Cherise Osha, owner of Forever Posh, will soon be celebrating her 11th anniversary in Santa Ynez. She hopes to do for Numancia Street what Steven Reden of Star Drugs did for Madera Street – draw customers off the beaten path – so she organized a block party which was held July 13. Both streets run parallel to Santa Ynez’s main drag.
“Friday the 13th seemed like as good a day as any,” she said with her trademark laugh.
For a small town, Santa Ynez provides a wealth of opportunity to supply your every want or need, Osha said. The Numancia/Madera loop is especially dense. You can do everything from securing your prescription drugs to a gallon of custom paint, stop for a glass of wine and a sandwich after enjoying a spa treatment or pick up a gift or flowers for a friend.
Because Forever Posh more or less opens to both roads, Osha’s courtyard seemed like as good place as any to draw the Valley’s attention to Santa Ynez’s other main streets. “I always feel it is important to be supportive of each other’s businesses – here in Santa Ynez as well as the Valley in general,” Osha explained.
She anticipated in an improving economy business would pick up a little faster this year than it has, but it is still a step up from last year. She aims to do her part to keep it that way for all area shops and is glad about growing interest of local enterprises in helping each other out and embracing the teamwork the Valley is known for.
To that end, Osha hopes the proposed business organization for Santa Ynez takes off. “It’s been tried several times before.” Success, she believes, will be contingent on establishments being willing to hire someone to do the lion’s share of the work – because owners need to focus their primary attention on their own stores.
Locals can help by taking the time to get know new businesses either by attending events such as the open house or putting themselves on email lists for the companies that interest them. “I really try hard to shop local for everything. I really believe in that,” said Osha. She would like to see others do the same – hence the block party.
Participants were given a lottery-style ticket to take with them to get validated as they visited the various shops. When fully punched, the ticket holder was eligible to win the grand prize, which included gifts from participating merchants. Osha also had hourly drawings for gifts from Forever Posh.
The Baker’s Table brought an assortment of cookies and peanut butter cheesecake to the event, though they won’t officially open until early fall, (“Hopefully,” Amy Dixon said with a sigh.)
When they do, “we will be an artisan bakery, which is what will distinguish us from the Solvang bakeries,” said Dixon. They will offer breads, an assortment of breakfast breads and pastries, cookies, seasonal pies, along with sandwiches and coffee/tea. “I’ve seemed to have established a following for my cheesecake,” she said, so that will be in the offering as well.
For more information, they can be reached at thebakerstable@gmail.com.
The same building which houses the bakery is home to Imagine Wine. It is unique in that the winemaker is nearly always in house and eager for a good chat. “We like the quiet,” co-owner Lyn Dee (not Lyn) Rankin said. It affords them time to give each customer the individual attention they deserve.
Their large reception area doubles as an art gallery, hosting both their son Blake Rankin’s sculpture as well as other local artists. They agree with Osha that locals supporting locals is important for everyone’s success, and hosted the first of the recent organizational meetings for Santa Ynez businesses. They can be reached at imaginewine.com.
“Ross and I are excited about having Carr Winery recently join us,” she said. Together with the other new ventures opening, they hope to be a big part of making Santa Ynez the place to visit.
With Santa Ynez Paint sandwiched between, Carr Vineyards & Winery “is the new kid on the block,” says owner Ryan Carr. Their facility is the warehouse for Carr, but they added a tasting room up front. See carrwinery.com. Carr started in the industry in 1998, opened his label in 2000 and came to Santa Ynez in April. Another large part of his business is vineyard management, he said.
With youthful enthusiasm and spunk behind his busy schedule, Carr provided live music by Nate Latta to make the party just that much more festive. Visitors can engage in a little wine tasting, or buy a glass to sit and enjoy in their gallery space. But there is more than food and wine to be found on Numancia Street. Osha is particularly thrilled by the number and variety of establishments now open on the back block of town. Beside Star Drug (stardrugsantaynez.com) and Santa Ynez Valley Florist (syvflorist.com), you will find the newly renovated Salon V – which, like many other area businesses – wears a plethora of hats. (805) 686-9678.
Stop in to get your hair or nails attended to, or make an appointment with one of three massage therapists: Linda Martin, Deborah Foshee and Deborah Lee Davis. Proprietor Vee Vee Jensen will soon be organizing her “grand opening,” said Osha. “She likes to first get everything just right.”
A walk through her sleek, modern interior confirms her efforts met with the results she was hoping for. Having made the loop, visitors found themselves back in the Posh courtyard where they enjoyed trays of treats, deposited their raffle tickets and sipped wine while listening to the easy music of Steve Ochoa and Liz Pedersen. Joni O’Holland won the grand prize.
“Be on the lookout for the many happenings over here on Numancia Street,” said Osha, who can be reached at foreverposh.com.