Saints Barrel is the newest spot for drink in downtown SLO. Here’s how it got its name
San Luis Obispo has a new wine bar that aims to give patrons a choice of selections they can’t get anywhere else locally.
The new family-owned-and-operated Saints Barrel has opened at the former Luis Bar location at 1021 Higuera St., near Firestone Grill and Black Horse Espresso & Bakery.
Tyler Saldo — who co-founded the business with his sister, Sarah Saldo, and mother, Marian Saldo — said that Saints Barrel will offer a wide range of local and international wines, sake, cider, beer and hard kombucha.
About a third to half of the wines are from the Central Coast.
“The remaining 50% are either international or probably from outside the area,” Saldo said.
The business has monthly flights covering the Central Coast, as well as international wine regions. Its February Terroir flight will be from the Piedmont region of Italy.
The flights — including sake samplings — are priced between $15 and $30, and customers can buy bottles that range from $28 to $120.
In addition, those looking for food can order light bites such as assorted cheeses and charcuterie meats; assorted hummus, tzatziki, quinoa salad, and olive tapenade; and toasted baguettes with French salted butter. Food prices range from $7 to $35.
The business held a soft opening in late December and will host its grand opening weekend this Friday through Sunday.
The plan is to operate Tuesday through Sunday from around 3 or 4 p.m. to roughly 9 p.m., Saldo said.
Saints Barrel hosts a happy hour as well, catering to business professionals getting off work in the early evening and anyone looking for a social atmosphere while tasting.
“We want to try and cater to the local business professionals and that age group of mid-20s and above, essentially,” Saldo said. “The idea is that we offer these flights with the hope that people will taste something that they haven’t tasted before or be reminded of something that they have tasted or kind of fine tune their palate a little bit.”
A family affair
Saldo, who serves as an attorney with the firm Tardiff & Saldo Law Offices, said that he had long had the idea to open a bar.
Tyler joined his late father, Steven Saldo, at the firm Tardiff & Saldo Law Offices and now lives in SLO County after working as an attorney in Los Angeles.
His sister, Sarah, is a certified specialist in wine and has worked in the wine industry.
Tyler and Sarah grew up in San Luis Obispo and graduated from SLO High.
A family friend informed them of the available space after Luis shut down in spring of last year, and they decided to pursue a new business together with the building setup mostly in place for their planned use.
“(The family friend) called me up because he had been friends with my dad who passed away a few years ago,” Saldo said. “My dad was really into wine and he was wondering if I knew anybody locally who was really into wine and willing to manage it.”
Saldo responded by saying he had the perfect person, his sister, who is taking on the management.
Sarah Saldo selects the wines from vendors with the goal of finding quality products at reasonable prices.
“We won’t be selling bottles in the thousands,” Tyler Saldo said.
They also have a vertical flight that’s off the menu so that people can taste the same wine from different years of production.
“There’s a lot of talk about aging wine, but often you don’t get to experience it from different years,” Saldo said.
Their outdoor space allows for seating, and a large window facing Higuera can be opened as well, for those looking for some fresh air or to be outside amid the pandemic.
Saldo said the pandemic has been a challenge for everyone but also opened opportunity for their business.
“I think COVID contributed to Luis shutting down,” Saldo said. “And it contributed to giving us an opportunity to start a bar, which has been in the back of my head since I can remember.”
How Saints Barrel got its name
The name Saints Barrel draws inspiration from the interior design of the building, which resembles a barrel, Saldo said.
“We think the inside with the ceiling kind of looks like what we would imagine the inside of a barrel would look like,” Saldo said. “And so that’s where the barrel part comes,” Saldo said. “And then for the ‘saints,’ we took the ‘San’ from San Luis Obispo, which means ‘saint’ in Spanish. It’s a little tribute to our hometown.”
Additionally, the look of the space has an open feel with long, wood tables, wall plants, and an outdoor space with seating overlooking San Luis Obispo Creek.
Wall decor is made up of all local barrels they bought in and put together to create the wooden look.
The space can be rented for events, including catering, and pets are allowed in the outdoor patio area, Saldo said.
“We added these Edison bulbs around the walls and lights to the banisters of highlight the ceiling and added the hanging planter over the bar,” Saldo said.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
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