Filled with warm lighting and classic large round tables, the downtown Italian comfort-food spot Pascucci Restaurant will be closing its doors after 31 years of business. Its 509 State Street location has a new landlord, and the Santa Barbara staple will be a memory by the end of March.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we announce that Pascucci Restaurant will close its doors mid-March 2025,” wrote owner Laura Knight in an open letter to the Santa Barbara community.

Since the early 1990s, the restaurant has served the Santa Barbara community with team dinners, family gatherings, and nighttime liveliness. Though the State Street location has been a prominent spot for the last five years, Pascucci opened with seven tables in Paseo Nuevo for about five years. They then moved a few doors down to a larger location with a full bar, where they stayed for 21 years.
“Through all of these locations, we’ve consistently served good food, at a fair price, in a warm and friendly environment,” wrote Knight. The restaurant has supported other local companies through their food sourcing, including Shalhoob Meat Company, Kanaloa Seafoods, Santa Barbara Roasting Company, and Jordano’s. Pascucci has also been a longtime sponsor of the annual Summer Solstice Parade, hosting an annual “Dine-Out for Solstice” event for the last 23 years.
However, State Street has been emptier than usual. “Around 5:30 it can start to pick up, but ever since COVID, lunches have been pretty empty,” said Knight.
Knight and her staff, some of whom have been working with the restaurant for more than 20 years, encourage all to enjoy a meal while they can in these last coming weeks. “We’ve had customers tell us that they came to us on a first date, then they brought their kids in, who are now adults and bringing their own kids in. We will miss all of it — and YOU,” wrote Knight.