Ty Warner Taps Thomas Keller to Helm Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club's Cuisine and Dining Experience; Club to Reopen in the Fall

Completed multi-million-dollar renovation and celebrated seven-Michelin star chef will usher in an exciting new era for the historic beach club.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ty Warner Hotels & Resorts officially announces their partnership with Thomas Keller, the acclaimed Chef/Restaurateur currently holding seven Michelin stars for properties throughout the United States. Chef Keller will oversee all food and beverage operations at the Coral Casino including Coral Café, Fins, Poolside Dining, the Tydes location restaurant, and La Pacifica. Plans are also underway with Operation and Design teams to transform Tydes and La Pacifica to match the brand and inspiration of Chef Keller's Thomas Keller Restaurant Group.

Best known for his flagship Yountville restaurant, The French Laundry, New York City's Per Se, and The Surf Club Restaurant in Surfside, Florida, Chef Keller will arrive in Montecito to continue his craft at the iconic Coral Casino with a newly envisioned and seasonally inspired Continental menu, adding to its reputation as a world-class, private club, and historic coastal destination.

"We are honored to have Chef Keller as a part of this new chapter in the Coral Casino's storied legacy," noted Coral Casino owner, Ty Warner. "The restaurant experience will now sing in unison with the club's history, architecture, amenities, and unparalleled oceanfront location. It's the final piece that will cement the Coral Casino as the most unique and coveted private beach club in the nation."

With the recent green light from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, Warner's team can now move forward with implementing their operations program for a fall opening. Multi-million-dollar enhancements include a new members-only rooftop sundeck (adjacent to the second level restaurant) with lounge furniture, fire pit, and direct views of Butterfly Beach and sunsets. Members also will benefit from a new cold plunge pool and expanded whirlpool spa, which has been relocated to the edge of the pool deck above the crashing waves. The private dining room at the second level restaurant will now feature retractable doors and windows to provide an indoor-outdoor experience – along with other upgrades at Fins café and The Crow's Nest.

Like its sister club, the Montecito Club, and the San Ysidro Ranch, the Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club came under owner management in May of 2022. Ty Warner's team received approval on their Development Plan Amendment to make club facilities private to members (discontinuing access by Biltmore hotel guests to club facilities), while making Tydes restaurant accessible to the public – for the first time – on a reservation-only basis.

"A restaurant of this setting, standard, and cuisine deserves buzz, energy, and a vibrant ambiance," added Warner. "We are glad that members, visitors, and the local community will be able to experience this unequaled dining concept."

For more membership inquiries contact:  Kelly Campbell at (805) 455-2587 | [email protected]  and Johanna Dearinger at (805) 276-7669 | [email protected]

Ty Warner Hotels & Resorts
Ty Warner Hotel and Resort properties include Montecito Club, Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, San Ysidro Ranch, Four Seasons Resort the Biltmore Santa Barbara, Sandpiper Golf Club, Four Seasons Hotel New York, and Las Ventanas al Paraiso.

Thomas Keller 
Michelin Guide, as well as the first American male chef to be designated a Chevalier of The French Legion of Honor. He has received countless accolades, including The Culinary Institute of America's "Chef of the Year" Award and the James Beard Foundation's "Outstanding Chef" and "Outstanding Restaurateur" Awards. He holds an honorary Doctor's in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America. Chef Keller led a team from the U.S. to its first-ever gold medal in the Bocuse d'Or, a prestigious biannual competition that is regarded as the Olympics of the culinary world. With more than 1.5 million copies of his cookbooks in print, he is the author of six cookbooks, including the recently released, The French Laundry, Per Se.

SOURCE Ty Warner Hotels & Resorts