Reader Brendan tells me that the Red Pepper Express at 966 Embarcadero del Mar in Isla Vista appears to be gone, as the space now has a sign with a new name: “Chop Chinese Food”, although it doesn’t look like the new place is open yet. This appears to spell the end of the Red Pepper’s long history on the South Coast. Red Pepper opened in Isla Vista in November 2021 after closing their Orange Avenue location in Goleta that had been serving customers for decades.

Brendan also says that at 6556 Pardall Road in Isla Vista Pardall, next to Hana Kitchen, there is a place called “Ai Cha” which is apparently a boba tea shop. An article in the Daily Nexus alleges there are two robots that are supposed to make boba and noodles, but the online ordering doesn’t show any noodle dishes, just drinks.