Serra Shop — Local services in Santa Barbara

This was my husband and I’s first time visiting Santa Barbara on 11/9/24 and we were on the SB Trolly Tour. Once we made it to the Mission, we were told we can get off the Trolly, stretch our legs, use the restroom if we needed to or go inside the gift shop to look around or purchase something. Once my husband and I walked in, a very tall Caucasian woman approached us and asked if we needed any help? We told her we were looking for the restrooms. She informed us they were downstairs and to the right of the gift shop. Once we finished doing that, we went back into the gift shop to see what they had and to possibly purchase some candy. The same tall Caucasian woman saw us walking around the shop, immediately stopped assisting customers that were at the register to ask us once again, “Can I help you?” She said it in a way as though she wanted to know why we were there. I told her we were on the tour. She said, “What Tour?” I said, “The Trolly Tour!” Then she was like, “Ooooh the Trolly Tour!” She said, “I just wanted to know if you needed any help! And I noticed your beautiful blouse as well and I hope I didn’t offend you!” Right! Clean it up now! We were the only African Americans in the gift shop and she made sure she kept her eye on us! I did not see her run up to any other guest like she ran up to us. Following us around the store with her eyes. My husband and I are both retired Law Enforcement for California and he’s a retired Vet and we didn’t appreciate her making us feel as though we wanted to steal something out of that gift shop. We both knew she was racially profiling us. We ended up leaving out and not purchasing anything. We both felt very offended. We will never step foot in that shop again. And just think, it’s supposed to be a religious gift...

I was at the Santa Barbara Mission’s gift shop, the Serra Shop, and I removed a 4 inch Virgin of Guadalupe holy water holder from the display wall because I thought that was the only one left and I wanted to purchase it. One of the employees there scolded me (and mind you, I’m about 30 years older than her) like I was a child pointing to a small sign I didn’t notice that said not to remove the displays from the wall. She immediately snatched the item from my hand and hung back on the wall and told me she’ll get another one from the back. I waited 10 long minutes just for her to come out telling me the one on the wall was their last one, and if I still wanted it. Of course I wanted it, but the way she treated me, a paying customer, was...

Full of history, and just up the street is the dam site/aqueduct. Given it's location this Mission is always packed with tourists and parishioners. The priests are very nice and engaged with the dual role...