Bob Stout is pushing for outdoor dining to remain, and encourages city leaders to stay the course and find a way to make downtown open and vibrant for everyone.

The city rushed to close nine blocks of State Street shortly after the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and Stout, the owner of the Wildcat Lounge, said it was the right move.

“It really did save downtown,” Stout said. “It really helped the city.

In the latest episode of Santa Barbara Talks, Stout advocates for outdoor dining, and debunks the rumor of rats on State Street because of the structures.

“The rat thing is way overblown,” Stout said.

He witnessed seven businesses remove their parklets and he did not see any remnants of rat droppings.

Stout, in fine detail, offers a nuanced view of the downtown debate over outdoor dining.

While restaurants are enjoying the benefits of outdoor seating, some retail businesses are suffering and property owner Jim Knell, the largest property owner on State Street, said the street is in disarray due to a lack of planning, and the outdoor dining structures contribute to the problem.

Stout, however, supports the city’s State Street Master Plan, and said the work coming out of the workshop will create a State Street that is vibrant for everyone for decades to come.

“A majority of people really prefer having State Street closed to vehicles,” Stout said. “They like what’s going on. As slow as things move in Santa Barbara, we really need to get it right.”

In this podcast, Stout also talks about why he created the Wildcat Lounge’s famous “Gay Night” on Sundays, and why the place has always been home to the LGBTQ+ community.

“Three of my very best friends who worked for me were gay and died of AIDS within 9 months,” Stout said.

Stout said, “We are family,” and the regular night at Wildcat showed that everyone was welcome.

He also runs down his history of owning nightclubs, including Zelo’s, The Blue Agave, and longtime restaurant Sojourner.

Consider a donation to this podcast by clicking here. Subscribe to this podcast by clicking here. Josh Molina has been a journalist in Santa Barbara for 20 years. He also covered City Hall for the San Jose Mercury News. In addition to working as a reporter at Noozhawk, he teaches journalism at Cal State University, Northridge and Santa Barbara City College. Please subscribe to his You Tube channel for more content.