The lights at downtown Larkspur’s Silver Peso may finally flicker back on. Tiburon restaurateur Conor Flaherty, the local behind Sam’s Anchor Cafe, and an investor group are buying the beloved dive bar, which has been closed since last spring after a car crashed into the building, causing structural damage. Owner Rebel Lee announced his retirement and the sale this week, saying he will step away while the new team handles repairs and staffing. The buyers expect to take over operations in roughly 30 days, once the liquor license is transferred.
In a video posted to the bar’s Facebook page, Lee told fans he is selling to Tiburon resident Conor Flaherty and his ownership group and said he trusts them to preserve the Peso’s unpretentious character. He said the buyers intend to keep the Peso the way the Peso is now. As reported by The Ark, Lee said the new owners would take over in about 30 days once the liquor license is transferred. He also said that juggling repairs, insurance and new landlords became impossible to manage alongside his deteriorating health, which pushed him to retire.
Silver Peso’s Long Local Run
The Silver Peso has anchored downtown Larkspur nightlife for generations, operating as a tavern since the 1930s and taking its current form in 1961, when Chester Wolmack bought the place after World War II. Rock legend Janis Joplin was among its patrons in the late 1960s, and the bar is celebrated for clinging to classic dive-bar traditions even as downtown real estate values climbed. SFGATE has chronicled the Peso’s long history and its closure after the May crash.
Flaherty’s Track Record in Tiburon
Flaherty is a Tiburon native and co-owner of Sam’s Anchor Cafe on Main Street, where he and his partners led a major remodel and helped revive a waterfront landmark without stripping it of its local feel. He and an investor group bought Sam’s roughly eight years ago and have run it as a busy local destination ever since. Eater SF has previously profiled Flaherty’s role at Sam’s and his approach to balancing updates with tradition.
Crash, Repairs and Ownership Change
The Silver Peso has been dark since May, after a car struck the rear of the two-story building, causing structural damage that now requires significant repairs. The building’s ownership changed hands late last year, and Lee told reporters he understood the new landlords would handle the repairs and get the bar open as soon as possible. SFGATE reported on both the crash and the obstacles Lee ran into while trying to reopen.
What Patrons Can Expect
Lee told regulars he wanted the Peso to remain “not a restaurant, a wine bar or anything like that,” and said he believes Flaherty will keep the bar’s dive sensibility intact. The new ownership group has signaled that reopening will center on safety, repairs and preserving the place’s character rather than overhauling it, and the community will get its first look once the license transfer and construction work are complete. As The Ark noted, Lee also expressed gratitude to patrons and staff for supporting the Peso through decades of change…