Isla Vista Food Co-op to Close Downtown Location in Final Days of December
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) — Many shoppers are sad to see the Isla Vista Food Coop’s Santa Barbara location close down.
“I mean, it's just sad to see something so good go. It's obviously so good for the community to have this little thing on the side of the street,” said local shopper Atalia Zahrndt.
“I got to know like everyone who works here, so it's like a fun little, like I get to see my community when I come in and buy my stuff,” said local shopper Sonika Biyani.
The co-op attributes the closure to ongoing financial struggles.
An online statement reads in part: “Expenses remain high, sales remain too low, and we can’t sustainably operate a second location without risking the stability of the cooperative.”
The store will now revert to the Cantwell’s Market and Deli.
“They actually had a little more business as the deli when it was Cantwell's and the variety of salads that they had at the deli was greater too. I used to ask, ‘You don't have any yam salad today?’ And the next day they would have it,” said Mike Daggett, who lives in Santa Barbara.
The deli owners say they are excited to bring their culinary expertise to the forefront.
Pradeep Shastri shares his favorite pasta recipe he’s planning on incorporating in a special menu.
“Tomato, onion, garlic, feta cheese, and you mix it together with fresh basil and make a vegetarian version with some really julienne of vegetables in there. And then on the same pasta you can create a nice grilled chicken on the top of that or a piece of salmon on that,” said Shastri.
Shastri says he hopes to hire some of the same employees that helped run the co-op.
He says he’s excited to make it a place with small town charm and culinary flair, adding that there will be indian and italian fusion.
“We want to make sure we make every client who walks in here happy with the food, with the hospitality. And I know we cannot compare, compete with the big players like, you know, Costco and everybody else, but we are a convenience and a common cafe deli store,” said Shastri.
The State Street store will officially close on December 26th.
The co-op location in Isla Vista will remain open.
