Ventura recently welcomed two new dining spots: Rolling Pin Donuts and The Little Lion. A third venue, Happy Place Eatery, is set to open downtown in the coming weeks.
Rolling Pin Donuts Draws Crowds
Rolling Pin Donuts opened its newest location on August 28 at the Winco shopping center, attracting more than 30 eager customers. The bakery, located at 4726 Telephone Road, Suite 2, offers a variety of doughnuts, croissants, and coffee. Owner Ivan Ortiz reported that the shop’s freshly made goods sold out quickly.
“People were setting up chairs at 4 a.m. just to be first in line at 5 a.m.,” Ortiz said. “It was a great moment for us.”
Popular items include cake doughnuts, apple fritters, and chocolate doughnuts topped with M&M’s. The bakery also serves churros not listed on the menu. Prices range from $1.60 for a single cake doughnut to $38 for a dozen specialty items.
Rolling Pin Donuts operates from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 5 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday, and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Ortiz advises arriving before 10 a.m. to avoid long lines. A fresh batch of doughnuts is made around 3 or 4 p.m.
The bakery also has a location in Camarillo at 2153 Las Posas Road. For more information, visit poplme.co/rollingpindonuts.
The Little Lion Brings Brunch to Ventura
The Little Lion, which opened on August 19, offers a brunch menu and alcoholic beverages. Located at 5952 Telegraph Road, next to Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, the restaurant is named in honor of owner Jade Copeland’s mother, Jan Schuster, a restaurateur.
“The Little Lion is named after my mom, who is a Leo,” Copeland said. “She taught me everything I know.”
Despite the initial rush causing some space issues, Copeland considers it a positive challenge. Popular menu items include honey bourbon biscuits with sausage and sage gravy and a Spanish benedict served on biscuits with chorizo, pickled onions, and jalapenos.
The Little Lion is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. For more information, call 805-620-0804 or visit instagram.com/littlelionventura.
Happy Place Eatery to Open Soon
Sky Sunner, owner of the Happy Place Eatery food truck, is preparing to open a new restaurant in downtown Ventura. The eatery will replace Jimmy’s Slice, located at 586 E. Main St.
Sunner plans to honor the former owner, Jimmy Wright, with a special tribute pizza packed with meats and veggies. The menu will include items such as the happy smash burger, a veganish version of the burger, lemon pepper wings, Philly cheese steaks, miniature pretzel bites with hatch cheese, and mini churro bites.
Construction and mural work by local artist Juan “Kontra” Martinez are nearing completion. The Happy Place Eatery is expected to open later this month.