Storke Road Drive Inn to Keep Drive Up Window First Opened in '66

Santa Barbara Newsroom
By Tom Schultz
June 12, 2007

A Goleta burger joint dating to the mid 1960s can keep its drive-up window, officials said Monday night, preserving the retro feel and longtime use of the mom-and-pop eatery.

In a 5-0 vote at a meeting laced with nostalgia, the Planning Commission shot down the concerns of an adjacent property owner, who questioned during an appeal of remodel permits issued by the city whether idling cars and trucks at The Storke Road Drive Inn would increase air pollution to the detriment of nearby businesses.

Sandy Roberts, owner of a business plaza home to at least two high-tech firms, argued through a representative that the eatery at 370 Storke had shut down for more than a year from October 2005 to November 2006, which he said constituted an abandonment of the business.

If so, it would make the restaurant susceptible under city rules to losing its food service window — a feature considered a legal but non-conforming use since 1981, when Santa Barbara County began requiring conditional use permits for drive-up windows.

"We're not arguing the use of the property as a restaurant itself," planning consultant Gordon Bell told the commission on behalf of Roberts.

Restaurant owner John Price says he intends to renovate the low-slung, 1,230-square-foot Drive Inn, located across from County Fire Station No. 13. He got city permission on April 30. Roberts filed his appeal on May 8.

His intention, evident in his effort to improve the property by obtaining city permits, shows the opposite of abandonment, attorney Peter Brown told commissioners on behalf of Price.

The commissioners agreed.

"I can't see where he (Roberts) made his case," Commissioner Ken Knight said.

In defending against the appeal, Brown acknowledged that the restaurant's hours had been limited recently and said the structure was being used primarily to serve coffee when operational.

While it had an "open" sign up late Monday afternoon, nobody was working inside. The only activity on the one-acre property was at a self-service car wash to the rear of the restaurant.

The Drive Inn was known in past incarnations as "Dairy Delight" and also the "Aloha Restaurant," Brown said.

With some questioning whether the place was shut down for good, online reviews speak favorabley of the Drive Inn property and its four-decade presence in Goleta.

"It was absolutely delicious! It's always a treat to find local jewels, and I plan to be a frequent visitor," one commenter wrote on John Dickson's restaurant guide at www.santabarbara.com.

"The burgers were awesome. That's all I can say about that. However, you're going to have to put your own salt on the fries," wrote another contributor.

A half dozen residents spoke Monday in favor of it re-opening the Drive Inn with its drive-up feature.

"It's a gateway to our community, especially Storke Ranch," Nancy Ramirez told the commission. "I'd like to see something done."

Mark Ingalls, manager of Camino Real Marketplace across the road from the Drive Inn, spoke on behalf of the restaurant and recalled trips there from his childhood.

"I can remember a lof of ice cream cones coming out of that place," he said.

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