Montecito’s Captain Video to Close

Just months after downtown Santa Barbara’s popular Video Schmideo closed, another local video store bites the dust.

This time the victim is Captain Video, which for the past 25 years has occupied a space at 1187 Coast Village Rd.

Joe Lombardo, owner of the shop for the past 17 years, said a perfect storm of problems has brought about Captain Video’s closure, though he also hinted that the economy was a major factor. “People are opting for the absolute cheapest way to go,” Lombardo said. And that option is no longer video stores. Instead, Netflix and other online subscription-based services have made getting movies cheaper and easier. Additionally, the store took a hit from the Tea Fire, which displaced many people Lombardo said were regular customers. Lombardo also credits teenage males for the downturn in movie rentals, because now they’re addicted to video games, he said.