As the sunny open courtyard filled up at Linden Square for Thursday’s grand public unveiling, the sweet smell of smoking white oak wafted over the crowd. Third Window Brewing Company owner Kris Parker tended to the fire and loaded up more wood — cut from his family’s ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley — as he prepared for the opening of his newest location at downtown Carpinteria’s long-awaited open-format outdoor public mall.
The site of Linden Square, located right in the heart of Carpinteria’s main drag, has a deep history in the small beach town, as the former location of Hickey’s General Store, owned by the Hickey family for more than 128 years. Terry Hickey, whose great-grandfather Glen Hickey ran the general store, spoke at the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 22, sharing her family’s history and presenting a portrait of the original store painted by celebrated Carpinteria artist John Wullbrandt back when he was just a high school student.
“This property has been in our family since the late 1800s,” Hickey said. She said that ever since developers Matt LaBrie and Terry Huggins took over the property over five years ago with the intent of redeveloping the site into a new downtown hub, they were eager and willing to work with the community and previous owners to ensure the project was something that would be undoubtedly new but still uniquely tied to Carpinteria’s historical roots.
“I just want to give a lot of credit to Terry and Matt because I don’t think it’s often that when people buy property, they actually are interested in hearing from the people that used to own it,” Hickey said. “Terry and Matt spent a lot of time talking with me about our family history and wanting to honor that with this building. And I can tell you personally that I see it … Carpinteria is very fortunate to have you and your vision.”
LaBrie and Huggins said it was important to them to include Carpinteria residents and business groups in shaping what Linden Square would become. They stripped the buildings to their bare bones, and left a bit of the industrial look of exposed steel and wood. The new construction dressed up these industrial bones with a modern, casual central dining area packed with wicker seating, reclaimed wooden furniture, custom art pieces, and plenty of spaces for public gatherings or group events.
They called it a sort of “outdoor living room and dining room for the community,” where people can hang out, eat, drink, play with their kids, or chat with neighbors. Their intent was always to add to the life of downtown, drawing more people to the area to benefit all businesses instead of trying to compete with longstanding staples.
Olada yoga and pilates studio owner Casey Glassman stretches out in her new space in Carpinteria. | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Terry Hickey shows a portrait of her family’s historic general store at the same location on Linden Avenue. | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Linden Square was packed for its grand opening and ribbon cutting on Thursday, May 22. | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
Chef Ramon Velasquez will be focusing on seafood and veggie options at his newest space, Corazón del Sur. | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom 
The central courtyard at Linden Square. | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom
“We didn’t want to compete with what was here,” LaBrie said. “We hope that this project gives locals a reason to come back downtown, try something new, and visit your old favorites and hang out.”
The outdoor mall will feature several Central Coast restaurants and retailers who have made waves in recent years and are looking to expand into the Carpinteria area. These include Third Window Brewing, which will offer craft beers, smoked Wagyu burgers, brisket, and chicken wings; Chef Ramon Velasquez’s newest seafood-and-veggie-centered Mexican eatery, Corazón Cocina Sur; and Tina’s Pizza, the newest outpost from Rachel Greenspan and Brendan Smith of the Montecito hotspot Bettina.
Other businesses include Channel Islands Surfboards, an institution of a surfboard company owned by Britt and Kate Merrick, which will be returning to its roots with a Carpinteria retail shop. Britt, whose father Al founded the company back in 1969, was born just down the street on Seventh Street.
“I was born in Carpinteria, lived my whole life here, and I’m going to die in Carpinteria,” Britt said at the grand opening. “So might as well be with all you guys and get a little business done.”
Some of the shops and businesses at Linden Square are not open to the public yet. Dart Coffee, Macher (pronounced like “Maker”), Olada yoga and pilates studio, and The Shopkeepers newest retail location are expected to be fully open in late June or early July.
There’s still room for a few other businesses at Linden Square. Upstairs, a rooftop bar and patio space and several offices overlooking the downtown area are available for leasing. For more info, visit linden-square.com.
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