In 1969, Roger and Carol Duncan scraped enough money together to open “Rusty’s Roast Beef” in Isla Vista at the corner of Embarcadero Del Norte and Pardall Road, where Dublin’s Sports Grill is now. Before their restaurant journey began, Roger was a produce manager in a local grocery store & Carol was busy teaching at Foothill Elementary & caring for their two young girls. Exploring their new home town of Santa Barbara, they found that there was no pizza place to take their kids and Rusty’s Pizza was born. They set their sights on creating a restaurant that served the highest quality pizza with great service and tons of family fun for the community, replacing their roast beef concept. Eventually the new pizza business expanded across the South Coast (plus Bakersfield) and the original Isla Vista location closed.

While riding my bike along Pardall Road recently, I found a clue that suggests a return to their roots might be in the works. A parking sign was recently updated at 6583 Pardall Road, just a block away from Rusty’s founding location, and the former home Rockfire Grill, Rincon Brewery, and Giovanni’s Pizza. The sign now says parking is reserved for Rusty’s Pizza.