Cafe Ana closes amid COVID-19 financial constraints

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. —  Locally owned Cafe Ana has permanently closed as a result of financial difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Located downtown on the corner of Anapamu and Anacapa streets,  the restaurant offered breakfast, lunch and early evening specials. 

It resided at the former location of longtime staple Coffee Cat.

The husband-and-wife team of Julian Sanders and Katherine Guzman-Sanders opened Cafe Ana in December 2018 following an extensive remodel.

Their menu featured California cuisine along with house-made pastries for both breakfast and lunch.It also included an evening menu of seasonally driven dishes to complement beer and wine selections.   

On Monday, the owners posted a heartfelt message on Cafe Ana’s official Facebook page. 

"We write this with an incredibly heavy heart. The events of late have triggered the outcome we've been dreading. Cafe Ana is closed, permanently. March was going to be the month that saved us, with the launch of dinner, we were poised to finally get up on our own two feet. But instead, it's the month that killed us. We ran the numbers for a pivot and we just can't do it. We're at the bottom of the barrel,” the Facebook post said. 

The Sanders concluded the message by offering gratitude to their employees and the community for supporting their business over for the past 15 months.

No plans have been made with regards to who will occupy the storefront location next.