Come Together, Right Now: Four Local Spots Unified by Food, Connection and Community
When I think about what community means to me, my hometown region of Santa Barbara County immediately comes to mind. But you don’t have to be from here to recognize just how special this region is. Across its many towns and neighborhoods, you’ll find an array of great restaurants, markets and shops that have helped shape its identity. And more than a handful of those places have become true community hubs—places where locals happily come together to connect, collaborate or simply unwind over food, drinks, conversation, music or, in some cases, a bit of it all.
As we head into the busy summer season—a time when many of us crave connection—I’m highlighting four spots that have become meaningful gathering places to the community, welcoming locals, newcomers and even other businesses with a genuine sense of belonging and camaraderie.
Revolver Pizza
Westside Santa Barbara
1429 San Andreas St.
805 679-5818
www.revolversb.com
When Nicholas Bodden opened Revolver during the pandemic, he was craving two things: a sense of community and the New York–style pizza he grew up with. Turns out, he wasn’t the only one. Revolver quickly developed a loyal following after debuting on Santa Barbara’s Westside in 2020. Even early on, Bodden and co-owner Ron Allen envisioned Revolver as more than just a pizza spot. They saw it as a creative outlet—not just for food, but also for music and the arts.
“I’ve always had a deep love for music, and to me, it’s closely tied to food—they are things that bring people together,” says Bodden. “I’ve been inspired by the vinyl bars of Japan and the jazz clubs of New York City, and Ron and I wanted to bring a bit of that to Santa Barbara.”
That vision inspired the launch of Revolver’s weekly Sit In Jam, a Wednesday night jam session led by James Cofrancesco that invites musicians to bring in their own instruments to play together. “We’ve had everything from fiddles and harps to synthesizers, guitars and pianos,” says Bodden. “There are so many talented musicians around the Central Coast—people who used to be in bands or are just looking for a laid-back creative outlet—and we love that Revolver has become a welcoming space for them to share their music.”
Music and pizza indeed go hand-in-hand at Revolver, as further evidenced by the rare vinyl collection and regular live jazz nights—the latter being a summertime staple that fills the intimate patio with regional jazz musicians and fans, both old and new.
“We’re serious about good food and being thoughtful in the kitchen, which is why we pull our mozzarella by hand and make everything from scratch,” Bodden says. “But I’d say we’re equally as serious about being the ‘third place’ for people—that place outside of work and home to gather, relax, create. We are thrilled to be a platform for creativity in our community and are excited to keep growing that culture.”
The Eddy
Downtown Santa Barbara
137 E. De la Guerra St.
www.shoptheeddy.com
A corner store with the essentials and more. Photo: Rosminah Brown 
Weekend pop-ups outside the Eddy. Photo: Rosminah Brown
Since opening in 2023, The Eddy has become much more than a modern corner store in downtown Santa Barbara’s Presidio neighborhood. Sure, its thoughtfully curated selection of elevated essentials and gourmet goods is certainly handy—where else can you find tinned fish, artisanal butter, hand soap, sunblock and grab-and-go lunch items all in one place? But more than that, The Eddy has redefined what a corner store in Santa Barbara can and should be—namely, more than just a place to shop.
“Historically, corner stores were always more than a place to grab essentials—they were trusted spaces where everyone knew your name,” says Alex Suhadolnik, who co-founded The Eddy with friend and business partner, Jen Steinwurtzel. “We wanted to bring that ideology back by creating a warm, welcoming environment that feels like a natural extension of the neighborhood.”
Building upon that idea, The Eddy hosts an ever-evolving lineup of events, from neighborhood block parties to pop-ups with local makers, and also serves as a pickup location for bakers and other vendors without brick-and-mortar spaces. This summer, the team is also launching a dinner party series, featuring themed dinners with local chefs and restaurants.
“Community is really at the heart of everything we do, and The Eddy continues to evolve with our customers in mind,” adds Suhadolnik. “In fact, many of our customers have become friends, and some have even befriended each other at our events. But beyond those connections, we’re proud to serve as a bridge between makers and the people who support them, building a community that extends outside our walls. We’re incredibly grateful to be in a neighborhood that embraces that spirit and allows us to grow alongside it.”
‘No Sad Sundaes’ at Your Choice Restaurant
Uptown Santa Barbara
3404 State St.
805 569-3730
www.yourchoicerestaurant.com
www.eatcreaminal.com
Piti Sukavivatanachai grew up working at Your Choice, his family’s Thai restaurant on Upper State Street. But like many kids raised in restaurants, he was eager to venture out on his own path. After graduating from college in Los Angeles, he went on to become an EMT. His wife, Kathy Dao, who spent her youth working in her family’s Vietnamese restaurant in LA, also pursued her own interests outside the food world. Neither had planned to return to the industry, but in 2012 they decided to move to Santa Barbara to take over Your Choice.
Just before moving back, Sukavivatanachai was visiting his parents and happened to watch his mom make coconut ice cream the old-fashioned way—mixed entirely by hand. “Watching my mom make ice cream was the start of everything,” he recalls. “It was simple, but done with care. I started messing around with it on my own and eventually ice cream became something I really enjoyed figuring out.” That growing interest eventually evolved into Creaminal, the couple’s modern ice cream brand blending classic techniques with unexpected flavor combinations.
In 2021, as a way to bring people together during the ongoing pandemic, the duo launched No Sad Sundaes—a Saturday night ice cream social at Your Choice, featuring Creaminal ice cream.
“That first night, I was just hoping a few friends would come by,” says Sukavivatanachai. “I didn’t expect much. But people showed up. Then they kept coming back and more came with them. It slowly turned into this thing that people made part of their weekend.”
Today, No Sad Sundaes remains a beloved weekly tradition, offering patrons a rotating selection of ice cream flavors and unique toppings. “The flavors are personal,” says Sukavivatanachai. “A lot of them come from things Kathy and I grew up eating. We’re not trying to be clever. We just want them to feel good or maybe take you back to something.”
One of the most popular sundae offerings is the Mango Sticky Rice, a weekly staple inspired by Sukavivatanachai’s mom’s coconut ice cream and his dad’s sticky rice recipe.
“We love playing with contrast—sweet, salty, creamy, chewy, soft, crunchy,” he adds. “A lot of our flavors mix traditional ice cream ingredients with things from Thai or Vietnamese food. It’s not a concept; it’s what feels natural to us.”
As No Sad Sundaes has grown, so has the vibrant community surrounding it. To show their appreciation, Sukavivatanachai and Dao host an annual block party in the parking lot of the restaurant, bringing together friends, vendors and neighbors to celebrate the connections that have formed around this weekly happening.
“We’re grateful that people connect with it,” says Sukavivatanachai. “Seeing people come together over something tied to how we grew up—that part never gets old. It’s why we keep doing it.”
Motley Crew Marketplace
Buellton
225 McMurray Rd. Suite F
805 325-6274
www.motleycrewranch.com/marketplace
Motley Crew Ranch has long been a familiar name on the menus of top regional restaurants, respected for its organic, sustainable and humanely raised meats. Now, owners Marko and Cassidy Alexandrous have expanded their vision with Motley Crew Marketplace—a “brick-and-mortar farmers market,” as the couple refers to it, located in Buellton.
Their accidental journey into ranching began a decade ago, after moving to a 700-acre property in the Sta. Rita Hills. “We were renting a farmhouse on this huge ranch, surrounded by other farms and ranches, but quickly realized how hard it was to find organic, humanely raised meat in the area,” says Cassidy. “Since we love animals and love food, we dove in headfirst, quitting our jobs to farm and ranch full time.”
They started selling chicken, eggs, pork and beef to restaurants, then gradually expanded their offerings to meet chefs’ requests. “At one point, we had 12 different species on the ranch,” says Cassidy. “We were raising everything from rabbits and quail for restaurants to goats and sheep for fire mitigation. It was a lot—but such a great learning experience.”
When restaurants took a hit during the pandemic, the couple decided to launch a meat box subscription. “Supplying some of our favorite restaurants was incredible, but we were still pretty isolated out on the ranch,” Cassidy explains. “The subscription was different in that it brought people to us. They’d come out for pickups and see firsthand where their food was coming from. It created a real sense of connection.”
Bridging the gap between consumer and food source inspired the couple to shift into meat processing. They first opened a market-style store for meat and other goods near Industrial Eats before settling in at their new location off McMurray Road in November 2024. Here, they’ve been able to expand into a true marketplace, in a space next door to a restaurant they were already sourcing to.
In just a few short months, Motley Crew Marketplace has cemented its place as a go-to spot for the community—serving as both an outlet for local farmers and ranchers and a trusted source for high-quality, organic produce and meats.
“Here, we’re able to support like-minded local farmers and ranchers who share our values of humane and sustainable farming practices, while also giving our community access to quality, responsibly raised products,” says Cassidy. “Farming and agriculture require a tremendous amount of hard work, and it means so much to have a space to celebrate the people behind it all while at the same time reconnecting consumers to the source of their food. We’re proud to be part of a positive shift in the food system—and it’s incredibly rewarding to see more and more people caring about where their food comes from.”
While these four spots offer different experiences, they’ve all become places where people feel welcome to gather, connect and be part of something meaningful—showing that community hubs can take many forms. Of course, this list is far from exhaustive, as Santa Barbara County is home to countless coffee shops, wine bars, markets and eateries that continually bring people together. So, consider this a starting point for discovering the many places across the region where connection, creativity and culture naturally come to life.
