Gordon, whose business served as the anchor tenant at MVLY as owners Matt and Jan Mathews navigated its rebirth and reconstruction over those past five years, says he was sorry to see the store close its doors on Sept. 28.
“Mill Valley was a remarkable market for us and the Mill Valley Lumber Yard was a dream location — soulful and authentic,” he says. Guideboat was located in the approximately 2,800-square-foot former mercantile building along the inbound side of Miller.
Gordon, the visionary who started Restoration Hardware in 1979, built Guideboat around vintage guideboats, wooden rowboats used in the 19th century on the Adirondack River, as well as a wide array of upscale outdoors wear. Reports have indicated that while the Mill Valley store and its catalog business were widely successful, the brand’s three other stores – two in the Bay Area and one in Austin, Texas – were less so.
“It was a beautifully curated store with unique and high-quality products,” Jan Mathews says. “They created a destination in and of itself and an enjoyable shopping experience for the customer. The entire team was like family: Guideboat will be missed.”
Gordon noted that Guideboat has been acquired and that, to the best of his knowledge, the new ownership intends to operate the business through catalogs and online but without retail store locations.
Although they’ve already received some inquiries on the available retail space, Matt and Jan Mathews have not yet signed a lease with anyone. MORE INFO HERE.