The Santa Barbara City Council signed off Tuesday on leasing the former Elephant Bar space to High Sierra Grill House, locking the restaurant in for a 10-year lease.
The council unanimously authorized Santa Barbara Airport Director Hazel Johns to enter into the 10-year lease, with three five-year options, effective upon completion of city improvements, for a monthly rent of $12,694.
Three longtime restaurateurs and friends with Santa Barbara ties will lease the large restaurant location at 521 Firestone Road from the airport, which owns the property that has been vacant since August 2013 when the Elephant Bar closed its flagship location after 30 years.
The Airport Commission already approved the deal, which will charge the restaurant market value rent instead of rent on a percentage basis, as was done in the past.
With the change, the city will collect a rent that’s 12.5 percent higher than what Elephant Bar paid, Johns said.
Restaurant co-owner Manuel Perales told Noozhawk he hopes to open High Sierra Grill by August, but Johns guessed the eatery couldn’t open for at least nine months after council approval because of improvements the city must do to the building, such as replacing the roof.
Perales met his two business partners — Mario Medina and Paul Ybarra— while working decades ago in the now-defunct Santa Barbara Carrows Restaurants.
Together, the trio has opened six restaurants, including three Yosemite Falls Cafes and the first High Sierra Grill, all in Fresno.
Medina has owned and operated Mulligans Cafe & Bar at the Santa Barbara Municipal Golf Course since December 1993.
Ybarra, who grew up in Santa Barbara, opened Paul’s Place in Merced, where he now lives. Perales resides in Fresno.
High Sierra Grill will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, featuring a full bar, live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and a Sunday buffet.
California coastal cuisine will influence comfort foods such as smoked pulled-pork sandwiches, tri-tip, burgers, pizza, salads, fresh mango fish tacos and even some “Gaucho”-themed dishes.
Owners want to pursue catering and continue a tradition of opening large banquet rooms up to local organizations as luncheon spaces, in addition to plans to clean up the outdoor patio to add a gas fire pit, reupholster booths and more.
“We look forward to seeing the new facility when it’s ready to go,” Mayor Helene Schneider said.
— 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.