A6
BUSINESS
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Leo’s Bar set to open at El Bajío
LEO’S BAR
BIZZ
BUZZ
When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day but Tuesday.
Phone: 541-426-3322
Where: 100 W. North St., Enterprise
By Bill Bradshaw
ENTERPRISE — The
popular El Bajío Mexi-
can restaurant in Enterprise
is adding a new feature —
Leo’s Bar that is slated to
open Thursday, July 15,
co-owner Leo Arenas said.
Situated for the past 18
years in what had been a
service station building at
the corner of North and
River streets, El Bajío has
been popular with locals
and out-of-towners alike.
Now, Leo wants to expand
on his restaurant by adding
the bar in what had been a
storeroom on the building’s
east side.
Although
alcoholic
drinks at the business aren’t
anything new, a special
place to consume them —
and enjoy company — is.
Woodworker and friend
Tyler Hauxwell did most of
the work building the actual
bar and long, bar-like tables
in Leo’s Bar. The two long,
tall tables will have stools
and are built so patrons sit
facing each other while they
drink, snack and talk.
“We’re just trying to
inspire other people to look
outside the box and doing
something other than just
watching television,” Haux-
well said. “I made this bar
specifi cally so people could
talk to each other face to
face. It’s something that’s
never really been done as
far as bars being proactive
so people face each other.”
Menu: https://zmenu.com/el-bajio-enterprise-on-
line-menu/
Also on Facebook
“I TRY TO DO THE BEST FOR THE
WHOLE COUNTY AND MAKE IT THE
BEST FOR THE LOCAL PEOPLE.”
Leo Arenas, co-owner of El Bajío
Mexican restaurant
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Leo Arenas, co-owner of El Bajío Mexican restaurant in Enterprise, center, stands in what will
become Leo’s Bar adjacent to the restaurant when it opens Thursday, July 15, 2021. At left is
woodworker Tyler Hauxwell, who did most of the woodwork in the bar, and at right is muralist
John Michener, who painted the agave plants and other murals on the walls. Below, Arenas
stands in the doorway of the bar.
The bar itself has a glossy
front over pictures of agave
plants, the native Mexican
plant from which tequila
is made. Agave plants also
are a common theme in the
murals on the walls.
Hauxwell said that in
his work on the bar, he was
hoping to repay Arenas for
the latter’s kindness when
Hauxwell was experienc-
ing trouble with his now-de-
funct chimney sweeping
business.
“We’ve
been
good
friends for quite a long
time,” Hauxwell said. “He
was one of the few people
around here who gave me
any respect.”
Arenas understood where
Hauxwell was coming from.
“He wanted to give
back,” Arenas said.
Longtime artist and mural
painter John Michener pro-
vided the creative touch for
the agaves.
“When I came here from
Southern Oregon, it was
just gray, concrete walls,”
Michener said. “I’ve been
painting murals all my life
— over 50 years. I came in
here to eat and there were
no murals or anything. I
showed Leo my portfolio
and told him to close his
eyes and imagine what he
wanted.”
Arenas said he wanted to
“bring a hacienda to life,”
complete with the agaves,
such as were common in the
Bajío — or valley — of his
native Guanajuato, in cen-
tral Mexico. He’s been in
this country for 22 years,
during which time he met
and married his wife, Audra,
a Baker City native. The
couple has two sons and
two daughters. The elder
& Skylight
Gallery
son, Pablo, regularly helps
around the restaurant.
Arenas said plans for
serving meals will remain
the same and bar patrons
will be able to wait there
while their tables are made
ready and their meals pre-
pared. Appetizers not yet on
the menu will be off ered in
the bar.
“If they want to order
from the regular menu,
they can go into the restau-
rant and we can come in and
tell them their table’s ready,
their food’s ready,” he said.
Arenas envisions adding
the bar to his restaurant will
be something that the county
will fi nd an improved asset.
“I try to do the best for
the whole county and make
it the best for the local peo-
ple,” he said.
———
Bill Bradshaw is a reporter
for the Wallowa County
Chieftain. Have a business
tip? Contact him at 541-
398-5503 or bbradshaw@
wallowa.com.
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1. Instagram pictures, e.g.
6. A portion of
10. Pushup counts
14. “Inuyasha” genre
15. Bread with palak paneer
16. Highway sign
17. Cabinet at Domino’s?
19. Caesar’s accusation
20. Had a meal
21. Oldest March sister
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22. Bay Area metropolis,
to nonlocals
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good-looking and irritable?
32. ___ for the course
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Dove
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mean canines?
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Joseph United
Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran
Church
3rd & Lake St. • Joseph
Pastor Cherie Dearth
10 AM Worship
Phone: 541-432-3102
409 West Main - Enterprise
Online AND In Person
For More Info
Worship
Online at
541-432-3102
JosephUMC.ORG
JosephUMC.org
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
at 9am
Pastor Cherie Dearth
Pastor John B. King Jr
phone (message): 541-426-4633
web: gracelutheranenterprise.com
Enterprise
Christian Church
St. Patrick’s
Episcopal Church
85035 Joseph Hwy • (541) 426-3449
We have ‘In-person worship” @ 9:00 am
(Guidelines observed)
Sunday School at 10:30
Parking Lot Radio/Facebook @ 9:00
100 NE 3rd St, Enterprise
NE 3rd & Main St
541-426-3439
Worship Service
Sunday 9:30am
David Bruce
Pastor, Enterprise Christian Church
Lostine
Presbyterian Church
Discussion Group 9:30 AM
Worship Service 11:00 AM
Childrens program during service
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CLUES DOWN
1. NATO letter after Oscar
2. “Starting right away!”
3. Clothing tag number
4. People.com competitor
5. Charts for sailors
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8. Safari runners?
9. Intensify, as an image
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45. Emeril’s exclamation
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diapers
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52. Mediator’s skill
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59. ___ Speedwagon
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107 E. Main • Enterprise • 541-426-3351
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Sundays
at 10 am
at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise.
at are
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Hall available
in Enterprise
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Pastor: David Pendleton
541.398.0597
Hwy 82, Lostine
www.summitchurchoregon.org
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Cloverleaf Hall • 668 NW 1st St. • Enterprise, OR 97828
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Wallowa, Oregon
541-886-8445
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P.O. Box N. Enterprise, OR 97828
Church 541-426-3751
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