Laura Knight, the owner of Pascucci Italian Restaurant, joins Josh Molina to talk about outdoor dining, the future of State Street, and how her restaurant has endured for 30 years, in this 35-minute episode of Santa Barbara Talks.

Knight offers a window into the challenges restaurants have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in 2023 amid weeks of steady rain that interrupted the flow to downtown.

“We run on a very small profit margin,” Knight said. “We strive for a 10% profit margin. But when you have some slow months, and basically two months of rain and very few customers, you are not only not making money, you are losing money.”

Watch the full conversation by clicking on the video below.

Knight opened Pascucci 30 years ago, originally on the 700 block of State Street. She moved to 509 State St. three years ago. Now she’s at the epicenter of restaurant row, where about 15 restaurants line the 500 block.

Although there was an initial boost coming out of the pandemic, the rain and the shaky economy have the hospitality industry worried.

“The hotels have seen a drop in business the first quarter,” Knight said.

Some big days are coming up, however. Graduations, Father’s Day, Summer Solstice, and Fiesta, she hopes help pick up business.

Knight hopes the city leaders find a fix for State Street that includes ample outdoor dining option for residents.

“We’re not going to make 100% of the population in Santa Barbara happy,” Knight said. “We have to do our best to do what we can to help businesses. Small business is the backbone of our town.

“It’s really important for people to support local businesses.”

This podcast is owned by Joshua Molina, journalist and college instructor. Santa Barbara Talks is a community conversation about education, housing, culture and politics, hosted by journalist Josh Molina. Please consider a contribution by visiting santabarbaratalks.com or SantaBarbaraPodcasts.com