Santa Barbara’s Soul Bites Looks to Raise $30,000 by Monday to Stay Open

Soul Food Restaurant and Community Space on Lower State Street Faces Closure After Summer of Slow Sales

Soul Bites owner Stirling Nix-Bradley | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom

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[Updated: Tue., Sept. 17, 4:15 p.m.] The State Street restaurant and community entertainment space Soul Bites is continuing fundraising to remain open. Co-owner Stirling Nix-Bradley said that last weekend he saw an increase in business of about 30 percent. The restaurant hosted several events, including an artist collective, a comedy event and a banda night. The GoFundMe page created to collect donations raised more than $6,300 since Friday. Nix-Bradley said Soul Bites still needs to raise about $25,000 and will know more about its next steps in the coming days.

Soul Bites is both a restaurant and community space, said co-owner Stirling Nix-Bradley, who runs the business with his partner and wife, Rose Bradley. The establishment, located on lower State Street, serves soul food classics such as fried chicken and macaroni and cheese alongside vegan options like vegan soul sandwiches and crab cakes. Paintings from area artists decorate the walls, and the stage hosts concerts and events. Last February, the space hosted the Santa Barbara Black Culture House, a series of events focused on Black art and culture. Nix-Bradley said it is one of the few black-owned businesses in town.

“We pride ourselves in being a vital part of the community,” Nix-Bradley said. “We support LGBT+ and the BIPOC community, the Black and Brown people, and the other colors-of-the-rainbow people here in Santa Barbara.”

But after a summer of significantly lower sales, the restaurant faces closure. The restaurant’s goal is to raise $30,000 by September 16, when it will meet with its landlord

The money, Nix-Bradley said, will go toward rent, improvements to the space, and labor.

For the past two weeks, Soul Bites has hosted community events to help raise money, from art shows to dance performances. The business also had a GoFundMe page.

Nix-Bradley said that organizations like the S.B. Multiculturals, the Melanin Culture Co. and Healing Justice S.B. came up with the idea for the GoFundMe.

Nix-Bradley, a professional actor, opened Soul Bites in 2022. He said he and his business partner and wife faced some early challenges — such as constructing a kitchen, which Nix-Bradley said cost about $200,000 — and managing the stage and concert venue.

“Two weeks after we opened, the guys that ran this venue and live music stage came in the middle of the night, took all their stuff, and just left,” he said. The landlord gave the business a choice: break the lease and leave or try to stick it out. Nix-Bradley said they decided to stay.

*A dance class takes place on Soul Bites’ ground floor.* | Credit: *Courtesy Soul Bites*

During the business’s first summer open, Nix-Bradley said they saw plenty of customers.

“The year after the pandemic was a crazy great summer. And the last two summers [it] has gone down,” he said.

Patrons at Soul Bites | Credit: Courtesy of Soul Bites

He said the business relies on locals and students, meaning summers, when school is out of session and students leave town, is a slower time. This summer, he said, was particularly tough.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed State Street, prompting the closure of several parts of State Street to vehicular traffic, allowing for social distancing on streets and outdoor areas for restaurants and stores. Much of the downtown section has remained closed to vehicle traffic, drawing praise and criticism from locals. The bottom of State Street remained open to vehicles through the pandemic.

Nix-Bradley said he’s noticed several business closures on lower State Street in the 400 block.

“Long-time businesses are no longer here, and we intend to stay here,” he said. “We’re filling a need in the community — not only bringing amazing soul food, but also a space where everyone can feel safe and, you know, just come in.”

Nix-Bradley said that the space will host events through the weekend, including an artist collective, a comedy event, a paint-and-sip event, a banda night, and a Sunday retreat.

“So we’re still fighting here until the bitter end,” he said.

You can find more information on Soul Bites’ events on its website. The business’s GoFundMe page is here.