Redwood açaí lovers are saying a tearful goodbye as their go-to spot for healthy and refreshing bowls, which thrived for over a decade now closes its doors forever. Ohana is a vibrant and beloved café that introduced the community to the wonders of this exotic superfood and has been a cherished part of Marin County’s culinary landscape, leaving locals with both fond memories and a craving for one last taste of their signature açaí bowls.
Ohana owners Todd and April Donaldson are a married couple from Fairfax, who not only run Ohana but also Mana Bowls, another açai based café located in downtown Fairfax. They opened Mana Bowls 12 years ago, which has thrived on serving local students and families looking for a delicious treat.
“We were the first to do açaí in Marin County and we fell in love with it. We decided to [open] another one and we picked that great location [in Larkspur]. It was six years of a steady rise, and we did really well during the pandemic, ironically…It was unfortunate how it ended,” Todd said.
April Donaldson recounts the extensive preparations taken for Ohana before its opening, mentioning the dedication of time, energy and financial resources it took.
“When we moved in, it was just two blank walls. There was nothing there. It had been a pop-up, like an athletic store. We built the whole thing. Every single detail in that cafe we put in,” April said.
The Donaldson’s were caught off guard when they received an unexpected letter announcing the cafe’s closure.
“Our landlord refused to renew our lease for no reason whatsoever. We offered more rent, we offered double the rent. We offered everything under the sun because we wanted to stay so badly. It was just crushing. We thought maybe he would realize that he was making a mistake for the shopping center,” April said.
With these unforeseen events, the couple needed more time to adjust to the change. Within a few weeks, they were expected to close their storefront and be ready to depart.
“Our daughter graduated from Archie Williams High School three weeks after we opened the letter. And they literally wanted us out on her graduation day. They said, ‘We couldn’t care less. Get out on that day.’ We ended up finding out that the letter was delivered incorrectly. They hadn’t done the proper procedure. They gave us another week, ” April said.
Todd tried to share his experience with the landlord as best he could because he never got an opportunity to meet him.
“He never wants to meet, that’s the thing. And unfortunately, it’s impacted that shopping center and the community.
It’s not a good look [for him]. We spent a lot of money building that place and he took it away from us. He had every legal right to do it, but he doesn’t have any integrity,” Todd said.
For loyal customer and sophomore Mimi Wood, Ohana was her go-to lunch spot. Now, she is on the lookout for more places to eat and is having trouble adjusting to the cafe’s absence.
“I loved Ohana. It was an amazing place to go for lunch and the only smoothie bowl place I really liked,” Wood said.
The owners have had a plan to promote Ohana and Mana bowls to be as successful as possible. They have both been loved cafes for high school students from both Archie Williams and Redwood.
“Clean organic food. I mean, my daughter was in high school and growing up in this county, I liked giving back,” Todd said.
The Corte Madera commercial property owner was contacted and declined to comment. For now, the Ohana owners are hoping for the best for Mana Bowls while trying to figure out the next opportunity to open another spot for açaí somewhere throughout Marin.
