What’s going to replace Splash Cafe in SLO? Santa Barbara group files for permit with city

It’s looking like the old Splash Cafe building will not be vacant for long.

After the popular clam chowder restaurant shut its doors at the end of October, many wondered what might eventually come in to take its place.

The answer is a new restaurant and cocktail bar.

Good Lion Hospitality has filed for a minor use permit with the city to establish a restaurant with late-hour alcohol service — essentially, service after 11 p.m. — in the building at 1491 Monterey St., according to a listing of upcoming city administrative hearings.

Brandon Ristaino, a managing member Good Lion Hospitality, confirmed the Santa Barbara-based group is hoping to open a new venture on the spot.

“We’re keeping the concept and project details pretty close to the vest as we work through the typical purchase, licensing and permitting exercises,” Ristaino wrote in an email to The Tribune. “With that being noted, I’m happy to share that Good Lion Hospitality, a small Central Coast hospitality group founded by co-owners/co-founders Misty Orman and Brandon Ristaino will be opening a restaurant and cocktail bar at the soon-to-be-former Splash Cafe space.”

Good Lion Hospitality operates a number of Central Coast businesses, most notably Petit Soleil bed and breakfast, which is located next to the former Splash Cafe. It also owns several cocktail bars, including The Good Lion, Shaker Mill, Test Pilot and Venus in Furs in Santa Barbara, and Bank of Italy in Ventura.

Specific details of the new San Luis Obisop restaurant and cocktail bar are still few, but Ristaino said the group hopes to open sometime in the third quarter of 2024.

“We love SLO, and can’t wait to bring our brand of hospitality and cocktails to this amazing community,” Ristaino said.

San Luis Obispo’s zoning hearing officer will hold a public hearing to consider the application at 2:30 p.m. or later on Dec. 4 in Conference Room 1, at 919 Palm St.

This story was originally published November 23, 2023 at 2:00 PM.

Kaytlyn Leslie

The Tribune

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Kaytlyn Leslie writes about business and development for The San Luis Obispo Tribune. Hailing from Nipomo, she also covers city governments and happenings in San Luis Obispo. She joined The Tribune in 2013 after graduating from Cal Poly with her journalism degree.