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The name “Breakfast,” Tosh Clements admitted, is a little misleading; passersby often expect eggs and bacon.
But the new storefront at 711 Chapala St. in Santa Barbara, which held its grand opening May 14, stills hooks visitors with its unique combination of art, retail clothing and coffee.
Clements and his friend, Morgan Maassen, originally intended their establishment to be primarily an art gallery.
“It originally started as the desire to make some t-shirts and clothing, and have an online art gallery and place where people could submit their work, or we could find people and kind of give them a platform to be seen on,” Clements said.
“After a few months, we realized having a physical place is really important considering how much of everything we do is online these days. We wanted somewhere where people could meet face-to-face and see art and photography in person and enjoy it that way.”
The establishment had previously been a barber shop and an insurance company. The tall ceilings and giant, roll-up garage door, which lets in plenty of natural light, lend themselves to the gallery-like interior, which hosts prints from Clements and Maassen, photographer Will Adler, and others.
“The feel that we were going for was a mixture of mid-century modern, very clean lines, white walls, dark concrete, but to have this open, homey space where you would want to come and spend hours and bring your friends to,” said Clements.
“People have said that it feels very clean and modern, but it feels homey.”
Breakfast’s café serves coffee from Handlebar Coffee Roasters and offers a number of pastries and baked goods. With plenty of competition in Santa Barbara’s art scene, the café helps bring in patrons and pay the rent, Clements said.
Breakfast carries apparel by Los Angeles-based Apolis, Carpinteria-based Pamwear, and its own clothing line, as well as surfboards by Ryan Lovelace, surfboard bags, sunglasses, and photography books by local Tom Adler.
Its current hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week, Clements said, but will extend later into the afternoon once the business has settled into its new digs.
Le Petit Bistrot brings a taste of France to State Street
Le Petit Bistrot, a French restaurant that opened May 12 at 532 State St., is serving up traditional French breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and, on weekends, brunch.
Patrons can expect “authentic French food and a French atmosphere with music and a better kind of service than maybe you can find in France,” said owner and France native Salvatore Italiano.
Le Petit Bistrot focuses on organic food, he said, and gets its produce from State Street’s two weekly farmers markets.
The ingredients are then prepared according to “traditional French recipes” by a head chef with 20 years of French cooking experience.
Everything, down to the creams, Italiano said, is made by hand in-house.
“I said to my employees when I trained them that when a customer comes in this restaurant for lunch or dinner, it’s like a first date,” he said. “Everything has to be perfect; take care of every detail.”
Italiano found the downtown Santa Barbara location through a business partner after having vacationed throughout California.
“We knew this place — we came here on holiday,” he said. “We love Santa Barbara.”
Community West Bank CEO joins California Bankers Association board of directors
Martin Plourd, CEO of Goleta-based Community West Bank, has been elected to the California Bankers Association’s 2016–2017 board of directors.
One of the largest trade associations in the state, the CBA provides resources for its member banks, promotes their growth, issues financial reports, provides educational grants for bankers, and maintains a lobbying arm.
Plourd, who is also the Community West’s director and president, joined the bank five years ago after three decades in the industry, including time with Rabobank and Temecula Valley Bank.
“He has an impressive career in banking and we look forward to his guidance in this leadership position within our association,” CBA president and CEO Rodney K. Brown said in a statement.
Community West Bank, founded in 1989, recently received approval to open a branch in Oxnard by the end of the year, and has locations in Goleta, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, and Ventura County.
The bank is owned by holding company Community West Bancshares, which is headquartered at 445 Pine Ave. in Goleta.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.