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According to the Pew Research Center, 86 percent of adults in the U.S. believe that small businesses positively affect the country compared to other industries. Many Larkspur residents say that downtown Larkspur, a hot spot for small businesses, has the same positive effect on the community. Magnolia Avenue has much to offer Larkspur residents and visitors, from restaurants to clothing boutiques to fitness studios. However, these Larkspur shops are not immune to the difficulties of owning and operating a small business. 

One local business in downtown Larkspur, tucked just behind Perry’s, is Brownie’s Pet Boutique, owned by Maria and Simon Contreras. Brownie’s Pet Boutique sells a wide range of pet products, from gourmet treat bars to dog shoes.

Simon Contreras and his wife came to the U.S. from Chile and sought out success in Marin as small business owners. Contreras has seen great success with local customers despite being in a less exposed location.

“The support of the local people was very surprising for us; it was not even close to being like that back in Chile. It’s like this small-town community vibe that you have here [in Larkspur]. It was very surprising for us. We get a lot of people just stopping by sometimes to ask how we’re doing [and] to say ‘Hi,’ and that’s very rewarding,” Contreras said. 

As a part of the Larkspur Chamber of Commerce, Contreras has been invited to events like Magnolia’s holiday event and chamber meetings. Still, getting to this point wasn’t an easy path for Contreras.

“The most challenging thing, besides opening the business itself, was the visa [application]. We had to apply for an investor visa, [which] was very tricky because we needed to have the business up and running first and then apply for the visa. We let [our employees] build the store, we went back to Chile and we waited for our approval. That took us six months. The store was running without us being here, so that was very tricky,” Contreras said. 

Since arriving back in the U.S., Brownie’s Pet Boutique has been featured in various local magazines, such as Marin Magazine’s Best of Marin, and has additionally received much praise online. 

A newer shop on the block, The Shack, offers scooped ice cream and other desserts for its customers. However, the history of The Shack extends beyond ice cream. Senior and employee of The Shack, Hannah Gould, has worked at this storefront for two different businesses with the same owner. 

“I first worked at XOXO Co., but there wasn’t enough foot traffic coming into the store and we weren’t making enough of a profit,” said Gould. 

The owner of XOXO Co., trying to find a profitable business after the giftshop failed, turned the store into an ice cream parlor now known as The Shack. The Shack is more appealing to younger ages and consistently sees more patrons. The transition from a gift shop to an ice cream parlor exemplifies the struggles of owning a small local business.

“I don’t think [owning a business] is easy due to its high rent, but Larkspur is a pretty popular town and more people are walking by daily,” Gould said.

Another local business operating for around 30 years is the St. Patrick’s Thrift Shop, owned by the neighboring Saint Patrick’s Catholic Church. St. Patrick’s Thrift Shop employees are all volunteers. Everything in the store, including the storage pieces, is donated. Even though their prices are on the lower side, they manage to profit each year. Barbara Coran is the manager of St. Patrick’s Thrift Shop and has been managing it since 2012. 

“We have a lot of very loyal customers, people who come on a very regular basis,” Coran said. “We do get a lot of foot traffic.” 

Many shoppers stop by the thrift shop as its location is right in the center of town. Coran noticed a particular uptake in business following the recent emphasis on climate change mitigation.  

“I think, especially after COVID-19, it seems that people are more inclined to want to think about sustainability. They want to reuse things. We definitely are busy,” Coran said.

Even though the St. Patrick’s Thrift Shop gives all the money they earn back to the Parish, meaning they don’t have a set rent price, they can still generate money. 

Small businesses perk up our community and many others across the country. These businesses in Larkspur are always looking for ways to promote their goods and services and work hard to ensure their time on Magnolia is not a waste. Supporting local businesses is a great way to contribute to the local economy and keep Larkspur’s downtown area lively and vibrant.