Sojourner Café Closes
After 37 Years, the Downtown Landmark Calls It Quits
A beloved Santa Barbara institution folded this week with the closing of Sojourner Café, the hip and healthy eatery on Canon Perdido Street.
“I would like to thank all those who have been a part of keeping the vision of the Sojourner going for all these years, including, but not limited to, customers, staff and friends,” said owner Donna Mudge in an email to reporters. “It’s been a great run and there are many memories. May we all have such great adventures. We’ll see you in the next chapter.”
Mudge bought the 37-year-old restaurant in 1999. She didn’t go into details on reasons for the closure, but had issued a public cry for help in February. At the time, Mudge said sales were down as she searched for a partner or investor to keep the business afloat. She saw a temporary bump in foot traffic that eventually subsided. Sojourner briefly collaborated with catering company Nimita’s Cuisine for a single “Meatless Mondays” pop-up night.
