Plenty on Bell in Los Alamos is set to change ownership following a resolution to an eviction lawsuit filed against the restaurant’s operators last October.
Santa Barbara County Superior Court records show that a conditional settlement agreement of the unlawful detainer case was reached out of court last week.
The lawsuit was filed Oct. 27, 2025, by Rowles Holdings LLC, which owns the building at 508 Bell St., against restaurant operators Jesper Johansson and Christine Gallagher. The case sought more than $85,000 in damages related to alleged lease violations, unpaid rent and disputed property repair costs.
According to the lawsuit, Johansson and Gallagher were named as defendants because they each executed Personal Guaranties of Lease, making them “jointly, severally, unconditionally and irrevocably” liable for Plenty’s financial obligations.
Noah Rowles and Rowles Holdings LLC are taking over ownership of the restaurant, which they announced on the Plenty on Bell Facebook page and confirmed to Noozhawk with a statement.
Rowles said the family intends to keep the restaurant running as it has been, while adding personal touches to the menu and sourcing more ingredients from local ranchers and farmers, including from the family’s home in Los Alamos.
The statement said the new owners “intend to allow (Johansson) to continue on as Plenty’s chef.”
Rowles said, “Regarding Jesper’s ongoing role, it is our understanding that he’s excited to continue as Plenty’s chef under the new ownership, and we have every intention of allowing him to do so for as long as he would like.”
A statement released Friday said the parties in the lawsuit had reached a resolution that allows Plenty on Bell to move forward through an orderly transition to new ownership by the Rowles family.
The statement said the parties are working through applicable licensing and regulatory processes, and will have no further public comment on the resolved matter.
Plenty on Bell opened in January 2016 in Los Alamos, and Johansson was one of the restaurant’s founders, with Gallagher becoming a co-owner in 2019. Rowles purchased the Bell Street building in March 2025, and the lawsuit was filed after disputes regarding lease obligations and responsibility for work on the property.
Following a series of notices in September, including two 10-day demands to pay rent and a final 10-day notice to vacate, Rowles Holdings LLC filed the unlawful detainer case in October.
Rowles said details of the settlement agreement beyond Friday’s statement are confidential.
