Iconic CA Restaurant Set For Demolition After Losing Landmark Status: Report

BUELLTON, CA — For a century, Pea Soup Anderson's iconic architecture and design attracted tourists and admirers to the town of Buellton in Santa Barbara County, but the aging, dilapidated structure could soon see its last days after losing landmark status protections.

Last week, the Buellton City Council voted 5-0 to rescind the building's landmark protections, paving the way for the structure to be demolished, the Santa Barbara News-Press reported.

Situated just off Highway 101, Pea Soup Anderson has been closed since 2024. A second location remains in Santa Nella.

The restaurant originally opened in Buellton in 1924 as Andersen's Electric Cafe, according to Eater. It was designated a landmark in 2020.

The city said the site that once attracted tourists has since drawn trespassers and vandalism.

"We want to avoid a catastrophe," City Manager Scott Wolfe told the Santa Barbara News-Press, describing the risks of fire or serious injury on the property.

Per the Buellton City Council, the tallest part of the building near the corner of Avenue of the Flags and Highway 246 will remain but it may end up redeveloped as well, according to the Santa Barbara News-Press.