Let the Games Begin (Again): Game Seeker Gets New Life on State Street After Closing Its Doors in Spring

It’s a Santa Barbara miracle: Beloved hometown game store Game Seeker has re-opened on State Street only six months after being kicked out from under Hotel Santa Barbara.

“We closed in May, and we applied in May for this location [at 920 State Street, next to Cookie Plug’s old space and the future home of SBIFF’s newly christened McHurley Film Center],” said owner Ingrid Estrella. 

The spot is owned by the city, so Estrella was prepared to be patient, she said. She crossed her fingers and hoped it would work out — “because realistically, nowhere else could be afforded, as a small business on State Street. This is a crown jewel of a location.”

“Everything had to be perfect, and the stars aligned,” Estrella continued. “It was a very united effort by everyone who believed in us as a small business, but also in what we represent, which is community and human connection. So it feels very lovely to get the doors open.”

Old Digs

For 20 years, this game-lovers’ headquarters was at 537 State Street, the ground floor of Hotel Santa Barbara. Estrella took over the store in 2020 after starting there as a young employee.

However, she, alongside some neighboring tenants, was told in November 2024 that her lease would not be renewed as the hotel, under new owner Hendricks Commercial Properties, prepared for renovations. 

A representative of the Hendricks group in Wisconsin told the Independent back in April that they planned to renovate the Game Seeker space. A quick visit to 537 State Street this week, however, revealed blacked-out windows with white text advertising “Retail space for lease.” 

A few paces down the street, the storefront of 529 State Street displayed the same offer. That space used to house Charles Fazzino’s 3D Studio Gallery before they, like Estrella, received a 60-day notice to vacate this spring. The art gallery has since relocated to 1011 State Street. 

The same windows also plug the hotel’s new lobby bar, 1926, which opened in September. A series of renovations included refurbishing the guest rooms with new furniture and carpeting, freshly painted walls, and bathroom upgrades; an updated conference room; and the new bar, styled after Santa Barbara’s “Roaring Twenties” and paying homage to the historic hotel’s reopening after the 1925 earthquake, the hotel said in its September announcement. 

Of the ground-floor occupants, Starbucks at the end of the block, Asher’s Market at 535 State Street, and Marcel Hemp at 531 State Street have so far retained their spaces. 

Bigger and Better

Although they had to move, Game Seeker’s new address offers quite a bit more space, meaning more room for activities: community events, open play tables, game demos, and other gatherings are now in the cards.  

“To learn that the old location was closing down was definitely heartbreaking because I used to go there as a kid and ended up working there. It was my first job, and I had a lot of heart there,” said Ruben Alvarado, Estrella’s nephew, who is now picking up where he left off as one of the store’s clerks.

“But to be here now, it feels so much better, so much bigger,” he continued. “I’m excited again, because now we have new opportunities. We’re gonna be doing some more things than we used to do.”

On Tuesday, the family-friendly game store hosted its ribbon cutting. It was a joyful sight. Giddy kids ran around the store as the adults pursued the shelves of beloved board games. Sweet sentiments were shared, and then the giant scissors came out. 

“On behalf of the city, I want to say congratulations, and please let us know what we could do to help you,” City Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez told Estrella and her husband, Steve. 

Steve Estrella took a moment to congratulate his wife, as well. “This is a dream realized, and we have another chance to bring games to our community and to bring everyone together,” he said. “So I just want to say, I love you. I’m very proud of you.” 

In the words of Daniel Ramirez, director of operations and initiatives at the Downtown Santa Barbara Improvement Association — which supported the store’s reopening and helped put together Tuesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony —- “Let the games begin.”

Game Seeker will host its official Grand Opening on Saturday November 29, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. There will, of course, be games to play, as well as coffee from Café Ortega, face painting, discounts on merchandise, and other festivities, all to celebrate the store’s comeback. See game-seeker.com.