Chase Restaurant has announced its reopening after a 16-month closure. The reopening marks a new chapter for the longtime Italian eatery that has served Santa Barbara since 1979.
The closure followed an early morning fire in October 2024 that caused significant damage to the property and required extensive repairs.
The restaurant announced the grand reopening on its Instagram account, encouraging visitors to make reservations as it returns to business.
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“The wait is over The Chase is back! Join us for drinks or small bites . Reservations are now open for our grand reopening. Thank you all for your support and patience we can’t wait to welcome you in,” Chase Restaurant noted in the Instagram post.
Closed since October 13, 2024, the team has focused on restoring the space and completing necessary upgrades, including repairs to areas affected by smoke and meeting all safety standards before reopening.
Chase shared on Instagram that it will continue offering its Italian menu, retaining many favorites such as pork, veal, chicken Milanese, chicken piccata, and eggplant parmigiana. The menu will also feature a selection of pastas and flatbreads.
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The restaurant will also continue its beverage program, offering cocktails and a curated wine list. Guests can choose from dinner, lunch, and vegan menus, according to the restaurant’s website.
Chase’s well-known outdoor seating will remain available, preserving a key feature of the dining experience on State Street.
The restaurant expressed gratitude to patrons who supported them during the closure and thanked staff for their dedication and willingness to return.
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Chase also announced the launch of its catering services on Instagram.
The fire occurred in October 2024, early on a Sunday morning around 7:30 a.m. It started in a storage room at the rear of the building, damaging a wall and parts of the second story.
The Santa Barbara City Fire Department responded with multiple engine companies, a ladder truck, and a battalion chief. Firefighters contained and extinguished the blaze within about 20 minutes.
No injuries were reported, but smoke damage required extensive cleanup and repairs, necessitating the restaurant’s closure.
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I stopped by there Monday and had lunch. They have a limited menu for their soft opening, but some excellent choices. I chose the picante snapper with fettuccini, and it was terrific, as was the service. Welcome back Chase, we really missed you.
Great that they reopened. Hope they keep their junk off of the road this time though. It was a serious eyesore. Currently they have tables on the sidewalk which is awesome. Keep it that way, Chase. It looks very nice, classy. Hoping they don’t go back to that awful wooden platform. When they removed it, it had a massive bee hive under one side of it and rat droppings and roaches galore. I work nearby and watched the removal. It looks very nice now, looks like the old Chase we all know! Went by on Tuesday for lunch. Very good, just like ol times!
Hope the food is better and the service. The last time I was there it took over 30 minutes to get drinks and apps. Then the food/apps were so bad I returned it to the kitchen. I refused to pay for the food but did pay for my drink. Promised never to go back.
The owners at the time of the pandemic flouted the health measures and endangered their staff and patrons. Are there new owners?