The restaurant space Islands Fine Burgers & Drinks left at La Cumbre Plaza on September 27 has changed hands before. Before Islands moved in, it was a Marmalade Cafe, and before that a Red Robin. Islands opened there in February 2018, and Edhat reported that it closed with no formal announcement. An employee confirmed the date but didn't know the reason.
Most talk about La Cumbre Plaza centers on the two apartment projects planned for its anchor ends, together more than a thousand units. For anyone who lives a few minutes up State Street, though, the mall is changing in the food spaces, on a monthly schedule. The housing is on a calendar that starts in 2028 at the earliest. The interior shops are expected to stay much longer than that.
Three Food Spaces, Three Directions in One Year
Over the past twelve months, the food spaces at the north end of State Street have gone three different ways.
Mendocino Farms takes the Panera space. Mendocino Farms opened at 3851 State Street on June 30, 2026, in the former Panera space at La Cumbre Plaza. The Santa Barbara Independent reported that it is both the sandwich chain's first Santa Barbara location and its 100th location overall.
Islands closes its doors. Islands closed on September 27, as described above, and we haven't seen a replacement for the space reported in local coverage.
Five Points is still waiting on its bagels. Across Calle Real at Five Points Shopping Center, the former Blaze Pizza at 3925 State Street had closed by May 2025, according to Noozhawk. In January 2026, PopUp Bagels was announced for the space.
These are national and regional chains, and each one either took a space or left one at a shopping center planned to keep running for decades. That timeline is why the tenant changes matter more to daily errands right now than the housing plans do.
The Bagel Shop Five Points Has Been Waiting On
PopUp Bagels has the most buzz of the three. The Santa Barbara News-Press described the chain's "grip, rip and dip" style bagels and its cream cheese flavors. The paper noted that PopUp started in Connecticut as a 2020 pandemic project, built long lines in New York City, and then opened on the West Coast in San Diego and Los Angeles.
In that August 19 report, signage was already up at 3925 State Street, and a company marketing director said the target was a mid-fall opening. That report gave no specific opening date.
The Chamber of Commerce sees value beyond the bagels. Kristen Miller, president of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, told the News-Press that "when a business has a strong following and gives people another reason to visit a commercial center, that can create additional foot traffic and opportunities for neighboring businesses as well." For Five Points, that would mean a former pizza counter that has been dark for well over a year starts bringing people to the rest of the center.
Why the Anchors Move on a Different Calendar
The restaurant changes happen quickly because a single lease can turn over in a season. The housing at the mall's two ends is tied to much longer timelines, as the city's latest posted project information shows.
| Macy's site | Former Sears site | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 3805 State Street | 3845 State Street |
| Proposal | 680-unit mixed-use rental project | 443-unit rental project with a proposed creekside multi-use path |
| Key date | Application deemed complete February 13, 2025 | Formal application filed May 14, 2025 |
| Latest posted status | Environmental review still to be determined | Continued indefinitely by the Architectural Board of Review on November 10, 2025 |
| Earliest timing reported | After the Macy's lease runs out in 2028 | No construction expected before 2028 |
At the Macy's end, the store's lease is what sets the pace. Noozhawk reported in January 2025 that demolition of the Macy's building was proposed for after the lease ends in 2028. Even after that, the city lists several more steps before building permits: environmental review if it's required, Staff Hearing Officer review of the tentative map, and design approval from the Architectural Board of Review. The city's La Cumbre page says it is still evaluating whether the projects qualify for the California Environmental Quality Act exemption under AB 130, the state law signed June 30, 2025.
At the Sears end, the holdup has been design. The Santa Barbara Independent reported that at the November 2025 hearing, the Architectural Board of Review continued the project indefinitely and asked for revised architecture, connecting courtyards, a paseo, and revised story-pole plans. The project, which Noozhawk earlier called La Cumbre South Homes, is being developed by Orange County firm Kennedy Wilson for the site's owner, Riviera Dairy Property.
We haven't found a public hearing or decision on either project so far in 2026. The city's project pages still show their late-2025 status, so the table above reflects the latest posted information and may not be the full current picture.
The Line in the Plan That Keeps the Middle of the Mall
According to Noozhawk's April 2025 overview of both projects, the buildings on the interior of La Cumbre Plaza, including shops, restaurants, gyms, and art galleries, "will continue through at least 2077."
The city describes the Macy's and former Sears parcels as the only two sites with formal housing applications. Under the Sears-site plan, the rest of the shopping center would sit on its own parcel. So the redevelopment works around the edges of the mall, and the stores and restaurants in the middle stay put.
That's why the turnover from Panera to Mendocino Farms, and whatever eventually replaces Islands, matters to the neighborhood. These tenants are deciding what the walkable middle of La Cumbre will look like for years, while the anchor ends stay in review. When a chain picks this center for its first Santa Barbara location, as Mendocino Farms did, it is betting on the shopping center that will still be here when the apartments arrive.
A note on the numbers: the Macy's-site unit count has varied over time. Noozhawk used 684 units in April 2025, and the city's current project page lists 680. We use the city's figure here because it describes the formal proposal.
What's on the Calendar This Fall
The shopping center is also running regular events through the end of the year. Here's what La Cumbre Plaza's events page lists:
- Grace Fisher Foundation "Harmony for Independence" sessions on Fridays through November 20
- Paws & Performance dog adoptions, hosted by Pinnacle Performance, on October 31 and December 5
- Smart Senior Living Seminars on November 3 and December 1
The mall also has a Santa photo reservation page for booking holiday visits. As of now, it doesn't list 2026 dates.
Close to home, the City of Santa Barbara is gathering input for its new Parks and Recreation Master Plan. KEYT reported that the public survey is open through October 31, 2026, and seven workshops run October 14 through October 24, including sessions at MacKenzie Center and La Cumbre Junior High. This round asks residents what they want, so it comes before any construction. Earlier this year the city held outreach pop-ups at San Roque Park on June 16 and Stevens Park on June 25.
If you're wondering how the plans for La Cumbre Plaza and Five Points might affect your own home near upper State Street, David Kim Group can walk you through what's changing and what that may mean for your property. Get your free home valuation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
