Public market coming to Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara will soon be home to a public market featuring 15 local small businesses.

The project is called Alma del Pueblo and it’s taking the spot of the former Vons on Chapala and Victoria streets.

Local roaster, Green Star Coffee, is one of the businesses about to set up shop.

Green Star has been roasting and packing their beans in small batches. The company has been selling its coffee wholesale or online for a decade.

“I really can’t think of a better opportunity,” said Daniel Randall, the managing partner.

“The public market is a collection of best in class merchants, Santa Barbara-based merchants or regionally based merchants,” explained Marge Cafarelli, the developer and owner of Alma del Pueblo.

There won’t be any chain stores, just local businesses in the market.

For Green Star Coffee, it’s a new endeavor.

“In the Alma del Pueblo, this is going to be our first retail. So we’re super excited about that to be producing drip coffee, espresso and cappuccino and things like that,” said Randall.

The Alma del Pueblo project includes 37 condos and underground parking. But the big draw for the public, is the market.

“This is the Public Market space, it’s 15,500 square feet,” said Cafarelli.

The buildings are still under construction, but once it’s done, it’s expected to draw a crowd.

“There are great public markets all over the world, and I think Pike Place Market is definitely one of them, also the Ferry Building in San Francisco. This is on a much smaller scale,” said Cafarelli.

The market is set to open in September.

For a full list of the small businesses, click here.