Firehouse-Themed Huntington HQ Set to Serve “Alarmingly Good Food”
A watering hole vision is set to come to fruition in La Pine thanks to a local operator’s determination to provide a new dimension in entertainment for the growing local community.
Corinne Martinez, owner of Wilderness Garbage and Recycling in La Pine, has nurtured the concept of filling a pub niche in the city for several years and has overcome initial skepticism to steer the project toward success on property she owns on Huntington Road.
She said, “I have believed we need a venue of this type for some time and want this for La Pine. We got some great pointers from people like Sunriver Brewing and Sunriver Resort Managing Director Tom O’Shea, who advised on the ‘do’s and don’ts’ and were very helpful, but it was difficult to find anyone who thought there was enough population in La Pine to support such a venture.
“But we knew how many people there are around here through our garbage business, and many people locally have come out in support of what we are doing and have been very encouraging.”
Martinez said other prospective team members have been instrumental in pushing the idea forward, including Joy Tedrow, former owner of the Red Rooster Café locally who recently returned to the area with enthusiasm for getting back into the restaurant business, and 23-year-old Joseph Agee, who also has experience in the industry and is set to run the kitchen side of operations.
She added, “I also really want to pay tribute to the U.S. Bank people we worked with in Bend on the financing side, who went to bat for us and have done a great job.”
The city has already approved permits for the project, which is also in for county approval, and Martinez said the goal was to break ground this month, with the aim of opening by November this year. O’Neill Construction & Design Inc. of La Pine is the design/builder, and Bend-based BECON is working on engineering aspects.
The pub will be named Huntington Headquarters and will have a firehouse theme, in part due to Martinez’s son having previously worked as a dedicated wildlife firefighter and with the Forestry Department.
Martinez said, “We have worked with Walker Range to get history on the wildlife firefighting tradition in the region and have also reached out to the local regular fire department, so we will feature a lot of background and pictures of that field in the premises, which we think will add some local color.
“We want to provide great a great dining option for visitors and our tagline is ‘Where cold beer and hot food collide!’
“We have put in a lot of work to make this happen and know there is a market for this, both locally and from the Sunriver area. A lot of people have already been asking when it is going to happen, and there has been a lot of interest and support from the community.”
The new pub will be located at 51507 Huntington Road and is anticipated to seat 60 people, together with seasonal outdoor seating capacity. It will serve beer, including craft brews, wine and cider, and feature a traditional pub grub-type menu with additional variations.
