Is Matteis Tavern Open Again ?
Having operated for six months nether local Chef Maili Halme, the restaurant at the historic Mattei'due south Tavern in Los Olivos will close its doors June iii.
Mattei'southward was pulled out of foreclosure in the summer of 2017 when it was purchased for $12 million at auction by Los Angeles lawyer Brian R. Foreign and wife Shamra, of Malibu. The Foreign family unit as well owns Strange Family unit Vineyards located in the St. Rita Hills AVA known for their pinot noir and chardonnay wines.
The tavern consists of the restaurant building and eight bungalows totaling 16,600 square feet on 6.5 acres located on Railway Avenue adjacent to Highway 154. The site besides came with canonical entitlements to build a 67-room boutique resort hotel.
According to Maili, the Mattei'south Tavern sign hand-carved and painted by Earl McCutcheon will stay with the holding as information technology was a souvenir to the community.
Halme signed a vii-year lease with the Foreign family and opened the eatery in Dec 2017, with hopes of achieving her babyhood dream.
In recent months, though, Shamra Strange said they knew Halme had challenges with the terms of the contract.
"The finances of running a eating house are hard, particularly a eating house of this size. This is a 225-table restaurant," said Strange.
According to Strange, Halme had requested a renegotiation of the contract; and when they were unsuccessful in their attempt to rework the numbers, the Stranges suggested bringing in a consultant to assist with a creative financial strategy. Shamra Strange said Halme declined the option.
"We helped her find an get out strategy and released her of her obligations," Strange said."This is a failed business concern venture and we are all just doing the all-time we can. We are very disappointed; information technology'south a huge fiscal setback for both of us."
The chef'south voice
A recent social media mail service by Halme on May 1 states:
"My concluding day at the restaurant will be June three and we will open up early at 12:00 for our traditional Fried Chicken Dominicus Dinner... Please be sure to use any gift certificates you lot may have purchased or received before June 3.
I volition be returning the items on loan from the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum also as all of the items that were given to me on loan from individuals in our community. The hand-carved and hand-painted signs that were given to me as gifts will stay with the eatery. It was an honor to share this chapter in history with all of you.
I'thousand grateful to have had the opportunity to fulfill my dream and I wait forward to returning to other pursuits.
The future of the restaurant is in the hands of the Strange family and they accept asked the community to stay tuned for their upcoming plans."
Halme told the Santa Ynez Valley News, "I wish nil but the best for the future of the restaurant," and declined to comment further.
A long history
In 2007, a company controlled by Charles Augustus Banks IV purchased the historic property. Banks declined to renew the restaurant lease with brothers Matt and Jeff Nichols, closed the space and spent well-nigh two years renovating information technology. Although the eating place reopened in 2013 under chefs Emily Perry and Robbie Wilson, it somewhen closed in January 2016 when Banks was indicted after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
Given Mattei'south recent by, Strange said they had a deep business concern for its future.
"Nosotros wanted to protect it; nosotros were agape of who might purchase it," she said.
Portraits of the founders of Mattei'south Tavern, Felix, center, his wife Lucy, left, and 1 of their sons, Clarence, hang over a fireplace at the historic landmark.
In 2015 the Strange's son, Johnny, died in an accident ten days after his sister Brianna was married at their family unit vineyard. He was 23 years old.
"We have a beautiful memory of the nuptials rehearsal dinner held at Mattei's and the toast he made that day," she said. "Since nosotros lost our son, Mattei's is another way we can connect with him," said Foreign.
Purchasing the property was more of an emotional buy, she said. And although the Stranges had never managed a eating place before, their desire to preserve Mattei'south history and honor the building's integrity was paramount.
"We are deeply committed to this projection. We are not out-of-towners, we have a life here; nosotros desire to requite Mattei'south dorsum to the community. Information technology belongs to the community. We are just custodians of information technology," said Strange.
Congenital in 1886 as a stagecoach stop past Swiss American Felix Mattei, the tavern provided an inn, a dining room and a bar for travelers making their style up and down California via the rugged San Marcos Pass. It as well represented the southern stop of the line for the narrow-gauge Pacific Coast Railway that linked the Santa Ynez Valley all the way up to San Luis Obispo.
Mattei's Tavern became a gathering identify for farmers, ranchers, cowpokes, gold miners, politicians, lawmen -- and travelers. Equally the population grew in the Santa Ynez Valley, it served as a focal point for private and social gatherings and became intertwined with the lives of local residents.
Over the decades, the tavern's facade and theme remained relatively unchanged, and the Historic Landmarks Advisory Committee designated the inn a historical landmark on November. 15, 2010.
Figuring information technology out
After the Stranges closed escrow on the property on Aug 31, 2017, they immediately began interviewing to get the restaurant going.
"It's a big mortgage," Foreign said.
The last interviewee to walk through the door, Foreign said, was Halme. The Stranges were immediately excited by her love and connectedness to the property.
Ane of the dining rooms at the historic Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos is shown.
Foreign said not long after the initial meeting that an understanding that fulfilled both the lifelong dream of Halme's to own Mattei'south, and their desire to revive the heart of the celebrated tavern -- the kitchen -- materialized through a seven-year lease. The lease obligated Halme as the lessee and proprietor of the tavern'due south restaurant.
Strange didn't answer to a request for details of the contract.
Collections Committee Chairman of the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and local resident, Curt Cragg, said he is working closely with the Stranges because he knows they want to proceed Mattei'due south history alive.
"Mattie's is an important part of the customs," Cragg said.
He said he is willing to go on the historical artifacts on display that he lent to Mattei'south in the months Halme restored the property.
The Stranges are interviewing for restaurateurs to lease the tavern.
"Our number one priority is to discover someone local who knows and loves the belongings similar Maili does," said Strange. "The chef gets to choose their ain bill of fare."
As the Stranges have interviews and await for the dust to settle, they volition continue to explore all possibilities, said Shamra Strange. "We're all in."
If yous are interested in learning more about the leasing opportunity or have questions or concerns, Shamra Strange asks that you contact them at info@matteistavernbungalows.
Lisa André is the Lifestyle Editor for the Santa Ynez Valley News. You can follow her on twitter @LAndreSYVNews
Source: https://santamariatimes.com/lifestyles/historic-matteis-tavern-restaurant-closing-june-3/article_14d6efcc-8b16-5bd0-b45d-df6eeab8556f.html
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