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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (November 24, 2025) — This holiday season, Acme Hospitality is inviting Santa Barbara’s unsung heroes to take a moment for themselves. From November 28th through Christmas Eve, anyone who works at a local nonprofit organization is welcome to stop by The Lark, Loquita, La Paloma, or Lucky Penny to enjoy a complimentary cocktail or mocktail as a small token of gratitude for their service to the community.
The program, called “Raise a Glass to Our Community Champions,” celebrates the people who make Santa Barbara a better place, often quietly and behind the scenes. Participants can simply identify themselves as part of a local nonprofit team when visiting any of the listed Acme Hospitality venues to receive their drink on the house.
“The holidays remind us how much stronger our community is because of those who dedicate their time and heart to serving others,” said Sherry Villanueva, Founder and Managing Partner of Acme Hospitality. “This is our way of saying thank you, one story, one moment of recognition at a time.”
As part of the campaign, Acme will share photos of participants and highlight their organizations on social media throughout the holiday season. Guests may choose whether to be named personally; the goal is to shine a light on the local nonprofits and the good work they do across Santa Barbara County.
The initiative intentionally aligns with The Santa Barbara Independent’s annual Local Heroes issue, published each Thanksgiving to recognize community members whose efforts “may otherwise go unsung.” Acme’s program extends that spirit of gratitude, transforming its bars into spaces of celebration and acknowledgment for the people building a stronger Santa Barbara every day.
How It Works
- Who’s eligible: Anyone employed by or volunteering with a local nonprofit organization
- When: November 28 through December 24, 2025
- Where: The Lark, Loquita, La Paloma, and Lucky Penny
- What: One complimentary cocktail or mocktail, on Acme
- How: Participants can simply identify themselves as part of a local nonprofit team when visiting any of the listed Acme Hospitality venues to receive their drink on the house
- Optional: Participants will hopefully allow a quick photo and nonprofit tag for Acme’s social channels to help spotlight their organization
ABOUT ACME HOSPITALITY
Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, Acme Hospitality owns and operates an innovative collection of food and beverage concepts and hotels throughout California. Acme currently operates seven restaurants in and around Santa Barbara’s burgeoning arts and entertainment district, which is affectionately called the Funk Zone, plus the new anchor restaurant, Vaquera, at River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano. Acme also operates two historic hotels in California’s Gold Country – The National Exchange Hotel in Nevada City and the Holbrooke Hotel in Grass Valley. Located five miles apart, these icons of California’s history and hospitality have been lovingly restored by teams of local artists, designers, and craftspeople and are ideally situated in the picturesque Sierra Nevada Foothills. Acme concepts and team members have won numerous awards and accolades from local, regional, and national sources. For more information, please visit www.acmehospitality.com.
