Trattoria Mollie now closed on Coast Village Road

Two disasters, rent issues, and a grim future have led Mollie Ahlstrand to close her acclaimed Trattoria Mollie restaurant at 1250 Coast Village Road in Santa Barbara.

Even though many customers may be caught off guard, at the same time, a new Mollies has opened downtown at 1218 State Street near the Granada Theater.

Ahlstrand is handing the reins over to her son Ali but will be in the new restaurant regularly with her famous recipes, personality and celebrity status in the kitchen and in the “front of the house.”

Ahlstrand says she regretted the decision to close the Coast Village Road site but the time had come to cut ties with the landlord and the challenges she faced at that 2700 square foot location.

It’s been an amazing journey as she thanked her customers in a public ad saying, “I love you and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your business, your loyalty, your support and your love for the past 25 years.”

Ahlstrand’s restaurant was a favorite for many local celebrities including Oprah Winfrey. She was also featured in “O” magazine in May of 2002 along with countless other publications on food, dining, and celebrity sightings over the years.

The restaurant closed Sunday. Monday crews were clearing out tables, chairs and kitchen equipment. A “For Lease” sign was posted.

Ahlstrand like many others on the street has tried to make ends meet after the devastating fires in December that slowed the economy followed by the Montecito mudflow that damaged and destroyed more than 400 properties and took 23 lives. Business dropped significantly for weeks and some owners say it has never fully come back.

Instead of keeping the financial battle going, she is out of the Coast Village Road site and devoting her efforts to the downtown location which is in a well-talked-about restaurant corridor with some of the finer establishments in the city in a two square block area by the Granada and Arlington Theaters.

For more information go to www.tmollie.com.