This just in from Cava restaurant on Coast Village Road:
Hi John,
Thank you for all of your efforts in supporting the SB Restaurant scene!
Cava Restaurant & Bar will be officially closing its doors next week on Wednesday, September 15th. It has been a tremendous run these past 25 years and our family is beyond grateful to our wonderful community for all of the unwavering support.
We have experienced some challenging years of late on Coast Village Road, starting with the Thomas Fire, the subsequent debris flow event and on through to the pandemic. We are very proud of our team for staying the course through such trying times. It is gratifying to end Cava’s long run on a positive note, with heads held high, as we do right by employees, customers and vendors alike– we realize this is incredibly rare in our industry and we feel fortunate to be doing so.
We will certainly miss operating in this beautiful location but we are also very excited for what the future brings… We hope our loyal patrons will continue to enjoy the same delicious Mexican cuisine and signature Margaritas at our sibling restaurants: Carlitos Café y Cantina (EST. 1978), across from the historic Arlington Theater on State Street and Dos Carlitos Restaurant & Tequila Bar (EST. 2009), in beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. You will undoubtedly see many of the familiar smiling faces from Cava’s beloved staff at one of our other locations.
Please swing by for one last “¡Salud!” this coming week as we plan on finishing strong each day (11AM – 9PM) through Wednesday, September 15th.Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
All the best,
Carlos López-Hollis Owner
Drat. Another one of my favorites over the years to join the list of closed. What next?
I heard through the grapevine the landlord TRIPLED the rent… shame on them after all they’ve been through!
I just read this comment on the NextDoor app, as well. If true, that’s shameful. Surely there are laws against that?
Omg, I am so incredibly sad to hear this…I’ve celebrated birthdays, Christmas Eve during the Thomas FIre, my wedding dinner (!) and many regular fun meals there over the 7 years I’ve lived in the area. I’m so sorry they are closing…I’ve always felt very taken care of there and the food and iced tea can’t be beat. My sister even drives up from LA for her Cava fix every few weeks or so…I will miss all the friendly faces and really do hope many of them will move to SB…won’t be the same but I will try:). Thank you, Cava team, for always making my family feel like part of yours and giving us amazing food and service…xoxo.
Very sorry to hear!
Thank you for all of the great meals over the years and for always being so accommodative.
My husband was the manager of Pelican’s Wharf, pre Cava. We had dinner there about 4 years ago and really enjoyed it. He was killed in a car accident 18 months ago, and I’m coming to Santa Barbara on the 25th and had planned on having dinner while I’m visiting. Very disappointed! Best wishes to you. Running a restaurant, much less multiple is a really tough job!
Cava has always been a special night out. We have been eating there for years and remembering that fateful night siting in a booth and watching the news footage of Princess Diana’s death. A restaurant that has been a unique destination for that special meal you love to celebrate. I’m so sorry for the loss to the community. It is like loosing an old friend.
Oh this is terrible news! Cava has been my family’s special place for years. It’s our “Cheers”. We are so sad that we didn’t know sooner and didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to our favorite people. Hope to see those smiling faces at Carlitos which will be our new place to go.
Loved this place! I did not have to order, because they knew what I wanted when I sat down!
I confirmed from an employee that the landlord did try to triple the new lease on Cava.
I am tired of greedy, profit seeking landlords driving out businesses that have been loved by Santa Barbara residents. Publish the landlord name and let him /them) take some heat!
So sad all these small businesses closing up. Maybe put in another US empire corporate chain?
How awful. We loved this restaurant. If the bit about the landlord is true, the community should try to do something about it. Westwood Village in LA was destroyed by greedy landlords replacing long-standing neighborhood establishments with way overpriced trendy hangouts that quickly failed. Not that lower village has ever been a venue for inexpensive places … but I’ll bet they’re looking to make it much more expensive.
A really great staple in Montecito for so many years. Wonderful margaritas and food. Always felt welcome anytime! Could always count on Cava….Many great memories ….