Ghirardelli opening chocolate and ice cream shop on the Central Coast

Downtown Santa Barbara will get a little bit sweeter on Saturday.

Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream was set to finally debut its downtown storefront at 509 State St. with a soft opening.

The announcement comes days after local residents noticed that the official building sign went up, hinting at its potential opening.

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“With Ghirardelli’s rich history in California, this beautiful location on Santa Barbara’s State Street is the perfect place for us to expand our vision of Making Life a Bite Better for our guests, and we can’t wait to welcome them here soon,” Lacey Zane, vice president of restaurant and retail at Ghirardelli Chocolate Co., said in a statement.

The downtown Santa Barbara sweets store will boast more than its signature chocolate squares.

It will offer a Dubai-style hot fudge sundae, a seasonal peppermint bark sundae, a strawberry passion hot fudge sundae, hot chocolate with milk chocolate, caramel square and classic dessert options.

The shop has scheduled its official opening celebration for 3 to 5 p.m. on Jan. 22.

The first 100 people will receive a complimentary hot fudge sundae. After the ceremony, from 4 to 10 p.m., the store will offer its famous sundae for $5.

This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Ghirardelli opening chocolate and ice cream shop on the Central Coast."