We caught up with the team at Rincon Brewery, an Ocean Friendly Restaurant with three locations in Carpinteria, Ventura, and their newest spot in Santa Barbara, California. Owners Luisa and Mark Hyatt, and general manager Jason Steffenauer, told Surfrider that they have always had environmental responsibility top of mind, so when it came time to fulfill the dream of opening a restaurant and brewery, becoming an Ocean Friendly Restaurant was an easy decision.
Jason Steffenauer (left), general manager and Luisa Hyatt (right), owner, at the new Rincon Brewery location in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone.
As a Platinum Level Ocean Friendly Restaurant, Rincon Brewery has committed to going above and beyond to keep our ocean, waves, and beaches clean. When visiting Rincon Brewery, you won’t find styrofoam, straws, plastic bags, or any beverages sold in plastic bottles.
They also prioritize ocean friendly options when it comes to their menu and food sourcing. Ingredients are locally sourced and organic whenever possible, and meats are antibiotic and hormone-free. The seafood? No different. They only source seafood items rated as “Best Choice” or “Good Alternative” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.
When COVID-19 began to impact Ventura and Santa Barbara communities, Luisa Hyatt and the team at Rincon took sustainability and community stewardship to the next level. They partnered up with World Central Kitchen, a non-profit devoted to providing meals during disasters, and safely reopened their Ventura location to cook meals for first responders, hospital workers, and other people needing healthy food during the pandemic. Rincon Brewery also became the central location where other local restaurants could drop off meals for distribution. “We delivered over 25,000 meals. So that was a really powerful partnership and enabled us to bring back many of our kitchen staff and keep them employed while giving them an opportunity to make a difference. And they loved it.” said Luisa Hyatt. Even while facing sustainable packaging shortages due to COVID-19, Rincon Brewery stuck by the Ocean Friendly Restaurant principles and made sure their meals were delivered plastic-free.
Rincon Brewery recently opened their third location in the Funk Zone in downtown Santa Barbara, and while it has been a challenge to open a new restaurant amidst the pandemic, they have seen the support of the community and have a beautiful location with plenty of spacious, outdoor areas for dining. If you are looking for a place to enjoy locally brewed, tasteful beers along with carefully prepared savory treats, look no further than Rincon Brewery for your next dining experience!
Is your local eatery an Ocean Friendly Restaurant? If not, encourage them to sign up and join the movement to end single-use plastics!