For nearly a year, chef and restaurateur Nick Bodden — whose first brick-and-mortar spot Revolver Pizza quickly became a cult favorite in Westside Santa Barbara with its endless collection of vinyl, music nights, and sourdough-crusted New York–style pizza — has been in an uphill battle trying to open a second restaurant, Linden Hall, in Carpinteria. But a labyrinth of red tape and extended delays waiting on permits from the City of Carpinteria have pushed the opening back at least 10 months, and this week Bodden announced via social media that the long-awaited restaurant would not be able to open up at all.
“Despite all the excitement and planning, the restaurant I had hoped to open has faced some unexpected challenges,” Bodden wrote on Instagram Monday morning.
In an interview with the Independent, Bodden said that while the restaurant had been awaiting building permits with the city, everything else was lined up and ready to go. He purchased plateware, kitchen equipment, and furniture (including tables and chairs salvaged from The Palms, a Carpinteria mainstay on Linden Avenue that was recently sold and closed). He hosted pop-ups and gained a lot of interest among foodies on the South Coast. He hired two talented teams that were excited to work but were forced to move on to other jobs when the doors never opened — “Every employee left,” he said. He perfected the menu after taking over as head chef in October 2023 and putting together a second team of cooks and servers. And as each week passed, he was told the permits were right around the corner.