Boulder Entrepreneur Gives State Street Some Fashion “Savvy”
Savvy on State is the newest fashion retailer to enter the State Street scene in Santa Barbara. Owner Erica Dahl brings this fresh and exciting concept from Boulder, Colorado where she opened her first store, Savvy on Pearl, in 2007. Pearl Street is Boulder’s equivalent of Santa Barbara’s State Street, with a similar collection of unique local stores and a relaxed-yet-sophisticated vibe.
Savvy is a fashion-forward store that caters to men, women and children of all ages and price ranges. The proprietor, Erica Dahl, is a Boulder native and a University of Colorado alum who is relocating to Santa Barbara to open her second location. “I have been looking to open a second store, and after spending time in Santa Barbara I fell in love with the area and think State Street will be the perfect location for my new store,” Erica said. “There are lots of beautiful boutiques and stores on State, but I couldn’t help but feel there was something missing. I’m excited to become a part of Santa Barbara’s exciting fashion retail mix and hopefully fill some of those voids.” Savvy on State will carry TOMS, Junk Food, BB Dakota, Chaser, Havaianas, Scrapbook, Wildfox, Minnetonka and many more brands that have yet to be seen on State.
Local commercial real estate brokers Kristopher Roth and Michael Martz of Hayes Commercial Group represented both the landlord and tenant in the transaction. “The closure of Blue Bee created a fantastic opportunity for a retailer like Savvy to secure a prime storefront on the 900 block of State Street,” said Kristopher Roth. The 900 block saw a spike in vacancy earlier this year with the closure of three Blue Bee locations and the Taj Café.
“It created a lot of sudden vacancy in a stretch of State Street which was already in transition with the closure of Borders and Barnes & Noble,” commented Michael Martz. “We have been working overtime to get the word out to quality retailers across the western part of the U.S. about the great spaces that are available.” Marshalls will open in the Borders building later this year, and H&M will open in the Barnes & Noble space later this summer. “With national retailers like Apple, Forever 21 and True Religion, the 900 block will have strong brand presence for the foreseeable future. Even better to also have local and regional concepts like Savvy, Plum Goods, and The Closet to give the block balance and keep it unique,” said Martz.
Savvy on State will be located at 911 1/2 State Street and is expected to open for business on August 1st.
