An unassuming California liquor store located in the heart of Montecito, California has become the newest hangout for celebrities and billionaires.
Part winery, part liquor store, The Bottle Shop is where Hollywood celebrities and locals go to buy a sandwich, a bottle of premium tequila, a lottery ticket, and even ice cream.
Comedian Steve Martin, country singer Brad Paisley, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, singer Katy Perry and former Lakers coach Phil Jackson have frequently been spotted at the modest storefront on Coast Village Road. from Montecito.
The yellow store is on an oversized corner lot with a stunning backdrop of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Christian Trad, whose hardworking father, Morhaf, immigrated to Los Angeles from Syria in the 1980s with very little money, acquired the business in 1992, years before Trad was born.
The Bottle Shop located on Coast Village Road in Montecito. Comedian Steve Martin, country singer Brad Paisley, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, singer Katy Perry and former Lakers coach Phil Jackson have been seen frequenting the unassuming store.
Oprah Winfrey is a resident of Montecito. She is pictured at the 66th Grammy Awards on February 4 in Los Angeles.
Christian Trad said his father Morhaf taught him how to handle his diverse clientele — Hollywood heavyweights, billionaire tycoons and the truck-driving worker — to treat everyone with kindness.
Today, the 26-year-old runs operations and calls The Bottle Shop a “staple in the community,” where his celebrity clients and everyday people alike come to feel at ease.
Many famous residents living in the Santa Barbara neighborhood include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rob Lowe, Orlando Bloom, and Adam Levine.
“In some ways we’re like, almost like…not like a therapist, but people want to come here and talk about their day and what’s going on,” Trad said. SF gate.
He added: “And to be honest, we heard it all.”
But he also shared with the local media: ‘What is said in the liquor store, stays in the liquor store.’
Montecito resident Veronica Lafaurie, who was shopping at the store, told SF Gate that she has seen many celebrities shop at The Bottle Shop, including Oprah and Steve Martin.
He said the store is special because it allows the stars to have privacy. “I see them,” Lafaurie said of her famous neighbors.
‘They are just normal people like us. I hate to see them get upset,” he told the media outlet.
Steve Martin is known to frequent the store, where the owner says “what’s said in the liquor store stays in the liquor store.”
Ariana Grande also lives in the stunning neighborhood.
Gwyneth Paltrow is a resident of Montecito
Trad said his father taught him how to handle his diverse clientele of Hollywood heavyweights and billionaire moguls, as well as the working man.
‘You see helicopters flying overhead taking pictures and all that. I feel a little sorry for them. They can’t be normal and just walk down the street, walk their dog down the street.’
Trad called Brad Paisely, “a down-to-earth guy too…he comes in and talks sports.”
And speaking of legendary singer Katy Perry: “She was here the other day with a hat and glasses, I didn’t even recognize her.”
Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson also enters the store. The owner said of him: ‘He comes from time to time. It’s hard to miss.
Trad said his father taught him how to handle his diverse clientele of Hollywood heavyweights and billionaire moguls, as well as the working man.
He said, “Everyone is a customer.” But we also make sure everyone feels special.”
The busy store is lIt is made up of hundreds of rare bottles of spirits, wine, whiskey and bourbon and features a temperature-controlled wine cave.
We have bottles that you can’t find in other stores. Our thing is that if we don’t have it here, you can’t find it anywhere,” he stated. “That’s our little slogan, our motto.”
She also added that it is not unusual for her to gather items for a spontaneous event that the celebrity herself, or her assistants, requests.
In an interview with the Montecito Journal in 2020, his father, Morhaf, said, “People depend on us.”
‘We were open during the earthquake, I stayed open during the fires and landslides when I had the opportunity to open.
‘I opened myself up to supply everything I could to the community. During the fire, many firefighters and sheriffs came to town from all over California and Portland and there was no bathroom. There was not any water. It was a ghost town.
‘So, I let them use my bathroom. I gave them food, water… everything I had.’