in the Goodland.
According to a news release, Organic Greens Collective offers “the highest-quality cannabis products at the lowest prices.”
“Our knowledge and experience is unmatched in the cannabis industry and sets us apart from other dispensaries,” CEO Todd Falstrom wrote in a news release. “Our staff looks forward to seeing you and helping you with your cannabis needs.”
New Partner at Allen & Kimbell
David Graff is the newest partner at Allen & Kimbell LLP in Santa Barbara.
He has practiced law for the past 10 years at the firm.
Graff is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law, and taxation law. He represents individual clients and families to plan for the transfer of wealth from one generation to the next, to provide for friends and loved ones, and to accomplish philanthropic goals, according to a news release.
He also counsels clients through the legal complexities that follow an individual’s passing, advising on beneficiaries’ rights and fiduciaries’ duties and obligations. In addition, Graff advises clients in personal and business transactions, tax controversies (including gift and estate tax audits) and real property tax matters.
He received his juris doctorate from the UC Davis School of Law and a master’s of law in taxation from NYU.
La Cumbre Plaza Macy’s to Stay Open
Macy’s announced another round of store closures, but the La Cumbre Plaza store is not on the list.
The only stores in California set to close are in San Diego’s Horton Plaza and in Antioch, in the Bay Area. The company announced that it plans to close 150 stores this year.
— 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.