Features

Ike’s Celebrates it’s 11 Year Anniversary

CHARLES STOCK

Photo by Charles Stock | Staff Photographer

At only 22 years old, Nico Olivar is the General Manager of Ike’s Place in Isla Vista, and is dedicated to continuing the sandwich spot’s legacy of friendliness and community. This Halloween, Ike’s will be celebrating its 11-year anniversary with management showing every indication that there is a lot more to come from this Isla Vista sandwich place.

Olivar’s goal is embodied by the Ike’s mission statement: “Love, THEN sandwiches. Ike’s is in the LOVE, RESPECT, and APPRECIATION business.” These principles ring true for Olivar not only in his beliefs regarding work but also in life. Another set of values which are fundamental to him is summed up in, “G.I.F.T. of Love” (Gratitude, Integrity, Fun, Teamwork, and Love).

He emphasizes the definition of “love,” in this case as being “so committed to the well-being of the other that there is no possible way for you to have a bad day.” Decorated with bright and friendly colors, Ike’s radiates a positive atmosphere which matches these sentiments, as friendliness is palpable throughout the business.

After being transferred to the Isla Vista location in January, Olivar has introduced plenty of ideas to improve the already popular location. For example, trivia activities and karaoke are expected to begin in coming weeks. In addition, Olivar encourages fundraising opportunities, giving the example that “if a certain group wants to come in and create a sandwich...where they are like, ‘I want to make this sandwich. Can we do a fundraiser where we get x% of the profits from that?' I am completely open to that."

Olivar’s personal methods of business manifest themselves in a variety of ways at Ike’s. For instance, any patron can suggest a sandwich idea for Ike's menu - a possible explanation for why Ike's menu officially consists of 787 sandwiches, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and halal options.

This personal-involvement approach to business carries over internally as well. As an Ike’s employee, you are encouraged to call Ike at any time, a connection not commonly afforded to employees of such extensive businesses. However large the chain may be, being a family-owned business differentiates Ike’s from the franchise business model, where employees experience minimal connection to the business’ owners.

Olivar elaborated on his dedication to personal connection in the business, saying, “I try to put an effort into memorizing customers names and their orders. Like there are certain people where they walk in here and I know what they are going to order and they come in here, and take a look at me and point at me, and I’m like ‘I got you.’”

In addition to delivering, catering, and offering kid’s meals, Ike’s also has meal deals every day. Varying by the day of the week, these deals encourage coming in with a friend to share the deal with, and participating in customer feedback by leaving a Yelp review.

Olivar has thrived in the openminded, friendly atmosphere of Isla Vista. When asked what he takes pride in, he responded, “Being myself 100 percent so that other people feel comfortable being themselves around me.”

“People are amazing, so if you bring out that amazingness in them, then there is no way that you’re not going to have an amazing environment,” said Olivar.

One Piece

This Halloween Season, Warm Up with Ramen at Isla Vista’s newest addition

TOMAS PALLAPATOC | Staff Writer

Photo by JP Celestino | Staff Photographer

Any UCSB student walking out into I.V. looking for a bite to eat is bound to walk past the newly opened One Piece Ramen, which occupies the same spot HiWi Tropical Fusion did only months ago.

Easily recognizable, the shop’s most immediately prominent feature is its visible outdoor seating area, which takes up a great deal of its entrance. Customers walk up to the small building positioned at the back of the patio to order their meals, which are then served promptly out of the side window of the building.

Every meal comes with a show, complimentary of the shop’s large projector setup, on which guests are allowed to play whatever they choose. As a result, I’ve seen it playing everything from rap videos to anime openings.

The seating area is a functional yet aesthetically pleasing space. Various trees make it feel much more open and the modern seating remains makes the area great for large groups, a common sight at I.V. eateries.

While One Piece Ramen’s open air layout could present a concern in rainy weather, the shop is equipped with umbrellas to help alleviate such an occurrence. These umbrellas also serve as a refuge from the sun on hot days, while the shop’s lack of exterior walls helps to escape the stuffiness of other more compact establishments.

The menu is quite promising, offering many different forms of ramen, rice plates, and typical ramen restaurant side dishes such as gyoza, takoyaki, and popcorn chicken. While it is lacking a spicy ramen option, the restaurant’s owner, Alex Qian, said that this will be added to the menu soon.

Having tried both the ramen and the rice plates, I can say that neither was as interesting as expected due to a lack of striking flavor. The ramen broth itself was underflavored, and the pork belly was chewy. Their rice plates, containing one type of meat, white rice, and a mixture of vegetables were unremarkable — though reminiscent of the ones served at nearby Hana Kitchen.

However, the restaurant provides a substantial number of customization options for their ramen, offering commonly found toppings such as soft boiled eggs and bamboo shoots. I would caution that these may be priced steeply. For example, they charge $1.50 for a light sprinkling of green onions.

The saving grace of the meal for me was the takoyaki. Fried well and topped generously, I enjoyed these flavorful bites. While my enjoyment of them may have to do more with my personal love for the Japanese street food, it was something which One Piece executed well enough that it has enticed me into future visits.

The restaurant offers an extra large rice bowl and ramen challenge, priced at 26 and 30 dollars respectively. Customers are given a half hour to finish the massive meal. If they are able to achieve this, they are awarded placement of their picture on the wall along with having their meal price waived. Qian told The Bottom Line that only one person has completed the challenge, but he would like to see many others try.

Qian also revealed plans for future challenges, saying, “Later we plan to release more ramen of five different spice levels … If they can finish Level Five in ten minutes, then they can get it for free.” While this may seem like just another promotional gimmick, it does promise an entertaining event for gatherings of friends to take place and watch.

While One Piece Ramen may fall short in the task of packing a punch of flavor, the restaurant does fill in a long vacant niche for a ramen shop in I.V., bringing in a varied offering of fun features to give it true potential as a local hangout spot.