Longtime restaurateur Shannon Gregory has started planning and construction on his fourth business venture in Marin.
The restaurant, which is set to open in June, is called the Bar Auklet after a seabird native to the area and aims to offer a high-end bar and restaurant experience not currently available in the rest of Point Reyes Station.
Gregory has been the owner of The Marshall Store Oyster Bar and Smoke House since October 2006, and took over Route One Bakery and Kitchen in 2020 during the pandemic. Additionally, he opened up a take-out-only offshoot of The Marshall Store, Out the Door, two years ago.
He emphasizes the connection between his businesses as a key feature. “The bakery supplies The Marshall Store with bread, and I think that the symbiosis of The Marshall Store with the bakery is really strong,” he says. “With this new place, we are excited to have this supply of readily available shellfish right out of the tanks from the Tomales Oyster Company, which my sister runs.” He hopes this connection between Bar Auklet and surrounding suppliers, as well as the unique type of business he is adding to the area, will make it a successful venture.
This local supply chain is not just a convenience; it is the tread that weaves through all of Gregory’s businesses. In an era where most restaurants rely on massive and centralized distributors, his ability to source bread and seafood within his own family and businesses creates a closed-loop system. This method ensures that the ingredients stocked at Bar Auklet will be fresh and will truly reflect the Tomales Bay and Point Reyes regions of Marin. By keeping these ingredients sourced close to home, he is also reinforcing the West Marin economy, one that heavily relies on the success of independent agriculture production.
Bar Auklet will occupy the old Station House building, a property offered to them by the Point Reyes Good Luck Fund. This is a program aiming to preserve the character and community assets of greater Point Reyes through buying and restoring key buildings in the area. Through leasing the Station House property to Gregory, the organization hopes to develop a business that will boost the local economy. “I think restaurants are struggling right now. The cost of goods is really high, and a lot of landlords are charging too much rent,” notes Gregory. “So having the Good Luck Fund come in has been very supportive.”
The physical space of the Station House building itself holds a lot of history for the community, and stepping into it comes with a sense of responsibility. By easing the burden of high rent present in many other locations around the country, the partnership with the Good Luck Fund has allowed Gregory to focus more on what matters most: the food. This collaboration may become the blueprint for how rural, high-tourism communities can combat gentrification, or the increased presence of wealthier residents, ensuring that local programs are the ones shaping the town.
Observes Gregory, “The demographic obviously has changed quite a bit during the last 15 years. More money, more wealth; you really can’t stop it from happening.”
The connection proves that when property owners and local visions align, the result can be both rewarding economically and culturally.
This bar fills a void in the greater Point Reyes area, as it provides an elevated menu and wine program to both residents and tourists alike. It also allows Gregory to experiment with a new type of restaurant. “At The Marshall Store, we’ve had the same menu for 17 years now,” he says. “It really works in that position because it’s efficient and tourism based, but I haven’t really been able to do something like this before.” In Bar Auklet, he hopes to serve elevated food that most would only be able to get in San Francisco.
While West Marin has long been celebrated for its rustic charm and world-class ingredients, it has rarely been home to highly curated dining experiences. Bar Auklet aims to connect the two, bringing the precision of city dining to the relaxed atmosphere of the coast without losing the soul of the area. “People will be able to walk in off the street and feel like they’re in West Marin, but with a little bit more high-quality service,” explains Gregory. “There’s going to be really good food, but a very casual environment.”
“[Bar Auklet] is kind of me stepping up and trying to create a really great experience and a level of quality that is not available anywhere around,” he says. He hopes that both locals and tourists alike will come to enjoy the elevated menu and experience he is trying to create, which will be completely different from what’s typical in Point Reyes. And he plans to serve a lot of small dishes, all costing under $30.
The goal for Gregory is for visitors to be able to try the wide variety of ingredients the restaurant stocks through several shared plates, instead of the large main-dish typical of other businesses in the area.
“Stationhouse Cafe has been in town for 30 years; they make good food, but it’s been the same thing,” Gregory says. “I think we need something that’s a little more fresh and exciting for locals and tourists.”
He credits a lot of his successes, as well as his hope for the success of Bar Auklet, to the team he has behind him. With the help of his talented chefs and management, he will be able to operate all four businesses simultaneously.
“The good management I have will allow me to be [at the bar] every day, at least for the first few years,” he points out. “That means there’s room for us to grow there.”
This hands-on approach is evidence of Gregory’s dedication. While many business owners might step back from their businesses once reaching a certain level of success, he is determined to be present in the day-to-day operations of the bar. His physical presence in Bar Auklet will ensure that the high standards he is aiming for are met consistently and that he can directly connect with the community he serves.
After the doors open in June, Gregory does not have plans to open a new venture. Although he deeply enjoys the process of planning and running a business, he believes that the bar will be his final one. “I really like creating. I really like working with people who are talented,” says Gregory. “But at this point, I think this one is the last one.”
Bar Auklet is located at 1180 Hwy. 1, Point Reyes Station. It opens in June.
