At noon on Saturday, May 30, the Silver Peso reopened its doors at 450 Magnolia Ave. The Humble Cheeseburger food truck was parked outside. Inside were new floors, new bar siding, upgraded bathrooms, new pool tables and a refurbished shuffleboard table. The new managing partner described the room this way: "It looks and feels exactly the same."
That reopening fits a larger pattern on downtown Magnolia this year. Every visible change has been paid for by people based in Larkspur and the towns around it. Each one landed on a modest footprint. The one change residents have asked the City Council for most directly is a downtown grocery store. It depends on the only large downtown parcel with a national corporate owner, and that parcel has been empty since 2023.
The Bar That Changed Hands and Kept Its Face
Two separate local investments sit behind the Silver Peso's reopening. Larkspur couple Tommy and Shannon Lamanna bought the historic building and co-invested in the structural and cosmetic work. The lease went to Max Perry, a Corte Madera resident, and Conor Flaherty of Tiburon. Both are managing partners at Sam's Anchor Cafe in Tiburon. They took it over from Rebel Lee, who had tended bar there for more than a decade before buying the business in 2015.
The plan was preservation. The new taps pour IPAs and Kolsch-style beers. The chalkboard cocktail menu runs to margaritas, negronis and martinis. Food comes from visiting vendors on weekends and during events. Hours, as reported at the reopening, are noon to 2 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekends. Check current details on the bar's own site at silverpesomarin.com.
The bar's first season didn't stay behind its own door. By September, the Silver Peso was pouring at a community fundraiser up the street.
A Sold-Out Dance With a Construction Budget Attached
On September 19, the Larkspur Community Foundation held its Rose Bowl Dance at the historic Escalle Winery, 771 Magnolia Avenue. Tickets were $195 and sold out. The '80s cover band Tainted Love played. Escalle has no parking, so two cable car trolleys ran a loop with several stops on Magnolia from 6:50 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The sponsor list reads like a directory of downtown. Tavola Rustica and the Lamannas both gave at the $10,000 level. Food and drinks came from Tavola Rustica, Copper Six, Hidden Splendor Beer, Honig Winery and the Silver Peso. Tavola Rustica opened at 286 Magnolia as The Rustic, a month after Locanda Marin closed in the same space. It was renamed so diners wouldn't mix it up with Rustic Bakery. Its owner-manager is Zoti Ali Turap.
According to the foundation, this year's proceeds are seeding a specific project. It's a small community space on Magnolia, directly across from the Lark Creek Shops.
What $400,000 Builds at the Foot of the Arch Street Stairs
The project is called Arch Street Landing. It would turn the empty lot at the base of the Arch Street Stairs into a native garden and plaza. The plans include seating, accessible paths, planted beds, a new drinking fountain and a new bus shelter, and the mature trees on the site would stay. The January concept centered the plaza on a mature buckeye tree. It kept the project to the Magnolia frontage rather than the whole hillside lot.
Here's the timeline so far:
- January 7, 2026: The City Council voted to move the concept forward for more site study and public comment. Mayor Stephanie Andre called it "a thoughtful and beautiful plan."
- January 12, 2026: The foundation's first estimate was $250,000. The foundation had committed $30,000, and residents had donated another $35,000.
- July 1, 2026: The council let the fundraising banner at the Arch Street Steps stay up longer, through December 31, 2026 at the latest.
- October 1, 2026: The foundation launched its formal campaign with a revised estimate of $400,000, to be paid for entirely by community donations. It's aiming to finish the plaza in summer 2027.
The estimate rose by $150,000 between January and October. Gifts from $500 to $25,000 will be recognized at the plaza. Summer 2027 is the foundation's target, and the public record found so far doesn't show full construction approval. The campaign page at the Larkspur Community Foundation is the place to watch for updates.
The plaza is a city-owned strip of frontage with a bus stop, a fountain and some benches. It's small, and it's moving because local donors can pay for it. Six blocks of addresses down Magnolia, the downtown's largest vacancy has no comparable path forward.
26,344 Square Feet on Two Acres, Closed Since 2023
The former Lucky at 570 Magnolia Ave. closed in 2023 after about 40 years. Albertsons owns the building, and Save Mart Companies ran the store. The property has about 26,344 square feet of building on roughly 2 acres. It's zoned "transitional downtown," which allows residential, commercial and other uses. In July it was listed for sale with no asking price, marked "best offer."
Residents have written to the council about it. One letter quoted by the Marin Independent Journal asked the city to "figure out a way to get us an affordable grocery store in the former Lucky's space." A July editorial in the same paper noted that the city had received several letters about the site and the need for a downtown grocery. It named the former Lucky and the former Bed Bath & Beyond at Larkspur Landing as the two largest vacancies in town.
The city has offered one incentive so far. Its housing element streamlines approval for a developer who includes a grocery store on the parcel. Mayor Andre explained the limits plainly: "The Lucky's parcel is a privately owned parcel, so the government only has so many levers it can do. We can't really dictate what goes in that space, although we can try to use the tools we can to encourage a market." She also said the city has been talking with grocery operators about other locations, but the talks are ongoing and she couldn't share details.
The latest public reporting on the site is from late July. Local news from August into early October doesn't show a sale, a buyer or a new proposal.
The Two Tools on the Table
On June 17, 2026, the council held an informational workshop on regulating vacant properties. The staff report said plainly that no council action was being requested. The city attorney laid out two options:
- A parcel tax. This would be a special tax, so it would need two-thirds voter approval. The city hadn't chosen which properties it would cover, how "vacant" would be defined, a rate or any exemptions. Categories under discussion included homes, ground-floor storefronts, standalone commercial or industrial buildings, and undeveloped land.
- A vacant-property registration program. It would carry annual fees and possibly maintenance standards, and the council could adopt it by ordinance without going to voters.
In the council discussion, the Bed Bath & Beyond space, the former Lucky and vacant banks near Bon Air came up as examples. None of them is on a final list. City Manager Dan Schwarz said staff would bring the idea back for another workshop. The staff report set August 7 as the deadline for putting a measure on the November 2026 ballot. The August cancellation and the posted council agendas through October 7 don't list a second workshop or any formal action. As of the latest public record, the topic is still at the discussion stage.
The Magnolia Roster, in Address Order
Here's what's operating along the corridor today, drawn from Marin Magazine's August 2026 Larkspur dining guide, Marin IJ reporting and the businesses' own sites. Hours change, so check each business directly before you go.
- Perry's on Magnolia, 234 Magnolia
- the shack., 236 Magnolia
- Boichik Bagels, 238 Magnolia
- Equator Coffees, 240 Magnolia
- Keiko Fish, 250 Magnolia, Suite B
- Tavola Rustica, 286 Magnolia
- Backstage, 295 Magnolia
- Pizzeria Picco, 316 Magnolia, and Restaurant Picco, 320 Magnolia
- Emporio Rulli, 424 Magnolia
- DJ's Chinese Cuisine, 435 Magnolia
- Silver Peso, 450 Magnolia
- Mag's Local Yogurt, 467 Magnolia
- Left Bank Brasserie, 507 Magnolia
- World Green Açai Bowl & Juice, 546A Magnolia
- Red Boy Pizza, 580 Magnolia, the next address on this list after the former Lucky at 570
Farther north are R'noh Thai at 1000 Magnolia and Internos Wine & Beer Bar at 1110 Magnolia. Internos is run by Adnan Abudaken and co-owner Tony Martinez.
The list covers bagels, coffee, gelato, two Picco dining rooms, a brasserie and a bar with a pool table. A full grocery run is the one thing it doesn't cover.
The Rest of October
Today, October 10, Marin Country Mart is holding its 14th Annual Pie Baking Contest at the farmers' market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with winners announced at 2. The city's calendar also lists a Piper Park Pumpkin Patch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Family movie nights at the Mart run every Friday at 6 p.m. through October 30. On October 31, the Halloween Spectacular runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a costume contest at 11 and trick-or-treating around the Mart. Back on Magnolia, the Arch Street Landing fundraising banner can stay up through December 31.
A lot of what shapes a Magnolia Avenue address is happening on the street itself: who owns a historic building, what a corner lot becomes, and when a long-empty parcel finally changes hands. If you'd like a clear-eyed view of how downtown's changes relate to your own property, RARE Properties Northern California would be glad to talk it through. Discover what's RARE about your home. Schedule a private consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
