Back on the Menu: Parker Family Returning to Los Olivos Food Scene

by Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travelzoo

The bar at Petros

The Parker family is planning on taking over operations of the eatery inside their luxe Fess Parker Wine Country Inn.  For the last eight years, the Los Olivos property in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country has been leased to Petros Restaurant, a Greek bistro owned by restaurateur Petros Benekos.

“We’ve had a great run with Petros and have enjoyed the diversity and energy he brought to the food scene in Los Olivos,” said Eli Parker, Fess Parker’s son and CEO of Fess Parker Vineyards and Winery.  “We wish him continued success.”

Petros, which has sister restaurants in downtown Santa Barbara, Manhattan Beach and El Segundo, will be moving to another location in the Santa Ynez Valley, potentially to Solvang.

The Fess Parker Wine Country Inn

The restaurant will close for refurbishment right after the new year and will reopen in March 2017.  The Parker family is remaining tight-lipped about the concept for their new venture, but this will be, in many ways, a return to familiar territory.  Before Petros, the Parkers ran the establishment themselves, as Restaurant Marcella, named for the Parker family matriarch.  The late Fess Parker, a TV icon who was also a longtime Santa Barbara vintner and developer, bought the boutique AAA 4-Diamond inn in 1998.

The Parker family is also 50-50 owners with Hilton of the Fess Parker Doubletree Hotel in downtown Santa Barbara, which is home to multiple restaurants, including the popular steakhouse Rodney’s Grill.

###