San Marin Plaza has a New Gathering Place: Trailhead

For years the residential west side of Novato had no coffee shop and little nightlife. But that has changed with the soft opening of a dual-purpose business at San Marin Plaza.

The owners of Finnegan’s have brought in a “brew and brew” concept, named Trailhead, that serves coffee and breakfast food in the mornings and offers craft beer, wine, and a small food menu in the afternoons and evenings. It’s in a space just down the street from San Marin High School and at the foot of Mount Burdell. You’ll find Trailhead at 127 San Marin Drive, in a former Starbucks location.

Brothers Alex and Henry Hautau saw an opportunity to serve the underserved with this “brewhouse” – coffee bright and early and then the addition of adult drinks by lunchtime. They opened the doors slowly at the end of May and plan to ramp up as they fill out the staff.

“We both grew up in San Marin, we are rooted in Novato,” said Alex Hautau. “Our families, friends and many in Novato have been hoping for something like this on this side of town for a long time. We’re very excited to bring Trailhead here for everyone to enjoy daily.”

Starting at 6 a.m. each day, the morning game plan is to serve coffee, tea, other drinks, pastries, breakfast sandwiches and burritos. At the lunch hour, the menu will switch to traditional sandwiches, grilled paninis, salads, grab-and-go snacks, and adult beverages. All of it available via counter service, to grab a seat inside or outside, and also to go. Of course, the coffee will be poured all day long.

Local and regional beer will flow from the taps, along with a healthy wine list. Pat Odenthal, who oversees operations, said he’s been connecting with countless local craft breweries to create a stellar selection, including cans to go.

“We witnessed how much people appreciated our improved craft beer selections at Finnegan’s, and we’ll continue and expand on that at Trailhead,” Odenthal said. “We will offer something for everyone. Mostly, we just want it to be fresh and taste great. Our tag line for Trailhead is ‘Begin here. End here.’ Alex, Henry, and I are stoked about what is coming down the pike.”

Former Starbucks loyalists already know the interior layout in the spot tucked between Harvest Market grocery store and Mary’s Pizza. The coffee machines are in the same spot where they used to be during the previous iteration, but the space has undergone a substantial interior facelift. There are two main sections inside, one dedicated to serving the food and drinks and the other as a relaxing lounge. The upper lounge has some comfy seating, a few stand-up tables, and a TV or two.

The Trailhead concept is counter service only with community seating. Once a patron has ordered drinks and food, they can grab their drink, scout out a seat, and be alerted via a personal buzzer when to come up and grab the food order.

The Hautau brothers said they have been looking for the right spot to bring this concept to Novato.

“First, it fills an obvious void on this side of town,” Henry Hautau said. “The proximity to numerous schools, Kaiser medical offices, Rolling Hills Club, the drivers headed out to West Marin and the beaches, the sporting events at San Marin, and the obvious proximity to beautiful Mount Burdell and those who enjoy it. This location is ideal for all those reasons.”

Trailhead is hiring staff now. Experienced baristas and part-time cashiers are encouraged to apply. Applications can be submitted via trailheadnovato.com.