It’s business in the front, cocktails in the back.
The Mullet, a new cocktail bar sharing space and ownership with Lama Dog Tap Room, opened in the Funk Zone on Thursday. Over 100 people attended the soft opening event on Wednesday night for vinyl music with a side of complimentary cocktails.
For Pete Burnham, owner of Lama Dog Tap Room and now The Mullet, analog music is more than just a trend—and it pairs lovely with a cocktail.
Burnham had his eye on the space behind Lama Dog Tap Room for a while, which is at 116 Santa Barbara Street. It previously housed the local art space “Heart and Soul” before the gallery moved to State Street a few years ago. He knew he wanted music to flow through the space.
“What this means to me is friendship and happiness,” he said at the soft opening event. “It’s really just made me feel intertwined with the community.”
A Santa Barbara resident for around 25 years, Burnham is also a huge fan of 70s music. He said he and his brother, who donned a Jerry Garcia hat, have been to over 80 Grateful Dead shows together over the years. Their love for the music was steeped into the details of The Mullet.
With its spinning vinyl records and colorful wall paintings, The Mullet is the “party in the back” of Burnham’s first business Lama Dog. Burnham said coming up with the name was one of the most difficult parts of the process. The Mullet shares a liquor license with Lama Dog, so guests can move freely between both restaurants with their drink in hand.
The Mullet will also have the same hours as Lama Dog, but will be closed on Tuesdays. The drink menu of the night featured six cocktails, some named after famous mullets—for example, the Van Damme.
“Honestly, tonight I just want to have a good time,” Burnham said.
Jennifer Zacharias, who handled the event’s public relations, said Burnham brought together people with passion– and expertise– to curate the record collection and build the sound system, all the while creating a space with its own personality separate from Lama Dog.
“He brings together the experts, and he’s kind of the conductor that makes all the magic work together,” Zacharias said. “I hope it builds on the great community and is a space where people can come and listen to music in a new way.”
The soundtrack of the night—all played on vinyl, of course—was led by Max Ville, a DJ from Santa Monica. Ville also built all the speakers for The Mullet.
“I think the owners felt like it would be right for the person who built the speakers to be the first DJ,” Ville said.
Music is at the heart of the space’s design. While originally inspired by traditional hi-fi listening bars, which tend to possess a darker, more subdued atmosphere, The Mullet went for something brighter and more distinctly “Santa Barbara.” The result is a funky, colorful and playful space that centers the music.
“He wanted something that felt more fun and light, and less moody and dark, the way a lot of vinyl bars can be,” said Jessica Risko Smith, the interior designer behind The Mullet.
That focus will extend beyond opening night. The Mullet intends to host local DJs throughout the week, along with bring-your-own-vinyl nights where record collectors can bring in selections of their own.
