The article spotlights the transition of Marin County’s longtime Silver Peso, a neighborhood bar with roots dating back to the 1930s, as local stewards take the helm.
Rebel Lee has sold the venue and its remaining lease to Conor Flaherty of Tiburon and Max Perry of Corte Madera. They’re aiming for a St. Patrick’s Day reopening, once the liquor-license transfer wraps up.
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Flaherty and Perry, who run Sam’s Anchor Cafe in Tiburon, feel a deep connection to Marin’s towns. They promise to keep the Peso’s dive-bar soul alive, not rebrand it or strip away the grit.
The property at 450 Magnolia Ave. has seen a lot of local investment lately. Prior owners Tommy and Shannon Lamanna funded big structural updates, breathing new life into the bones of the place.
Rebel Lee, who bought the Peso in 2015 and has been sober for 30 years, reflects on the bar as a community hub that shaped his life. He’s grateful as he passes the torch to fellow locals—there’s a sense of real gratitude in his words.
A New Chapter for a Marin Institution
Marin County residents from Sausalito to San Anselmo know the Silver Peso as a staple of Magnolia Avenue. It’s a spot where stories and evenings mingle with the hum of old-school beer taps.
The new owners want to keep the Peso’s laid-back, booze-forward atmosphere. They’re also thinking about the future, hoping to give families in Larkspur and Corte Madera a familiar, dependable spot to unwind.
Flaherty and Perry talk a lot about continuity, not reinvention. They want regulars to keep coming back to a place with a history as sturdy as the building itself, nestled right near San Rafael’s vibrant downtown and not far from Novato’s dining scene.
Honoring Rebel Lee and Local Roots
Rebel Lee’s legacy extends beyond the bar’s doors. He helped shape how folks in Marin—and especially in Tiburon and Belvedere, where he built up a following—remember the Peso.
A 2015 surfing accident left Lee with a traumatic brain injury and migraines, making it tough for him to work behind the bar. Still, his 25 years at the Peso left a real mark on the north Bay’s social fabric.
His decision to sell came after a 2025 car crash sped up his thoughts about the future. He’s got plans for a tribute cocktail, a little bridge between past and present that plenty in Marin will appreciate.
Renovations and Ready-to-Serve
The ownership change comes with some practical improvements. These updates honor the building’s heritage but make it work better for everyday crowds from Sausalito, Corte Madera, and Mill Valley.
The two-story spot at 450 Magnolia Ave. got almost a full overhaul, thanks to the Lamannas. Inside, you’ll notice new flooring, refreshed bathrooms, upgraded beer taps, and a new point-of-sale system.
The classic drink-focused menu isn’t going anywhere. That’s staying put.
For the reopening, they’re hoping to welcome guests around St. Patrick’s Day, if the liquor-license transfer goes through. Flaherty plans to lend his operations expertise, while Perry will take on the day-to-day, making for a smooth handoff that locals in Tiburon and Corte Madera can feel good about.
What’s Changing (and What Isn’t)
- The interior’s getting a real facelift, with upgrades that finally match what long-time Peso fans in San Rafael and San Anselmo expect.
- The drink-forward menu sticks around, keeping the bar’s old-school character that locals tie to Sunday evenings in Fairfax or those random Tuesday nights in Novato.
- They’re planning a new tribute cocktail for Rebel Lee. It’s a nod to nostalgia, but with a twist that feels right for Marin’s crowd—old and new.
- Opening day depends on a smooth liquor-license transfer. Most small bar owners in Marin—think Larkspur or Sausalito—know the drill with these regulations.
Marin County keeps juggling growth and tradition, and the Silver Peso’s next chapter is a pretty good reminder of what small, local bars bring to the mix. From Tiburon to Corte Madera, Mill Valley to Sausalito, these spots weave into the social fabric in ways you just can’t fake.
The St. Patrick’s Day reopening should feel like more than another bar relaunch. For plenty of folks, the Peso’s still a community anchor—a place where memory, belonging, and the simple pleasure of a drink with neighbors just sort of come together. That’s not something you see every day, right?
Here is the source article for this story: Larkspur’s Silver Peso begins new chapter
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