Natural Cafe Burger
Jen Villa

Restaurants are born to fail, they say, and only a select few have what it takes to make it in this rough, unforgiving industry. The Natural Café is one of these living legends, now celebrating twenty years of serving healthy, delicious, and affordable cuisine to locals and tourists alike.

The restaurant’s State Street location will kick off its third decade of service next Monday, May 13, with free food and live music between the hours of 12pm and 8pm. Customers of all ages can dive into a handful of the signature dishes that helped put the Café on the map, including the grilled Chicken Caesar salad, Cabo Fish Tacos, charbroiled Turkey Burger, and Veggie Stir-fry.

The Santa Barbara staple is best known for its eclectic clientele and an innovative menu that caters to a wide variety of dietary restrictions and food allergies. From veggie burgers and pineapple smoothies to whole-wheat pizzas with chicken and pesto, there’s literally something for everyone at the Café.

“The menu hasn’t changed much since we opened twenty years ago,” says owner Kelly

Brown. “We’ve never tried to be overly trendy and in fact have often resisted industry trends. The goal has always been simple: to provide good, healthy food at reasonable prices in a cool atmosphere.”

According to the restaurant’s track record, simple is good. Since opening his doors in

1993, Brown has expanded Natural Café from its flagship State Street location to nine other restaurants throughout the Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties.

He believes slow, gradual changes are the key to success in the restaurant industry, continuously tweaking his menu to improve signature dishes and occasionally adding a new one.

Brown has also relied heavily on the support of locals, incorporating their interests and values into the restaurant’s menu and atmosphere. “The Natural Café is thrilled to invite our local Santa Barbara community friends to celebrate this special day with us,” Brown says. “We want to express deep thanks to the locals who have made the past twenty years of serving healthy, quality meals truly spectacular.”

Apparently there is such thing as a free lunch. And according to the locals, it’s one that you won’t want to miss.

For more information about The Natural Café, please contact Kelly Brown: (805) 687-3185 or kbrown@thenaturalcafe.com.

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