Food & Drink

Dart Coffee Aims to Please

A Tri-Part Brew of Delicious, Ethically Sourced Coffee, Attractive Location(s), and Attentive Staff — Soon to Open a Third Java Joint

From left, Alexandra Ayscough, Iris Gomez-Sanchez, Sera Quinteros, and Juliana Larson-Wickman at Dart Coffee Co. at the Harbor | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

Sometimes the interview questions write themselves. When I sat down with the team behind Dart Coffee Co. — David Dart, retired dentist; Erika Carter Dart, still a very active artist; and their son Carter Paul Hallman, winemaker and SBCC Culinary School grad — in Erika’s cozy Green House Studios, I had to open with, “How did painting and dentistry lead you to coffee?”

I knew it would be a lively chat when Erika deadpanned, “Isn’t it obvious?” The short answer turns out to be that art and science brew the best cup of joe. The longer, more fascinating answer involves Dart growing from its original Funk Zone location to a spot on the Santa Barbara harbor and, sometime very soon, a third outpost in Carpinteria’s much-awaited Linden Square complex.

A Hobby Becomes an Obsession

From left, David Dart, Erika Carter Dart, and Carter Paul Hallman at the Harbor spot | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

But let’s go back a decade to when it all began. “We were making wine,” Erika recalled, “and we had drunk enough wine. We love coffee. I bought the Blue Bottle book [The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee, the coffee tome that has launched a thousand java shops] and gave it to David, and we realized the process is so similar to wine — the chemistry; we can play with this.” The couple went to Sand Point, Idaho, for a class at Diedrich Roasters, bought a $35,000 roaster, and got to work.

David had sold his thriving dentistry practice to his partners Dr. Kelly Kendall and Dr. Jeffrey Rohde. “It was just a hobby when I bought the electric roaster in 2014,” he says, “then it became a passion, then it became an addiction.” He grew talented enough to gain wholesale clients, which got them thinking they should open a commercial shop.

There was no question the location would be the Funk Zone. Erika was already established at the Green House Studios, 136 East Yanonali Street, with fellow artists Virginia McCracken and Liz Brady. The Darts lived in the condos across the street for 22 years, just moving away earlier this year. “This is before it was the Funk Zone,” David points out. “There was still a Bay Café and Reds Bar.”

In November 2018, a friendship with the Castagnola family led to the opportunity to rent the building they are still in, sharing the space with Acme Hospitality. “We couldn’t afford the space on our own,” Erika admits, “but we were building a coffee shop in our own neighborhood for our own community.”

Sherry Villanueva, managing partner of Acme Hospitality, sings Erika and David’s praises, claiming they “embody the spirit of Santa Barbara through their deep commitment to community and connection. It’s been an honor to work side by side with them, and their creativity, collaboration, and grace under pressure is a true reflection of the heart they pour into every cup.”

Beautiful art is everywhere at Dart Coffee | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

That grace was tested months after they opened thanks to COVID. “We shut down for six weeks and then opened the garden,” Erika says about the bucolic expanse that surrounds the Green House across the street from the shop proper. “That took off, and so did Dart Coffee. We doubled our business in the first year.”

What keeps customers — 60 percent regulars, 40 percent first-timers — coming to Dart is a tri-part brew of delicious, ethically sourced coffee, attractive location(s), and attentive staff. That’s all according to plan. “We don’t put things in our mouth that we don’t think ethically or morally belong there,” David says about himself and Erika, both vegans. “We wanted to sell as much organic coffee as we could.” That gets complicated as many producers follow organic practices but can’t afford to get certification. Still Dart aims to use the same reputable green coffee vendors year to year. As their website declares, “We are committed to sourcing only the finest organic, fair-traded coffee beans from small-lot indigenous farmers who share our vision.”

As for the process once the beans make it stateside, David half-jokes, “We all wear a lot of hats. I’m the roaster but I don’t roast anymore; I number-two pencil.” Carter, with his culinary training, gets to do quality control, while the goal, according to David, “is to serve serious coffees — we like medium roast coffees, not too dark and oily.”

“Not like what the fishermen wanted,” Erika points out, thinking about customer input at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) location.

“You don’t have to put salt in our coffee to break the bitterness,” David retorts. “We’ve made that conversion [with the fishermen].”

Baked goods at Dart Coffee | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

A Brew with a View

David Dart greets guests at Dart Coffee Co. at the Harbor | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

That Maritime Museum location, opened in April 2024, came about since the museum’s director, Greg Gorga, was a regular customer. Gorga jokes, “Yes, it was my first date location. The Garden across the street is really nice — but the view of the harbor is better!” SBMM’s gift store was underperforming, and Gorga was also looking for new means to attract visitors. So, he turned to the Darts. “When we were first asked, we thought ‘No, it’s too small; we can’t make that work,’” Erika recalls. “But then we went and stood on the patio, looked out, and knew we had to. It’s 30 percent coffee, 70 percent view.”

“There has been wonderful synergy between SBMM and Dart Coffee,” Gorga enthuses. “They care about their employees, they put out a quality product, and they are always very friendly, three values that we share here at SBMM. And the grandfather of two of their longtime staff members designed our ship logo. From the very day they opened, SBMM has seen an increase in our attendance and membership numbers, there is more energy and buzz here at the harbor, and I drink better coffee!”

Carter stresses that despite the touristy location, it serves more locals — people from City College and the Mesa community. It’s also a hit with sandy dogs. “People park here [in the Funk Zone] and do the Dart to Dart to Dart with their animals,” David claims. “It’s a mile and a half round trip, 18 minutes at a brisk pace. We’ve been busy from day one out there.”

Both locations also serve as canvases for Erika’s artistic talents — Carter calls them “her installations.” It’s not surprising that way back in a 2008 interview with now Indy editor Leslie Dinaberg, Erika insisted: “I don’t like walking into galleries. I never have. I’ve always felt that they’re too reserved; it’s just a little too snooty or elitist. For a long time, I just used to show in coffee shops, which is still great.”

A sea worthy shelf at Dart Coffee at the Harbor | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

Indeed, her studio partners, Virginia McCracken and Liz Brady, both have pieces at the Maritime Museum location. “Erika always finds ways to bring us and others in on opportunities to show work,” McCracken, who is also an original Dart Coffee investor, says. “Erika is passionate about all the many things she takes on — the coffee shops, designing spaces, her artwork — and is equally passionate about her friends and family as well as the Dart staff.”

That creativity also breeds community, that Third Place that’s become such a buzzword. On a given day, the garden might be filled with students doing homework or crafters working on projects. “We have weddings and special events there,” Erika says. “There are people who met in the garden and then marry in the garden. Coffee is one of those great things you can go to by yourself looking for community. Coffee is a great equalizer for people, whether alone or in groups.”

Perhaps the most crucial people are the staff. “They are a huge reason why we are where we are. Everyone wants to work with Dart,” David asserts. “We hire young people with amazing talents — classical musicians and artists.” The sustaining working atmosphere and pay leads to little turnover — one worker has been on since day one. David and Erika happily share stories of helping folks jumpstart their cars and meeting employees’ parents. Staff also get to run the Dart Instagram page — its un-Photoshopped, spontaneous posts are pretty much their only source of advertising.

An interior and exterior view of Dart at the Harbor | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom

Carpinteria Calling

As with the other, stellar food purveyors — Bettina, Corazón Cucina, Third Window — soon to occupy Linden Square in Carpinteria, Dart was part of the planning team’s curated list. “We are proud they approached us,” Carter says. “It’s exciting as it’s our first kind of stand-alone shop and the largest. Here we share the building and kitchen. The harbor is tiny, and we’re connected to the city and the museum.”

Locally made Mony’s Mamacita’s Burritos and Buena Onda Empanadas are on the Dart Coffee menu, along with iced matchas and lattes | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

On the design end, Erika explains, “I’ve spent many days walking the beach and going into every store to figure out what vibe is in Carp. The environment of the community is really important. We are very excited about showcasing local artists and our brand consultant Tom Stanley’s artwork as floor-to-ceiling wall covering on two large walls.” But beyond the look, the Carp location will also be the first Dart not to use vendors for food. The current two locations serve up delights from Mony’s, Buena Onda, Alessia, Eller’s, and I.V. Bagels. “They form the five food groups we have,” David says, “they work hard for us, they’ve become our friends.”

In Carpinteria, the kitchen will be overseen by Carter and his wife, Sami Weiss, who has worked at Satellite and Fairview Gardens, and now is a rep for Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Carter reminisces, “We fell in love with each other over food and wine,” while Sami was completing graduate work at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy — established by Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food Movement.

“We want to stay on top of where we’re sourcing coffee from, food from,” Carter states. “In the future it’s better to keep it in house as we then have more control. That’s why the goal in Carpinteria is to do our own food program — realigning with our values.” The offerings will include beer, wine, some savory and sweet toast options, and organic soft-serve.

Carter has been working for Dart full-time for two years, about which Erika claims, “It’s huge — we wouldn’t be expanding if he wasn’t in the picture.” David quickly adds, “New blood is good, otherwise you get stale.”

That belief doesn’t keep David from continuing, “And our other kids, they think they’re a part of Dart….”

And for Erika to quip: “…but they haven’t done a damn thing. Those 13 grandchildren might come in handy as employees one day.” Their work might happen in yet another location, for Erika gives a hint about developer Brian Kelly’s plans for the Funk Zone block bordered by Yanonali, Santa Barbara, Mason, and Gray streets. “Brian is repurposing buildings. Dart Coffee and Roastery in the Funk Zone will move to the large building at the back end of the garden,” Erika reveals. “The plans for this project are in the works, and we are two years out from finishing that project.”

See dartcoffeeco.com.