Santa Barbara’s New Butler Event Center Opens in April

Santa Barbara, CA (March 28, 2011) – The new Butler Event Center—a 6,000-square- foot conference facility opening in early April on upper State Street—is now taking reservations for business meetings, private events and fundraisers. Owned by experienced local restaurateur Warren Butler, managing partner of Marmalade Café, the Butler Center occupies the site of the former Downtown Brewing Company at 3744 State Street.

This fully renovated space, with a mid-sized ballroom, two smaller rooms, substantial bar area and two separate patios, can hold from 40 to 400 people. For multi-day conferences or out-of-town attendees, numerous lodging options are within walking distance or a short drive away, and there is ample parking.

Several events—including a Santa Barbara Young Professionals business mixer, the Daily Sound newspaper’s 5th anniversary celebration and the Santa Barbara Breakers basketball team pre-season press conference—have already been booked for the next few weeks, and inquiries for weddings, fundraisers and other banquets are coming in daily.

“For some time, I have wanted to develop an affordable, flexible space for Santa Barbara businesses and the community to meet,” says Butler. “Not only is this location ideal for banquets, it is also close enough to La Cumbre Plaza to easily cater from Marmalade Café.” A Boston native, Butler was formerly managing partner and minority owner of downtown’s Stateside restaurant, which hosted many political events and fundraisers. Previously, he managed a steakhouse and partnered with Wolfgang Puck in Los Angeles.

Marmalade Café, offering a wide selection of cuisines, will be the Butler Center’s preferred caterer. The privately-owned southern California restaurant group has gained a stellar reputation for event catering for 25 years among high-profile clients such as Sony Studios, Fox, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, William Morris Agency, Yahoo Music, MTV Networks, Wells Fargo Bank, Swarovski Crystal, Frank Gehry Architects, Pottery Barn, National Resources Defense Council and UCLA.

Locally, Marmalade sponsors a range of non-profit organizations, such as the Goleta Valley and Santa Barbara Chambers of Commerce. Under Butler’s direction, the restaurant was recognized as the Goleta Chamber’s 2010 Small Business of the Year.

To inquire about booking an event at the Butler Center, contact Warren Butler by phone at 805-705-7488 or by email: warren@butlereventcenter.com.