With stores and restaurants lining its 600-mile stretch from San Diego to Sonoma, El Camino Real has been central to California communities since its establishment in 1550. For local businesses on El Camino, the busy street brings many customers, but it comes with downsides, including traffic and limited parking.
Location and Visibility
Celia’s, a Mexican restaurant, has been located at 1850 El Camino Real in Menlo Park since 2003 as part of a family-owned venture that began in 1968. Celia’s thrives on El Camino Real’s heavy traffic, drawing customers from across the Peninsula. “It’s a great location for us since it is one of the most traveled roads in the Bay,” Hector Robles, a manager at Celia’s, said.
“We keep serving our happy and regular customers,” Fambrini’s Cafe manager Nick Vasi said. Fambrini’s, a charming restaurant at 2500 El Camino Real in Palo Alto, has served the community since 2011 and enjoys the visibility and steady stream of loyal customers from their location.
At 949 El Camino Real, the Guild Theatre is a lively addition to Menlo Park that benefits from being on a noticeable stretch. The live music venue recently reopened after renovations but has been a Menlo Park staple since 1926. “It is incredibly valuable that we are right on the main drag and visible to everyone traveling this historic route,” Barry Synoground, the Guild’s general manager, said.
Parking
Being on one of the busiest roads makes offering parking difficult. “We are lucky that we have a pretty big parking lot at Celia’s because there are a lot of strict rules when it comes to parking on El Camino and just on the streets of Menlo Park in general,” Robles said. “If there’s no parking available, then customers tend to leave because there’s no other options.”
Vasi had no significant complaints about Fambrini’s current location. “If there were a change in the El Camino stretch, additional parking would be needed,” he noted.
Just down the road at 1010 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, Kepler’s Books benefits from its underground parking and proximity to the CalTrain station and popular businesses like Cafe Borrone. “It’s pretty walkable and really safe,” Jasmine Valandani, children’s team manager and buyer at Kepler’s, said. “It’s close to the CalTrain, and we have easy parking. But, there aren’t really bike lanes, and you don’t see many people walking on El Camino. I would love for the area to feel a lot more bicycle-friendly.”
Kendra Calvert, the Menlo Park public engagement manager, shared her input on behalf of the Community Development Department staff. The CDD has a General and Specific Plan, which are legal documents required by the State to plan the use of city land. “The Specific Plan’s design standards, development regulations, and policies help implement these principles. As Menlo Park continues to evolve, future changes will involve a careful balance of benefits and impacts, as charted in the General Plan goals, policies, and programs,” Calvert said.
Foot Traffic
Foot traffic is crucial for the Guild Theatre, as many tickets are sold through their box office window. “I think people enjoy the personal touch of talking to a person, picking a seat, and getting a physical ticket,” Synoground said.
At Kepler’s Books, Valandani observed that while their location is walkable, El Camino lacks short-distance pedestrian activity. “Even though it’s safe to walk around here, you don’t really see people walking on El Camino,” Valandani said.
Many business owners are interested in an improvement in accessibility to drive customers to their stores. “For pedestrian safety, I feel like there should be more traffic lights and crosswalks just to slow cars down and make the area safer,” Robles said.
Menlo Park officials have recognized these concerns and are working on specific improvements. “Currently, city staff have been directed by the City Council to focus on designing and implementing improvements to pedestrian and bicycle crossings of El Camino Real at multiple intersections, including completing missing crosswalks at Ravenswood, Encinal, and Roble Avenues,” Calvert said.
Community and Economic Impact
Kepler’s Books has been a part of Menlo Park’s community since 1955 and has held its current location since 1993. Since then, many large technology companies have been founded in Menlo Park, which has boosted the local economy. “We partner with different businesses and do special bulk orders for them, which probably helps our sales,” she said.
The Guild Theater also thrives on local development, with nearly 90% of its ticket buyers coming from a five-mile radius. “We are satisfying a hyper-local need for entertainment,” Synoground said. “Since we are an entertainment establishment that serves the public, the more development near us, the better, as we expand our potential customer pool.”
The City works with local businesses and residents to shape Menlo Park’s growth through public meetings, email subscriptions, social media, and pop-up events. “We also host office hours to answer questions from community members, and the City incorporates feedback from community members to balance and shape Menlo Park’s future,” Calvert said.
If you have any concerns about El Camino Real, you can reach the Menlo Park City Council here.
