Forty years in the restaurant business, by any measure, is a long time. Marin’s Sean Saylor has been at it for at least that long. Closing his namesake bar and restaurant last November came as a bit of a shock. The Sausalito fixture had been at its Bridgeway location since 2006, first as Saylor’s South of the Border, before rebranding as Saylor’s Restaurant and Bar in 2011. A previous Saylor’s Landing had been in operation from 1999 until 2006 on Harbor Drive in Sausalito, now the Sausalito Seahorse.
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Saylor’s career is a perfect metaphor for the restaurant business as a whole. Instead of a cohesive plan, it’s a story of bits and pieces, recipes and measures, opportunity and adaptation. In 1984, while still at Redwood High School, Saylor began in the restaurant business working nights as a dishwasher at Red Boy Pizza in Larkspur.
“I just kept moving up in positions at Red Boy, and when I left there, I was the manager,” Saylor said. “By then, I had gotten tired of pizza. So, I quit and got a job at Salute in San Rafael — in the pizza station, of course.”
As most restaurant stories go, there were a series of restaurant jobs that followed. But then, while employed as the chef at Eugene’s Restaurant in the Larkspur Landing area, he took the unusual step of returning to school — to become a chef! He concedes that he might not have actually been ready for the position he’d held at that point.
“Well, when you’re the guy who’s been there the longest and you know the menu and the chef leaves, that’s what happens,” he said.
After graduating from the California Culinary Academy in 1997, he opened Saylor’s Landing in 1999.
“Once the first place closed, and that was mostly seafood and California cuisine, we opened the second one, and that was strictly Mexican food,” he said. “We kind of combined the two restaurants as far as menus went, so an identity crisis kind of set in, as far as who we were and what we were. And so that’s what prompted the name change becoming a combination of the two.”
And that restaurant was a favorite for Sausalito locals for nearly 15 years.
“Saylor’s was more than a restaurant. It was the heart of our community,” said Sausalito Chamber of Commerce Board Member Kim Huff. “It was a place where stories were shared, laughter flowed and milestones were celebrated. Sean and Sonja created more than just a lively atmosphere; they crafted a home, one where everyone was welcomed with warmth and kindness. Their greatest gift was not just in the delicious food, but in the way they brought us together, through connection, shared moments and the comfort of being among friends.”
But all of that ultimately reached a head, first with the challenges of the pandemic, then the post-pandemic, until finally the 56-year-old had had enough.
“It’s a big responsibility,” said Saylor of running a restaurant. “Because it wasn’t just my livelihood, it was also the livelihood for all those who worked for me, too. I worked hard to make sure that they were good, and that they were taken care of.”
And that’s what made the decision to close so difficult.
“You have that weight that’s just on you. It can drag you down. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy what I did, because I did. But that’s one of the factors that will make up your mind for you. It’s a daily thing. It just gets tiring after a while,” he said.
But he concedes that overall the good far outweighed the bad.
“I did look forward to going into work, mainly for my staff and for my guests. The joy and happiness you can give them is very gratifying. To have someone come in and call your place the ‘Cheers’ of Sausalito was one of the highest compliments in my book. I love what I do, and not many people are able to say that,” he said.
Marin local, distiller and worldwide rock star Sammy Hagar might have put it best. When I reached out to him to comment on his longtime friend’s retirement from the restaurant industry, this is what he said: “Sail on Saylor into a beautiful sunset. It’s been a long, smooth, wonderful adventure. Thank you!”
To clear up some of the rumors and innuendos that surround any restaurant’s closure, we reached out to Saylor himself for clarification on a few points.
Q Saylor’s closed last November, right before the holiday season, which seemed like strange timing. What was the reason for that?
A In early November, we received notice from our insurance agent that our already high liability insurance policy was coming to an end and the new policy was going to more than double. Our business and building had been for sale for more than a year, and we were actually planning on shutting down operations at the end of 2024 anyway. We had very few holiday parties booked for December, so it seemed like a good time to pull the plug before having to renew our insurance.
Q What were the main factors contributing to your final decision to close?
A Besides the insurance, we have had many hurdles in 2024. Inflation and the costs for almost everything had gone up significantly over these past two years. Increasing minimum wages for California were also a factor. The election, and the proposed tariffs on major staples that we use that come from Mexico, made it seem like the costs would be unsustainable for our business. An already difficult business just seemed like it was going to get more and more difficult to run and try to make a profit.
Q There’s a saying: The best thing about the restaurant business is the people. And the worst thing about the restaurant business is also the people. What would you add to that?
A I think that everyone should work at least one day in customer service. Most people just don’t realize how hard it can be. I think if they did, people would be a little more sensitive and kinder to the people who serve them. With the knowledge that you cannot please everyone, our goal was to always try to please them anyhow. Seeing people leave happy, with smiles on their faces, always made it worthwhile.
Q Are you planning on opening another restaurant?
A I have been involved in opening and closing several restaurants over the years, including two of my own. Both opening and closing have their own unique challenges. Neither are easy. By owning your own business, you are basically on 24/7. There is no downtime. The pandemic made me realize that life is short and that I am ready for that downtime now. So, the long answer is no.
Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at jeffbarflyIJ@outlook.com
Recipe
Golden Tiki
Ingredients
1 ½ ounces Sammy’s Beach Bar Platinum Rum
½ ounce cognac or premium California brandy (such as Germain Robin or Charbay)
½ ounce good-quality triple sec (such as Cointreau, Combier, Naranja, etc.)
½ ounce agave nectar
1 ounce piece of fresh pineapple, cored and skinned
1 pineapple wedge for garnish
Directions
In a cocktail shaker, muddle fresh pineapple until pulpy. Fill with ice and then add the first four ingredients. Shake until well combined and then strain into an ice-filled serving glass. Garnish with the pineapple wedge.
This recipe is adapted from Hagar’s 2022 book “Sammy Hagar’s Cocktail Hits” (page 42).