Popular Summerland Café Expands into Carpinteria Location Once Home to Food Liaison

Field + Fort, a home goods store and cafe in Summerland, is expanding its footprint in Santa Barbara County. 

Field + Fort announced in a social media post that it will launch ‘The Larder,’ a new dining spot in Carpinteria this spring.  

The Larder will offer a combined menu of some of the most popular items at ‘Feast,’ the cafe at Summerland, along with a wider selection of grab-and-go items. Some of the menu items at the new location include sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, as well as essential pantry items.

The Larder will offer something for everything, according to the Instagram post. Whether customers are heading to a polo match, spending the day at the beach, or looking for an easy dinner option, the new location aims to offer a healthy alternative for every need. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Field + Fort opened in November 2019 at 2580 Lillie Avenue with the aim to establish a new concept in destination retail in the region, it said in an earlier Instagram post. 

Aiming to offer “essentials for elevated living,” the concept includes Feast along with a store offering a curated selection of home goods and pantry items. 

Feast specializes in a seasonal and locally-sourced menu, and offers breakfast, salads, sandwiches, signature ‘Feast’ dishes, and sides. Prices range from $10 to $20 for the breakfast items, from $15 to $19 for sandwiches, while the signature Feast dishes are priced between $23 and $32.

New Chapter for Former Carpinteria Cafe Space

The Larder in Carpinteria will take over the place that was earlier occupied by Food Liaison, a longtime local favorite that closed earlier this year. Located at 1033 Casitas Pass Road, the café closed its doors after serving for over a decade and served its last meal in February 2026. 

Announcing the café’s closure on social media, Food Liaison’s owners had said they plan to shift to operating as a community-focused commissary kitchen while continuing to offer catering services. 

The owners said they had to close the café due to continuing financial constraints, including increasing rent and staffing shortages. The owners said they were also reeling under the long-term financial impacts of the pandemic. 

The food business started as a catering company and later expanded into a brick-and-mortar cafe in 2013. Food Liaison was known for some of its staples, including the Crack Bowl, Crack Burrito, and rotating daily specials. 

In its announcement, Field + Fort said their new Carpinteria location had been home to Food Liaison for the past 13 years. Acknowledging the former café’s legacy, Field + Fort said it was committed to carrying forward the café’s legacy by bringing healthy and farm-fresh food to the neighborhood.