Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill
Overview[edit]
Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill is located in downtown Sisters, Oregon in the historic hotel building. Formerly, the building served its original purpose as a hotel and later became Bronco Billy’s Ranch Grill & Saloon in 1985. Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill opened in 2014 after restoring the building and creating a traditional cowboy menu with a modern twist.
Sisters Oregon[edit]
Just west of the Oregon Cascades Mountains, in Deschutes County, lies the charming historic town called Sisters, Oregon. The Central Oregon that exists today began in Sisters. Before being settled, Sisters was an area rich with trails where Indians and fur trappers explored and traveled to and from the Cascade passes to other parts of the state. In September 1865, a military camp was set up along Squaw Creek (today named Whychus Creek) known as Camp Polk. The camp was intended to protect settlers and miners in the area, but it turned out to be unnecessary and was abandoned in May 1966. In 1870, a homesteader named Samuel M. Hindman settled in the abandoned camp; setting up a post office and general store. These businesses were in a prime location adjacent to the wagon road connecting Prineville and the Willamette Valley. In 1988 the post office was moved three miles south to the site of the John J. Smith store. It was at this time that an official name for the post office was proposed. Hindman wanted to call it “Three Sisters” after the majestic mountains that loomed in the distance, but the postal authority shortened the name to “Sisters.” At the intersection of so many routes, Sisters soon grew from a small outpost to a prosperous little town, earning formal establishment in 1901. The lumber industry soon boomed in the area providing a thriving economy and a steady population growth. By the 1960s, the lumber industry collapsed and Sisters began to decline. Today the Sisters’ economy is supported by agriculture and tourism and is still known as the “Gateway to the Cascades". Sisters is a place that maintains its historic roots, making it an enjoyable place to both visit and live. You can read more about Sisters, Oregon here.
History of the Building[edit]
The Hotel Sisters was built in April 1912 by a Spanish-American war veteran named John Dennis. Designed in a style popular during the early 20th century, the Georgian Revival, the hotel is a two story, 64 ft. by 38 ft. building with a basement; establishing it as a modern piece of architecture for the time and place. Along with the advanced exterior architecture, it was also equipped with hot and cold running water in all 19 of its guestrooms, a bold and forward-thinking feature in 1912. Considering only 1% of homes in the United States had this feature in 1920, it must have been quite a luxury for a hotel in the middle of rural Oregon. The interior was patterned after hotels in larger cities like Portland; decorated with extensive wood and tin finish work completed by a Bend contractor named John Cunningham.
There were back to back fires in 1923 and 1924 that threatened to burn down all of Sisters including the hotel. In 1923, a fire originated across the street from the hotel at a maintenance shop. The majority of residents weren’t there to put out the fire due to a popular track meet going on that night. This unfortunate timing resulted in many damaged and destroyed buildings, but the Hotel Sisters was miraculously spared. The fire in 1924 started in the Gist Hotel a few blocks east of Hotel Sisters. This time town residents soaked blankets, sheets, and mattresses to protect the buildings surrounding the source of the fire. Firefighters from Bend, Redmond, and the local forest service also came to the hotel’s rescue. It is fortunate that this unique building was saved for generations of people to enjoy. Over the years the hotel has been used not only for lodging but for several businesses including an antique shop, drug store, meeting house, and restaurant.
The Former Bronco Billy’s[edit]
On May 20, 1985, John Keenan and John Tehan opened Bronco Billy’s in the historic Sisters hotel building in downtown Sisters, Oregon. The duo decided to sell the building and close the restaurant after 29 years of business in April 2014 as described in an article by Nugget News.[1]
History[edit]
Bronco Billy’s came to be after the late Bill Reed convinced John Keenan and John Tehan to move to Sisters, Oregon in order to open a new steakhouse and saloon in the Sisters hotel building which the Reed family had recently purchased.
The trio were childhood friends who grew up together in the northwest Portland area. In an article published by Nugget News in 2014, Keenan recalls playing with Reed and Tehan every day in the summer. The three men kept in touch as they went their separate ways. Reed started his career in real estate in Sisters, Oregon while Keenan went into the restaurant industry in Colorado and Tehan went into the restaurant industry in Portland.
In 1984, Reed reached out to Tehan as a potential business partner in opening a new restaurant in Sisters. At the time, Tehan was unable to accept Reed’s offer and recommend Reed contact Keenan who had moved to Bend, Oregon. Keenan accepted Reed’s offer and the two became business partners. Tehan also became a partner when he was able to relocate to the central Oregon area.
Keenan and Tehan chose to display their gratitude for the opportunity Reed had presented them by opening Bronco Billy’s on Reed’s birthday, May 20, 1985. Keenan, Tehan and Reed’s wife arranged for a stagecoach to pick up Reed at his office and deliver him to the restaurant for the opening day celebration.
The trio decided to keep the historic Sisters Hotel name and simply feature Bronco Billy’s Ranch Grill & Saloon. This name was inspired by the name of Gilbert M. Anderson, also known as “Bronco Billy”, the first star of western films. The name was also an inside joke among the men as Reed’s first name is Bill.
The men later decided to reverse the name to Bronco Billy’s Ranch Grill & Saloon in the Historic Hotel Sisters. This resulted from the confusion caused by the name Historic Hotel Sisters featuring feature Bronco Billy’s Ranch Grill & Saloon. According to an article by Nugget News [2], the most common call was inquiries about room availability and rates. As a result of the name reversal, Bronco Billy’s had an increase in business.
Rumored Paranormal Activity[edit]
In an article published by the Bend Bulletin in 2008, Keenan confirmed that there are several legends surrounding ghosts in the building. He further explained, “I have not had any experience with any...but members of my staff have told me, absolutely, they do exist.”
Some of the reported paranormal activity reported by Bronco Billy’s staff includes vacuum cleaner cords coming unplugged on their own, drastic changes in stereo volume, as well as loud, disruptive noises coming from the bar. According to an article published by the Bend Bulletin [3], a former graveyard custodian would not go upstairs to clean at night. Keenan elaborated on this by stating, “Diablo has scared him a couple of times.”
Sisters Saloon and Ranch Grill[edit]
On April 1st of 2016, the doors to the historic Sisters hotel building opened once again as the Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill under the ownership of Ashley and Aaron Okura.
New Owners[edit]
Ashley Okura grew up in Sisters, Oregon while Aaron Okura is from Hawaii. The couple met in California and lived together in Salt Lake City, Utah for several years. The couple moved back to Sisters, Oregon from Salt Lake City, Utah and brought their head chef Juan Martinez with them. Aaron Okura had been in the restaurant industry for twenty years and worked with Martinez for eleven years.
Renovating the Building[edit]
Ashley and Aaron Okura renovated the historic building in order to bring it into the 21st century while sticking to the building’s “historic 1912 roots.” Ashley Okura used her interior design background to pay homage to the history of the hotel building.
Along with refinishing pre-existing structures such as the wood surfaces, the couple has also changed the building in several ways. In an article published by Nugget News [4], Ashley Okura states, “On all the walls we did a hand-troweled plaster, which is what would have been done in the early 1900’s.” Ashley also noted that the color scheme of the restaurant and bar would be similar to the original color scheme used in the early 1900’s. The couple also refurbished the tin ceiling of the bar as well as the bar top. Both are now a bright copper color.
Among the renovation of the historic building, the most notable change is located on the bar floor. The couple removed the pre-existing white tile floor and “hand-cut’ Hotel Sisters into the design in order to respect the history of the building. The restaurant also features photos provided by the Sisters Historical Society and leather postcards which were found during the renovation process.
About the Food[edit]
Aaron Okura with help of head chef Juan Martinez chose to modernize the menu by using fresh ingredients to create traditional cowboy grub. A main priority for the restaurant is to serve high-quality burgers and steaks. In order to ensure quality, the Okuras choose to use grass-fed, Oregon raised beef and locally sourced produce whenever possible. Additionally, Sisters Saloon and Ranch Grill offer gluten-free and vegetarian options to their patrons.
References[edit]
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