Santa Barbara Restaurant Collective contributes to local economy
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – One Santa Barbara entrepreneur has opened up a string of successful eateries in the city.
After quitting his job in the medical sales business in order to spend more time with his family, Chris Chiaparra dove headfirst into entrepreneurship.
“I was craving a change just to do something different in life, really,” said Chiaparra, who is currently the owner of a string of successful eateries in the city under the umbrella of the Santa Barbara Restaurant Collective.
Chiaparra opened up Mesa Burger in 2017, a popular spot for locals.
“They have different dishes and they're called the Mesa Burger or Hope Ranch Burger or Leadbetter burger. That's a big hit, the Leadbetter burger,” said Dan Johnson.
The menu is based on locations in and around Santa Barbara— areas Dan Johnson knows inside and out after decades of practicing real estate in this area.
Johnson explained how places like Mesa Burger have helped the local economy by improving the walkability of an area.
“Getting a walking score in the nineties like this one has is great because people will look to buy real estate around top level walking scores if they can,” said Dan Johnson who is a Real Estate Agent at Berkshire Hathaway
Now, Chiaparra has expanded his business, taking over Lighthouse Coffee, which is supported by plenty of regular customers.
“It starts to feel like home. You see the same people, they all do the same things. People know each other by name. I love hearing that people come to our establishments for the people that work there,” said Chiaparra.
“Everybody here has a good vibe to them,” said Lighthouse Coffee Employee Aidan Camargo.
“I've made a lot of friends here. They hang out with, like outside of work all the time. I mean, I'm doing that today,” said Lighthouse Coffee Employee Sophie Barnes.
In total Chiaparra owns 3 Mesa Burgers and 4 Lighthouse Coffee shops.
Real estate agent Dan Johnson explained areas that have walking scores between 70 and 89 are considered very good and walkable here at the Mesa.
He explained the score ranges between 90 and 100.
It’s no surprise that the result is a great meeting spot for locals to gather and bond throughout the week.
