Santa Barbara-born coffee purveyors, The French Press, have staked a claim in Goleta with plans for a third location.

The French Press location at 528 Anacapa in Santa Barbara (Courtesy Photo) 

Radius Commercial Real Estate & Investments announced Dec. 23 the company signed a lease for the new South Coast store. Located at 250 Stroke Road near the corner of Hollister Avenue, and across the street from the Camino Real Marketplace, the 1,800-square-foot space is the former home of Bicycle Bob’s.

Owners of the indy coffee house are planning to renovate the space with new patios and a more open layout.

Already popular among local coffee connoisseurs, French Press operates two downtown Santa Barbara locations at 1101 State Street and 528 Anacapa Street. With a focus on specialty coffees, the company has been able to set itself apart from behemoths such as Starbucks and others that have stranglehold on coffee in the area.

French Press owners Julia and Todd Mayer opened their first location in downtown Santa Barbara in 2009. On opening, the couple previously told the Business Times, they faced much skepticism and were told from the outset they would fail. However, the two were determined to deliver a better coffee experience. Five years later and the company is sourcing and roasting its own coffee beans on the verge of a third location.

Radius agents Rob Hambleton, Mike Chenoweth and Bob Tuler brokered the deal.