BizHawk: Maison Vintage Home Store Opens in Santa Barbara’s Paseo Nuevo | Business

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Santa Barbara’s Paseo Nuevo mall is getting a boost from some new retailers and the return of a seasonal visitor.

The mall welcomed Maison, a vintage home decorations store that features antiques from estate sales. It opened at 323 Paseo Nuevo.

Owner Shelley Woods held a grand opening party on Thursday night to celebrate her new business endeavor. 

“I just love finding treasures,” said Woods, who’s originally from Michigan. 

Woods opened her first vintage shop in New York in the 1980s. She said she enjoys visiting estate sales to find rare items. 

“A lot of these people have traveled the world,” Woods said. “You never know what you are going to find at people’s houses. You just pick it up and say, ‘Wow, this person probably found this in Venice.'”

She also ran stores in Los Angeles and eventually found Santa Barbara in 2007. In 2019, she had a different shop in Paseo Nuevo, Shelly’s Hollywood. 

Now, she has a yearlong lease for the new store. She has spent much of the time during the COVID-19 pandemic searching and finding valuable items that are now in her store.

The name comes from one of Woods’ loves, France. Maison means “home” in French. There’s so much Spanish-related architecture and theme in Santa Barbara, she said, that she wanted to do something different. 

“I lived in Paris for a little while,” Woods said. 

The store is open from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. every day, the same hours as Paseo Nuevo.

Her store, she said, “is always evolving.”

“I can just open a suitcase and find something,” Woods said.

Santa Barbara Visual Artists

Paseo Nuevo mall also is center stage for Santa Barbara Visual Artists, 101 Paseo Nuevo.

It’s a pop-up gallery that features a fall exhibition.

The Santa Barbara Visual Artists is a nonprofit organization of active Santa Barbara-area artists who developed a common passion for creating original works of art in diverse media, accordnig to Mary Lynn Harms-Romo, marketing manager for Paseo Nuevo.

The pop-up is open through Oct. 23.

“We are pleased to support the local artist community with exceptional pop-up exhibitions like Santa Barbara Visual Artists has put together,” Harms-Romo told Noozhawk. “Local entrepreneurs and small businesses like Maison Santa Barbara also bring unique offerings to our guests so that every shopping experience is a different one. Both continue our mission to enhance community, culture and commerce in a beautiful, safe and inviting shopping environment.”

A World of Magic

The World of Magic Halloween store is expected to open soon inside Santa Barbara’s Paseo Nuevo mall.
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The World of Magic Halloween store is expected to open soon inside Santa Barbara’s Paseo Nuevo mall. (Joshua Molina / Noozhawk photo)

Also creeping into Paseo Nuevo is Halloween store World of Magic.

Crews on Thursday were working fast to set up the costumes and decorations inside the Ortega Building, which formerly housed one of the mall’s anchors, Macy’s.

Harms-Romo said that as of now, plans are for the store to open in the second week of September, but the company has not given an exact date.

Hustle & Grind Coffee/ParadICE Hawaiian Shave Ice Celebrate 3 Years 

Hustle & Grind Coffee Company/ParadICE Hawaiian Shave Ice will celebrate its three-year anniversary with hula dancing on Sunday.

The Paseo Nuevo destination will host a “very special” live hula dance performance outside the shop from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The performance will be put on by Angelita Eller and her Hula Anyone group.

“They are absolutely amazing and are a wonderful source of positive energy,” the company said. 

The shop is open on Sunday for its normal hours from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It’s the only place in town that serves authentic Hawaiian Shave Ice products.

Owner Lee Jacobs opened Hawaiian Shave Ice inside the Paseo Nuevo mall in Santa Barbara three years ago, but then decided to add coffee drinks to the menu, giving birth to the “Hustle and Grind” portion of the business.

The Goodland Flexes

New fitness experience RiseUp Fitness is expanding into Goleta.

The gym is expected to open Sept. 27. New members can join for a discounted price of $79 per month for unlimited class. The cost will go up to $149 per month after the first month. 

RiseUp Fitness, which also has a location in Santa Barbara, will go in the University Plaza Shopping Center, a few doors down from Albertsons. 

“Our team founded RiseUp to provide everyone and anyone with the tools, guidance and motivation they need to live healthy, full lives,” according to the company’s website. “We firmly believe that everyone is happier (or at least a little less stressed about the state of the world, their life, the banana bread they left in the oven, etc.) when they exercise, and that a good workout shouldn’t be scary or prohibitive or overwhelming.”

Hotel Californian Sells

The Foley Entertainment Group announced this week that it purchased Santa Barbara’s 121-room Hotel Californian.

The deal also included the hotel’s restaurant Blackbird.

“The spectacular Hotel Californian is a wonderful addition to our growing portfolio of entertainment and hospitality assets,” Foley Entertainment Group Chairman Bill Foley said. “Hotel Californian’s reputation for five-star service perfectly aligns with the philosophy of Foley Entertainment Group and allows guests to experience true luxury at one of the finest oceanside properties in all of California. What makes the acquisition even more special for us is our family’s connection to and love for the city of Santa Barbara. It is a magnificent place.”

The day-to-day operations at Hotel Californian, 36 State St., will continue to be led by Managing Director Warren Nocon, according to a news release.

— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.