 Beth Miller, owner of Marion Jackstons, plans a store move to 222-240 Main St., over Memorial Day weekend. |
After 41 years at 163 Main St. in downtown Los Altos, the popular children’s clothing store Marion Jackstons is moving. However, the good news for longtime customers is that the store is only moving a few blocks up the street.
Owner Beth Miller said she plans on having the store close at the old location Saturday and reopen at 222-240 Main St. by June 1. Marion Jackstons will occupy two spaces that formerly housed Ligtelyn Travel and Image Arts.
“We’re starting a new 40 years at a new location,” Miller remarked, noting the moving plans had been in the works since January.
“There is a definite lack of foot traffic” at the old location, Miller said, which prompted the move. “The top two blocks have lots of foot traffic. On the first two blocks, every parking space is filled.”
Miller said Marion Jackstons has enjoyed “fabulous, loyal customers for 40 years, but the people who are walking downtown may not come down here.”
Marion Jackstons faithful are all for the change, Miller said.
“To a person, everyone has said, fabulous move,” she said.
The closure of the old Los Altos Bar and Grill, followed by the closure of St. Stephen’s Green in that same location, has made “a huge difference” in decreased foot traffic, Miller noted.
Collette Cranston, who with husband Kim owns the 163 Main St. property and the Mikado restaurant property next door, said they would like to bring in another restaurant to that property but would be open to another popular retail store. The property has approximately 3,000 square feet on the bottom floor and an additional 800 square feet on a mezzanine.
“We’d like to see a family-style restaurant go into that space,” said Ted Garrett, executive director of the Los Altos Village Association, the downtown merchants group. “With Mikado, the Italian Deli and Cruz ‘n Cafe, we’d like to see that become a little restaurant area.”
Interestingly enough, Garrett said retail businesses are targeted for the former bar and grill location, including a pottery-making establishment. Garrett could not comment on the other business but noted the bar and grill location would be filled “very soon.”
Mikado
Meanwhile, Mikado Japanese restaurant, at 161 Main St., is under new ownership and in the midst of a “grand opening” to celebrate a new and expanded menu. Mikado is now open seven days a week.
New owner Jeanmann Park, in his fourth month of operation, is operating his first business after working as a sushi chef in the East Bay and in Washington, D.C.
His changes include organic tofu and a reverse osmosis water purification system to provide fresh water.
He said the lunch special bento boxes and combination dinner specials remain popular items and he’s improved the quality of the food with such changes as using New York steak for the beef teriyaki.
Sushi lovers who go to Mikado should be pleased to know that Naono Sato, a sushi chef with 30 years in the business, remains a fixture at the front of the restaurant, preparing sushi favorites for diners.
For more information about Mikado, call 917-8388.
