Menlo Park Mayor Betsy Nash recently announced in her weekend newsletter that Bay Area Italian chain Original Joe’s would be moving into the vacant Left Bank Brasserie building at 635 Santa Cruz Ave., though company representatives clarify that a final agreement has not yet been executed, Palo Alto Daily Post reported. Original Joe’s spokeswoman Sarah Nardolillo told the publication that while the restaurant chain remains interested in the downtown space, no lease has been signed. Nardolillo explained that the process of securing a new location involves multiple stages and procedural steps that the business is still actively navigating.
The mayor's public statement regarding the location came immediately ahead of a local vote on Measure P, a ballot initiative focused on the future of downtown parking infrastructure. Had the agreement been finalized, securing Original Joe’s for the prominent Santa Cruz Avenue storefront would have marked a notable success for Mayor Nash and members of the city council, who have faced steady criticism from supporters of Measure P over the number of empty commercial properties along the city's central business corridor. Measure P was placed on the local ballot by downtown business owners seeking to prevent the municipality from converting downtown public parking lots into public housing developments without prior voter approval. Proponents of the measure argued that removing public parking spaces would create significant access difficulties for downtown shoppers, turning the physical condition and economic health of the downtown area into a central focus of the municipal election.
In addition to the potential deal at 635 Santa Cruz Ave., Mayor Nash highlighted several other retail transitions currently underway along the downtown commercial strip in her newsletter. Among the upcoming changes detailed by the mayor is the planned transformation of the former Goodwill Boutique space at 711 Santa Cruz Ave. into MPower Yoga, an establishment that intends to provide instruction and training. Further down the corridor at 714 Santa Cruz Ave., a new pet business named Steve and Lulu—offering a dog spa, playground, and retail shop—is set to take over the space previously occupied by Ruby and Flegel’s Home Furnishings. Additionally, a new dining option called Slice House, a pizza restaurant, is scheduled to open at 775-777 Santa Cruz Ave., taking over the property that formerly housed the Pet Place and Rug Center.
Should negotiations conclude successfully, Original Joe’s would bring a long-standing regional tradition to Santa Cruz Avenue. The family-owned Italian restaurant brand was originally established in San Francisco in 1937 and has since expanded across the Bay Area. The concept is known for featuring an open exhibition kitchen layout, traditional red leather seating booths, classic cocktail service, and a substantial menu of Italian-American comfort dishes served within a retro setting. Among the brand's signature menu offerings are chicken parmigiana, housemade ravioli, baked lasagna, fried zucchini, and a dish listed as Joe’s Famous Hamburger Sandwich.
The commercial property at 635 Santa Cruz Ave. became available following the closure of Left Bank Brasserie in June, ending the French restaurant's 28-year operation in Menlo Park. At the time of the shutdown, General Manager Roderick Sevilla told the news outlet that rising labor expenses represented the single greatest operational challenge for the establishment. Sevilla noted that the restaurant struggled to maintain profitability while operating under Menlo Park’s municipal minimum wage of $17.55 per hour, a rate established by the city council. With narrow profit margins on a dining facility of that scale, Sevilla explained that the business could no longer sustain operating in the red, adding that restaurants throughout the entire region were experiencing identical financial pressures. The closure was part of a broader contraction by Left Bank’s parent firm, Vine Hospitality, which also shut down its restaurant locations in Tiburon, Larkspur, San Ramon, and Santana Row.
