A Central Coast couple was driving down to San Diego one summer when an epiphany struck. Donna Polizzi and her husband, Tony, didn’t know the area too well, so they checked Yelp for recommendations on where to find the best restaurants and happy hour spots. But after trying a few highly rated establishments with disappointing results, Polizzi became a bit skeptical of the app.
“It made me wonder how many disgruntled employees or competitors might post negative reviews,” Polizzi told the Sun. “Or conversely, how many business owners and their 40 friends and family members place positive reviews. Who knows?”
That San Diego getaway was in 2014, one year before Polizzi founded Keys 2 The Coast, a travel website highlighting coastal destinations throughout California. Polizzi called the trip a catalyst, and she first began brainstorming about the company out loud to her husband on the way home.
“With my feet up on the dash of my husband’s Corvette, which he hates, I excitedly stated that I was going to start a new business,” Polizzi said. “He said, ‘Are you nuts? The kids just moved out. Things are finally settling down a little bit. You want to start a new business?’”
Polizzi had been working in PR for about two decades before becoming inspired to start her own travel website. The idea that excited her the most was using the project to blog about her honest recommendations, and not letting anyone pay her to promote their businesses.
“My husband said, ‘Great babe, how are you going to monetize it?’” Polizzi said. “I didn’t know yet. It was conceptual.”
But Polizzi kept brainstorming until she realized that city chambers of commerce and visitor bureaus might be interested in sponsoring the site—it’d be a great tool to attract traffic to their respective regions. Paid advertisements for airports and other means of transportation could help maintain the website’s viability as well, she deduced. The exposure wouldn’t conflict with the site’s integrity, as recommendations from Polizzi and her team—untainted by paid promotion of any kind—would pertain to where to go, but not necessarily how to get there.
The idea became a reality in 2015. Headquartered in Orcutt, Keys 2 The Coast has covered spots to wine, dine, or just explore from Santa Barbara to Monterey County since its inception. As of this year, the company has grown to offer travel packages as well, expanding beyond its statewide limits into international coverage. The first of which will be a European cruise on May 2, with stops in Italy, France, and Spain.
“Custom high-value international travel packages were a logical next step for Keys’ business model, and our test offering proved it to be a good move,” Polizzi said. “Based on our followers’ requests, we’re researching upcoming ventures to Alaska and the Galapagos Islands.”
Keys 2 The Coast celebrated its fourth anniversary on March 28, and Polizzi said she couldn’t be more excited for the company’s future.
“We can’t wait to see where we take this enterprise over the next four years,” Polizzi said. “If the last four years are any indication of the next four, the sky is the limit.”
Call (805) 895-1060 or visit keys2thecoast.com for more information.
Highlight
• The three existing CoastHills branches in Lompoc will remain operational as the bank’s headquarters moves from Vandenberg Village to a new 90,000-square-foot building in Santa Maria’s Enos Ranch Business Center. Santa Maria branches will remain at their current locations, except for the Crossroads Center branch, which will be relocated to the first floor of the new corporate facility. This location will include three drive-thru lanes and a walk-up ATM. The move is set to be completed by fall.
Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 4-11, 2019.