Rori’s Artisanal Creamery celebrated the opening of its new Goleta location in Storke Plaza on April 3, welcoming customers with free scoops of ice cream throughout the day. The store is located at 270 Storke Road, adjacent to Rusty’s Pizza Parlor and plans to offer discounts to local university students.
Rori’s Artisanal Creamery celebrated the opening of its new Goleta location, welcoming customers with free scoops of ice cream. Dalia Puchalt / Daily Nexus
Founder and trained chef Rori Trovato, who develops each of Rori’s signature flavors, launched the franchise in 2011 with a commitment to quality and “allow[ing] the ingredients to speak for themselves,” according to their website. The shop produces small-batch ice cream made with locally-sourced ingredients, offering a variety of flavors including Black Pepper Pistachio, Serious Dark Chocolate and Milk and Cookies. In addition to house-made cones and cups, Rori’s carries ice cream sandwiches, drumsticks, pints and a Pup Cup option for visiting pets.
A line of customers stretched through the plaza from noon until closing at 9:30 p.m. Rori’s Director of Retail Operations, Edith Vargas, was thrilled by the turnout.
“We opened at 12, but I’ve been here since early in the morning, and just seeing the line form and the excitement from everyone has just been so fun,” Vargas said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
Customers of all ages lined up to get their free ice cream. Dalia Puchalt / Daily Nexus
Goleta is the newest of eight Rori’s locations in California, joining stores in Santa Monica, Camarillo, Ventura, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara Public Market, Montecito and Arroyo Grande. The franchise signed the lease for the new property in September 2025, fulfilling Trovato’s longtime dream of expanding into Goleta. Trovato explained how Rori’s investment in the community is reflected in their support of local sports teams.
“We sponsor a bunch of the little leagues, the Goleta Little League and the Dos Pueblos Little League, and some soccer teams as well,” Trovato said. “We’ve been wanting [to open in] Goleta forever because our demographic is family. That, and there’s no ice cream here.”
The store features an outdoor patio with shaded picnic tables, and the physical layout mirrors their Ventura location, a decision Trovato hoped would help create a smooth flow for customers and a welcoming atmosphere.
Staff at Rori’s Goleta location will wear T-shirts in UC Santa Barbara’s school colors of blue and gold for the University. Rori’s also announced plans for a weekly “UCSB Day” where students will receive discounts.
Trovato, who was on site for the opening, emphasized the importance of local engagement.
“We like to interact with the community on a give-back basis with all the schools, so we hope we form that relationship here. People come from Girsh Park after the game and go have Rusty’s [pizza], and I hope they become our regulars too,” Trovato said.
The Rori’s team visited downtown Santa Barbara, UCSB’s campus, Santa Barbara City College and Butterfly Beach to promote the store’s opening, creating content for their social media. Marketing Manager Tess Henderson led the campaign, generating buzz from the community online.
Customers of all ages lined up to get their free ice cream, including third-year sociology major Nora Ismael and preschooler Georgia Weiss. Ismael is Vice President of Projects for the UCSB American Marketing Association, which will be consulting for Rori’s this quarter.
“It’s going to be good to learn about the actual ice cream itself and the team as we begin our project,” Ismael said.
Weiss enjoyed a scoop of Rori’s signature Peanut Butter Chocolate Candy Swirl. When asked if she was enjoying her ice cream, she responded with an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“I want to come back!” Weiss said.
A version of this article appeared on p.6 of the April 9, 2026 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
