American lifestyle brand opens 1st Sonoma County store, fueling local shopping debate

Amid debate over bringing a “formula” store to Healdsburg’s downtown, Faherty quietly opened its doors earlier this month.

The American fashion brand that embodies a laid-back, coastal lifestyle launched its first store in Sonoma County with a soft opening Nov. 3, said Rommel Piring, a manager of several Faherty stores in the Bay Area.

The Healdsburg location, at 326 Healdsburg Ave. in the former Ooh La Luxe space, is the fifth store in the Bay Area, joining locations in San Francisco, Palo Alto and Corte Madera.

“It’s a great location,” Piring said. “I feel like our clientele based out of there were already online shoppers and some shopping that would go to our Corte Madera location.”

Twin brothers Alex and Mike Faherty, along with Alex’s wife, Kerry Docherty, created the clothing brand in New Jersey in 2013, and it is now based in New York. The Healdsburg location is one of 65 other Faherty stores across the nation.

Piring said the shop’s opening day drew plenty of curious visitors, eager to see what the store had to offer.

“Healdsburg seems like a very localized business like it seems like everyone knows everyone and they kind of know what’s new and what’s happening in the area. So for them to see us pop up was pretty cool,” he said.

The new store didn’t just spark curiosity — it also fueled discussions about expanding Healdsburg’s ordinance on formula stores to cover a larger portion of downtown.

Those discussions surfaced at a May city council meeting, where several residents raised concerns about Faherty’s arrival, referencing the city’s existing ordinance on formula businesses.

A formula business is one with standardized merchandise, services and branding, identical to 10 or more other locations.

During public comment, Marida Wimmer, owner of two Healdsburg stores, said she believed the ordinance prohibited formula businesses downtown.

“I think the bigger concern for Healdsburg is not just in conflict with my store but I think opening the doors for the likes – it could be The Gap, it could be, you know, Anthropology,” she said. “I think (it) is a very dangerous precedent to set for … how we move forward in Healdsburg.”

The ordinance prohibits formula businesses around the downtown historic plaza “to preserve its character of small, unique businesses that are attractive to residents and visitors.”

Others during the meeting suggested the City Council use more specific wording in the ordinance and expand the rule to other parts of downtown Healdsburg.

Since the store’s opening, Piring said reactions to the brand have been mixed. While some local shop owners may feel Faherty detracts from their businesses, he noted that most feedback has been positive.

“I feel like it’s always nice having reputable brands near you. It can be used like an anchor store,” Piring said. “We’re a brand that people are familiar with and people might travel there just for the brand, and other stores surrounding can also benefit from the foot traffic.”

Going forward, Piring said Faherty aims to be more in tune with Healdsburg and feels they have the right team to engage the community.

“We want the business to feel one with the community as everyone is there,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Melanie Nguyen at 707-521-5457 or melanie.nguyen@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @mellybelly119