A (smaller) Santa returns to Santa Claus Lane

Two former Carpinteria High School (CHS) students, Trevor Madden and Tanner Richards, are bringing an iconic figure – albeit in a smaller fashion – back to Santa Claus Lane: a six-foot-tall metal statue of Santa Claus, soon to be outside their convenience store. 

The pair grew up in Carpinteria, and Madden said they both have fond memories of the old Santa Claus Lane stores, which included an enormous Santa Claus statue that was 18-feet-tall weighed more than 2.5 tons (CVN Vol. 26, No. 44, “A trip down Santa Claus Lane”). The famous statue was erected in 1948, where it remained until 2002, when the property owners decided to revitalize the shopping center and the statue was removed. 

Madden said he spent many summers visiting the store with his father and learning how to surf at the beach near the shops. The area was nostalgic for Madden, as it was for many who grew up in Carpinteria. 

The Santa Claus figure that will sit in front of the store was created by another CHS graduate, Ally James, a longtime friend of Madden and Richards. The statue was a labor of love for James, involving two weeks of tracing and cutting out the metal, and one week of painting. 

“Those guys are some of my best friends, so it was an honor to be included,” James told CVN. “It was such a fun project to work on.”

Richards and Madden had requested a “surfing Santa” for their commission, but the lei around Santa’s neck and his shaka hand gesture came from James, who said she was especially proud of how the lei came out. 

Madden and Richards have been friends since junior high, when he was in the seventh grade and Richards in eighth, according to Madden. “We fight like brothers,” he told CVN. 

Madden and Richards began discussing going into business together nearly two years ago, and quickly started playing with the idea of Santa returning to the lane. “We toyed with the idea of bringing Santa back, that’s kinda where it started,” Madden said. The property that will be Santa’s Convenience Store – 3825 Santa Claus Lane – went on the market eight months ago.

The store will have traditional convenience items, such as candy, snacks, drinks and other must-haves before a long road trip. It will also have knick-knacks and souvenirs, Madden told CVN, and he said he plans on stocking local items if possible. 

Another feature of the store will be a large suggestion board at the front. Customers will be able to write their suggestions on the white bord, and if enough people suggest an item, Madden and Richards will do their best to stock it.

Though he grew up in Carpinteria, Madden now resides in San Diego. He said he plans on running the back-end operation of the store, such as ordering and hiring staff, while Richards manages the front end, watching over the store and its staff. 

Santa’s Convenience Store, at 3825 Santa Claus Lane, is scheduled to open in mid-September.