Scoops of ice cream and cascades of handcrafted hot fudge marked the official grand opening Thursday of Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop at 509 State St., as adults and children alike lined the block for their first taste of the shop’s acclaimed hot fudge sundaes and specialty treats.
“We need more of this on State Street,” said longtime local Lynne Cummings. “It’s bright, welcoming and full of people. It really makes the whole block feel alive again.”
Inside, the vibrant shop feels part candy store, part ice cream parlor. Shelves are stacked with neatly arranged bars and gift boxes in Ghirardelli’s signature blues, golds and jewel tones, while bins brim with individually wrapped chocolate squares in every flavor imaginable.
Behind the counter, the menu leans into indulgence.
Ghirardelli’s World-Famous Hot Fudge Sundae anchors the lineup, built with scoops of vanilla ice cream layered with rich, house-made chocolate sauce and finished with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry. Nearby, the newer Dubai-style sundae adds a modern pistachio-forward twist.
“The hot fudge sundae is still our classic and probably the most popular,” said Joshua Frick, the store’s general manager. “But the Dubai has really taken off, and people love that pistachio flavor.”
The opening marks the latest step in Ghirardelli’s broader California expansion. The iconic chocolatier, with outposts in Anaheim, San Diego and Santa Monica, continues to grow its footprint across the Golden State. The Santa Barbara shop is the company’s 19th in California, bringing nearly 175 years of confectionery history to the heart of the city while breathing new life into another long-vacant storefront.
“This opportunity in Santa Barbara is a really special one for us,” said Lacey Zane, the company’s vice president of restaurant and retail. “State Street has this beautiful mix of locals and visitors, and that’s exactly what we’re built for: everyday celebrations and vacation memories.”
Founded in San Francisco by Domingo Ghirardelli, the company is considered the longest continually operating chocolatier in the United States. It remains known for its bean-to-bar production process and premium chocolate, which anchors both its retail sweets and the house-made hot fudge used in its signature sundaes. That legacy is what company leaders hope to carry forward in Santa Barbara.
Zane said the company envisions the shop not just as a tourist stop, but as a neighborhood gathering place where families drop in after a soccer game, students celebrate a good report card or friends share a sundae on the patio at sunset.
“We don’t just want to be a place people visit once,” she added. “We want to be part of people’s everyday moments.”
As downtown Santa Barbara works to refill vacant storefronts and rebuild foot traffic along State Street, the nationally recognized brand represents a notable addition to the corridor’s south end.
“This is exactly the kind of place downtown needs,” said Santa Barbara resident Sharon Fischer. “It brings people together and gives the block some energy again. Hopefully it’s the start of more businesses coming back.”
The shop is offering a 15% discount to locals, students and visitors with proof of identification or a hotel key, an incentive currently exclusive to the Santa Barbara location.
