Reader Steve C. says that Shalhoob’s, which opened in the Santa Barbara Public Market in March 2022, is planning to close at the end of March 2024, just after their two-year anniversary. The company is still on track to open a location at 5112 Hollister Avenue in Noleta, the former home of Woody’s BBQ.
SHALHOOB’S TO CLOSE IN THE PUBLIC MARKET
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Freebirds would be awesome in there. I believe the IV owner has rights independent of the national franchise.
He kept the original quality and portions. Could be a conflict w Corazon although is Freebirds really Mexican?
I’m curious: which is the longest-running tenant in the Public Market? Seems like a pretty high turn-over rate there. Is that by design?
I believe the only two tenants that were there when it originally opened are Empty Bowl noodle bar and Rori’s ice cream. There was large turnover in the early stages. It seems like initially the owner envisioned it as partly a gourmet farmers’ market type of place where people would buy raw food to cook at home, not so much a food court. But after not too long it became clear that wasn’t working out and several of the original tenants bailed. They revamped the place and seemed to double down on the food court aspect. Around that time Corazon came in and since then it seems like it’s bounced back somewhat.
So in a way the turnover has been by design, or rather by two designs. A lot of the turnover was because the place shifted from one design to another and most businesses didn’t last long after that transition.