In 1911 the lower floor of the old Hotel Larkspur was rebuilt with blue basalt from the Larkspur quarry, and the building took the name it still carries, the Blue Rock Inn. That stone has lasted through Prohibition and a long list of proprietors, most recently the French brasserie Left Bank. This fall, nobody is serving food behind it.

Two blocks of Magnolia Avenue tell a clear story in 2026. The large spaces that went quiet were run or owned by companies based outside Larkspur. The places that opened or came back this year are small, run by locals, and in one case only five feet wide.

A building that outlived its tenant

The Larkspur Left Bank closed in late June. San Jose-based Vine Hospitality told employees on the Monday after Father's Day that it was closing the whole group. That meant Left Bank, LB Steak, Meso Modern Mediterranean, and Tiburon's Petite Left Bank. Larkspur got two last days of service. The state WARN notice listed 54 jobs at the Larkspur location, out of 343 across seven restaurants.

Larkspur was where the brand began. Ed Levine and chef Roland Passot founded Left Bank in Larkspur in 1994. The Menlo Park, Santana Row, San Ramon and Tiburon locations all came later. The money problems that closed the Larkspur restaurant came from the company as a whole. CEO Alistair Levine wrote in the WARN letter that the company had tried and failed to find new investors or capital.

The building has had many operators since the 1890s. Since late June, it hasn't had one.

Up the street, a bigger empty building

At 570 Magnolia, the same thing has been going on longer. The Lucky store there closed in 2023 after about 40 years. Albertsons owns the building, and Save Mart Companies ran the store. The building is 26,344 square feet on about 2 acres. CBRE is marketing it with no price, asking for "best offer." In late July, a closure notice was still posted at the entrance.

The city has done what it can from the outside. Larkspur zoned the parcel "transitional downtown," which allows residential, commercial and other uses. Its housing element also speeds up approval for any developer who includes a grocery store on the site. Mayor Stephanie Andre explained the limits in July:

"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."

This summer the city discussed a tax on long-vacant properties. That tax is not on the November 3 ballot. The only Larkspur measure going to voters is Measure S, which funds paramedic services.

Albertsons decides what happens at 570 Magnolia, and Larkspur can only nudge.

The small rooms that opened anyway

Almost everything else that changed downtown this year was the work of people who live nearby.

The Silver Peso at 450 Magnolia reopened this spring under new owners Max Perry and Conor Flaherty, who are both from Marin. They held on to the staff who make the bar what it is, including bartender Erica "Rikki" Blumenberg. Before she arrived at the Peso three years ago, Blumenberg tended bar at Ghiringhelli's Pizzeria, Gestalt Haus, Iron Springs Pub and Brewery, the Lighthouse Bar and Grill, Mac's at 19 Broadway, and Pete's 881 Club. Perry said in July that "the reopening is going incredibly well," and the Marin IJ reported a big crowd over the Fourth of July weekend.

Phoenix Used Bookshop opened at 501 Magnolia, a few doors from the Blue Rock Inn. It sells used books for children and teens. Owner Stef Tousignant had first planned an adult used bookstore and had about 15,000 adult titles in storage. Then she saw the space. It is five feet across, and she decided it had to be for kids. The shop's motto is "books build community," and Tousignant's description of a bookstore fits a small-town main street:

"It's one of the places left that we can all disagree and do it in a delightful way."

Neither business could fill the Blue Rock Inn or 570 Magnolia. Both opened in 2026 anyway, which is more than the two large buildings did.

Magnolia Avenue by street number

Here's what's open as of this fall, walking north. Marin Magazine's Larkspur dining guide, updated in August 2026, lists every one of these restaurants. Hours change, so check with each business before you go.

1. Equator Coffees, 240 Magnolia.
2. Restaurant Picco, 320 Magnolia. It turned 20 in April and was one of the food vendors at the 14th Downtown Larkspur Wine Stroll on August 29.
3. Silver Peso, 450 Magnolia.
4. Phoenix Used Bookshop, 501 Magnolia.
5. The Blue Rock Inn, closed since late June.
6. The Lark Theater, 549 Magnolia.
7. The former Lucky's, 570 Magnolia, empty since 2023.
8. Red Boy Pizza, 580 Magnolia. The family-owned business dates to 1969.

A few more stops are just off the list. Emporio Rulli's flagship is on Magnolia, and the same guide lists it as a Larkspur spot for breakfast and dessert. Perry's on Magnolia is also in the guide, and Farm House Local is around the corner at 25 Ward Street.

On the list above, the two closed buildings sit at No. 5 and No. 7, and the Lark sits between them.

October runs through the Lark

Through October, the nonprofit Lark Theater at 549 Magnolia gives people the most reasons to head downtown at night. Josh Costello took over as executive artistic director from Ellie Mednick at the end of 2025. The Lark partners every year with the Mill Valley Film Festival, and it is one of the venues for the 49th festival, which runs October 1 through 11. Here's what's left on the theater's calendar:

• Oct. 5: Coward at 4 p.m. and Shorts: Stay Free at 8 p.m.
• Oct. 6: Jail Time Records at 3 p.m., Illusion of Everlasting Summer at 6 p.m., and Shorts: City of the Dead at 9 p.m.
• Oct. 7: A break from the festival with the Met Opera's Così fan tutte at noon and 6:30 p.m., and Exhibition on Screen: James McNeill Whistler at 4:15 p.m.
• Oct. 8: Flies, Querida Fátima, and Shorts: If Music Could Talk.
• Oct. 9: Four festival films ending with Everybody Digs Bill Evans at 9:15 p.m., followed by a 4K Oldboy at 11:30 p.m.
• Oct. 10 and 11: The last festival weekend at the Lark, ending with Closure on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
• Oct. 12 to 14: Big-screen classics, including Lawrence of Arabia in 4K, West Side Story, Grand Prix, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
• Oct. 14, 6 p.m.: Marin Arts presents San Quentin Rehabilitation Center Films plus Cedars Shorts.
• Oct. 24 and 25: Marin Jazz's tribute to Jackie Ryan, then an Actors Reading Collective performance of Witch.

The theater's own description of its year includes live opera, National Theatre Live, art and architecture films, jazz, comedy, and civic fundraisers. It takes tax-deductible donations to keep that going.

Down at Larkspur Landing, Marin Country Mart's Oktoberfest is on today, Sunday, October 4, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. under the Big Tent. The Mart's honor-system heirloom pumpkin patch is open all month. On October 31 it holds a courtyard costume contest at 11 a.m. and trick-or-treating from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On Magnolia, the next thing to watch is whether anyone signs a lease for the Blue Rock Inn or 570 Magnolia. Until then, the Peso is pouring at 450, the five-foot bookshop is open at 501, and the Lark has something on the schedule nearly every night this month.

We follow downtown Larkspur closely because it's where our clients get their coffee, catch a film, and meet friends after work. If you own on or near Magnolia and want to know how the street's changes could affect your home's value, Tam Home Team can walk you through it over coffee at Equator. Get your instant home valuation or schedule a consultation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.