The Maverick Saloon has sold.
For the past 14 years, Mark Burnett and his son, Travis, have owned and operated the 54-year-old bar and music venue, which featured live acts ranging from members of the original Byrds to Sugarland to a young Taylor Swift. That changes on Oct. 1, when the Burnetts hand off ownership to Demetri and Karen Loizides.
“We only spoke to people who want to carry on the tradition of the Maverick,” Mark told the Sun. “I wouldn’t let go of the original idea. I love the Maverick, what it stands for, what it is: the good, the bad, the ugly—whatever it is.”
The Loizides could not be reached for comment.
“It’s been an exciting 14-year run,” Travis said in a statement, “but it’s time to take the Maverick Saloon to the next level. We’re thrilled with the new owners and the plans they have for the business.”
To commemorate the sale, the Maverick is hosting a farewell weekend party featuring two days of live music: The Molly Ringwald Project on Sept. 29 and a special Wil Ridge Concert on the Deck on Sept. 30 at 3 p.m., followed by The Soul Cats at 8 p.m. DJ Totem will also play late sets on both Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets are $10.
Mark said he hoped the weekend would be a nice way to close out his tenure as an owner.
“It’s bittersweet though,” he said. “We had a lot of fun, met a lot of great people, and had some great parties and concerts.”
He said there were certain memories that would always stick out.
“We had this little 13-year-old girl come in one time who was a friend of a guy helping us with entertainment,” Mark explained, “and she came in and was on the stage and sang a couple of songs, then she went off to our second bar, did a little concert there, and I remember saying, ‘This girl is gonna do well.’”
That girl was Taylor Swift.
Mark shared stories about several famous acts, including the Byrds, Sugarland, and actor Jeff Bridges’ band.
“So a lot of different people have come out for us,” he said.
When asked by the Sun if he would miss the excitement, Mark demurred.
“Not really, but I’m 73 and ready to retire,” he said. “But I wouldn’t have stuck it out for 14 years if I didn’t like it and we hadn’t had a lot of fun doing it.”
The Maverick Saloon is located at 3687 Sagunto St. in Santa Ynez. Visit mavericksaloon.org for more info.
Highlights:
• Santa Barbara County residents have another option for grocery shopping. San Francisco-based Instacart launched its delivery service on Sept. 21 through popular local stores including Smart & Final, Whole Foods Market, Costco, CVS, Petco, and Albertsons. Instacart offers same-day deliveries in as little as one hour, according to a company press release.
The delivery area will cover more 74,000 households. Areas of service include Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Mission Canyon, Goleta, Isla Vista, Gaviota, Capitan, Hope Ranch, Summerland, Montecito, Toro Canyon, and Carpinteria. For more information, visit instacart.com.
Staff Writer Spencer Cole 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 Sep 28 – Oct 5, 2017.