Santa Barbara’s Lucky Penny Finds Added Value in Its Design with Coin Phase-Out | Local News
Pennies may be going away, but the Lucky Penny is here to stay.
The U.S. Mint announced on Nov. 12 that after 232 years it would stop making pennies. The agency said the primary reason is the cost of making the coins, which has risen to 3.69 cents per penny.
Sherry Villanueva, founder of Santa Barbara restaurant Lucky Penny, said the discontinuation of the coin makes the popular pizza spot even more unique.
The business, at 127 Anacapa St., is known for the thousands of pennies lining the outside of the building.
“I feel like it makes our building even more special because now it’s truly one of a kind,” Villanueva said.
The look of the business, which opened in 2013, was developed as a way to fit the Funk Zone’s offbeat and artistic nature. Villanueva said the goal was to make something interesting while fitting in with the artistic vibe of the surrounding area.
She said the name Lucky Penny came from a combination of factors. One was the building’s location next to the train tracks downtown, and the idea of finding a lucky coin near the tracks. She added that it was also a way to incorporate Santa Barbara’s history with the railroad.
Customers look at a menu at the Lucky Penny restaurant in Santa Barbara. Credit: Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo
In obtaining the pennies for the design, Villanueva had to contact her bank, which had to place a special order with the U.S. Mint for the shipment. She said the person at the bank thought she was crazy when she ordered more than 100,000 pennies.
The final shipment included 165,456 individual pennies. There were 68 boxes, each containing 50 rolls of pennies. Every box weighed about 15 pounds.
“The logistics of making this happen were very challenging,” Villanueva said. “So, when I look at it … we just see so much of the labor of love that went into it.”
In addition to obtaining the coins, Villanueva said they had to create the tiles that line the walls of the building.
The process of creating the tile was time-consuming as each coin had to be individually placed in the mesh by hand. A special grout also was used to ensure the coins stay in place.
The tiles were put together by members of local nonprofit organizations and high school students who volunteered their time. In return, Lucky Penny donated to the nonprofit organization of their choice.
Creating the penny tiles took a little more than six months, and they were able to finish by the time the restaurant officially opened.
Since then, Villanueva said the building has become a tourist destination with people coming from all over to see it, making it a popular spot for tour buses driving through Santa Barbara.
Lucky Penny will expand in the near future with a new spot in Los Olivos, according to Villanueva. Even though it will still incorporate the theme of pennies, they do not plan to cover the entire building in them.
“We’ve been having lots of conversations around how we can incorporate pennies once again,” Villanueva said. “But, you know, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to take on a project of the magnitude of the first time.”
