Montgomery Village's New Storefronts This Fall: Who's National, Who's Local, and What Changed Along the Way

Three doors sit side by side on Magowan Drive. At 2409 there's a yoga studio with 15 teachers on the schedule. At 2415 there's a nurse-led ear-piercing studio, and at 2417 a shop that sells party decor alongside Swedish candy. Two of them are owned by people from here. The third belongs to a New York chain with more than 100 locations, and this is its first studio in the North Bay.

That one stretch of storefronts sums up Montgomery Village in fall 2026. Most of the headlines since 2021 have been about national brands arriving. The local shops never went away, though. They turned over: some owners retired, some leases ended, and new owners and a few downtown transplants took their places. According to The Press Democrat, a center spokesperson counted 22 locally owned businesses in June 2026, out of 69 storefronts. Thirteen of those storefronts were vacant at the time.

The Magowan Drive Row, Door by Door

The Press Democrat reported the latest batch of openings on Oct. 8. By the time you read this, all three Magowan Drive storefronts are open. Rowan's listing on the center's site moved to "Now Open" after its Oct. 17 grand opening.

Olives and Agave took over the former Cascabel space on Village Court. That gives the restaurant side of the center an independent kitchen to go with chains like Sweetgreen and Mendocino Farms.

The national list keeps getting longer. Madewell is expected in early to mid-2027, the denim brand's first store in Sonoma County; its closest location before this was in Corte Madera. Palmetto Superfoods, a San Francisco açaí bowl chain, is projected for the same window at 525 Hahman Drive. Beach by Everything but Water, a swimwear retailer, is also slated for 2027. Those join a 2026 run that already brought Kendra Scott, Face Foundrié, L'Occitane and Blue Bottle Coffee. Apple's arrival got the most attention. In January, the store relocated from across town, and customers lined up before the doors opened.

How Five Years of Turnover Actually Unfolded

The Codding family opened Montgomery Village in 1950 with 13 businesses. Boston-based WS Development bought the 280,000-square-foot center in 2021, reportedly for $93 million. Here is how the local side of the directory has changed since then.

1. 2021, Village Art Supply. Owners Kristen and Zak Kiriakos retired after a store history of nearly 30 years, as The Press Democrat reported.
2. End of 2022, Cattlemens. The steakhouse wrapped up a run of about 52 years at the Village and moved to Rohnert Park. According to The Press Democrat, the company said its lease had expired without agreement on a new one, and the chance to buy its new site also played a role.
3. February 2023, Clutch. WS Development didn't renew the boutique's lease, The Press Democrat reported. Owner Xin Wu kept the business going online.
4. 2023, The Classic Duck. Owner Lynette Boisvert retired after 41 years, as reported in the same Press Democrat story.
5. March 2023, Cupcake arrives. The children's clothing boutique moved from downtown Santa Rosa after the center reached out to owner Jenny Romeyn while her downtown lease was up for renewal, according to The Press Democrat.
6. Summer 2024, Punch arrives. Owner Ru Scott moved her flagship from downtown to a Village space nearly 700 square feet larger, which gave her room for distribution and online orders, as The Press Democrat reported.
7. June 2026, Bird's Nest. The gift and art boutique had been at the Village since 1995. According to The Press Democrat, its lease ended four years after it had moved within the center.
8. September–October 2026, three new local openings. Great Company, Olives and Agave and Cabuya Yoga opened in this window.

Lined up this way, the list shows two retirements and three lease endings, one of them a long-running restaurant that also had the chance to buy property elsewhere. Over the same years, two downtown boutiques chose to move to the Village. Copperfield's Books, Sonoma Bagel and Deli, Made Local Marketplace and Sonoma Outfitters are still in the center's directory.

The Bird's Nest Exit Is the One Still Open-Ended

The most recent departure is the only one on that list without a next chapter yet. Bird's Nest began in a front yard in Bodega under founder Linda Cargile, who opened the Village shop in 1995 on a month-to-month lease. Jan Cheek helped run the store from the start and took it over in 2022. Talking to The Press Democrat in June, Cheek put it simply: "I would stay if they had a place. But there's not a space available." She described a future location that could be "part boutique, part maker's workshop."

The shop's website hasn't listed a new address yet. For now it reads "We miss you and will keep you posted."

In the same Press Democrat story, Santa Rosa Metro Chamber CEO Ananda Sweet described the center's balance this way:

"I think a strong retail economy really does depend on both local businesses and the national brands. And from the mix I see at the Village, that's a big part of their success."

What the Remake Built Between the Storefronts

The physical changes help explain why a yoga studio and a dinner-party shop would choose this spot. The center's Courtyard construction page describes new hardscape, upgraded landscaping and furnishings, a children's play area with a Little Free Library, and a dog-relief area. According to The Press Democrat's 2024 coverage, the Passage, a covered walkway running north to south, added storefronts and public space and made it easier to move through the center. NorthBay biz described the Courtyard's new role as an event and gathering hub.

The events calendar has changed as well. The Coddings hosted as many as 65 concerts a year. Programming now centers on recurring formats like Fête de la Musique, Wellness Weekends and the monthly summer Sunset Socials. The 2026 Socials season ended Aug. 27. A studio that fills a 15-teacher schedule and a shop that stocks party supplies both depend on steady weekday and weekend foot traffic. The redesigned Courtyard was built to draw that traffic.

Thanksgiving Weekend at the Village and Downtown

So far the center has posted one holiday date. A Very Merry Weekend runs Friday, Nov. 27, through Sunday, Nov. 29, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with retail offers, family entertainment and seasonal decorations. Last year's tree lighting, weekend Santa photos and extended hours were all announced in November, so watch the Montgomery Village events page for the 2026 versions.

That Friday also overlaps with downtown. The Santa Rosa Metro Chamber's Winter Lights Tree Lighting Celebration takes place at Courthouse Square from 4 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 27, with live entertainment, food, Santa photos and the lighting itself, according to Visit Santa Rosa. You could shop Magowan Drive's local storefronts during the day and still make it downtown before the tree lights up.

I follow storefront changes like the ones on Magowan Drive as closely as I follow sales, because they shape what it's like to live here. If you're wondering how the Village's evolution plays into your own plans, Crystal Davis is glad to talk it through over coffee, and Blue Bottle is right there. Let's talk about your next move.