JJ"s Cantina to Change Owners, Remodel in January

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GringoZona

Guest
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Puerto Penasco Fans and Community | Is it true that JJ's is closing in January | Facebook

Is it true that JJ's is closing in January? I also heard that the guy from The Reef will be running it.
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According to this, Wrecked at the Reef people to take over JJ's in January.

Apparently, the JJ's family just wants to retire. Can't blame them.

I only hope the can save the old photos wall somehow.

End of an era. Name your favorite old-school haunts still running. Mine are Playa Bonita, Viña del Mar & Manny's.
 
G

GringoZona

Guest
I trust it will be well-managed, but I hope the charm and history (pics) is still preserved. Just upgrade the bathrooms & kitchen. If the Friendly Dolphin can do it all these years, surely they can.
 
G

GringoZona

Guest
There's no need for a Wrecked duplicate on both sides of the dunes. I'm sure the Cholla Bay longtime residents don't want that either.
 
brokenwave

brokenwave

Guest
We started going to JJ's 30 years ago and spent time during many weekend 's there, we have ton's of great memories from there.
It was a great place to hang out but, as the years, passed it became tired and worn as other new places opened up.

Back in the late 80's-90's you would sleep on Sandy beach, find a bush for the restroom and JJ's was a perfect
compliment for that rustic style living. The routine was start at Manny's go to the Pink Cadillac, stop by Margaritaville and finish at JJ's

As the crowds became less over the years, Joe, one of the owners showed zero desire to do anything to upgrade JJ's,

I spoke to him about some of the different things he could do to attract more people there because the other bars around
offered a better experience than JJ's, he also dismissed most of his customer's suggestions because it
would cost $$ to do.

One guy I know offered to install an A/C system in JJ's for free to attract more people during the summer months,
He was told, No thank you.
Instead they closed JJ's 2 days a week from July 5th - Sept to save on worker's salaries.

They used to serve many different brands of beer, now only Tecate/DosXX brewing products, that lost them customers
including me, as I prefer Pacifico. I still went to JJ's, just not every trip and only for 1-2 beers when I did go.

The last time I ate there, the flies were so thick on the kitchen counters, cutting boards, peoples food etc. I left without touching my food.
So these days, I visit JJ's 1-2 times per year to say Hi to the remaining people I've known there for years. (I am in Cholla
over 100 days per year).

IMHO, JJ's needs some fresh ideas, A/C, new bathrooms and kitchen upgrades, A menu upgrade, daily special's and FLY control to help re-gain
it's popularity.

I would really like a reason to start enjoying a beer and some food at JJ's again, but it needs an upgrade.
I am not a fan of much of what Wrecked has evolved into, so hopefully they get the new JJ's right, leaving some of the rustic vibe.
And keep some of the people I have known for the past 20-30 years working there.
Off my Soap Box. :cool:
 
V

VegasDude

Guest
We've all seen bars/restaurants come and go. Whatever the new owner/manager does, it will have to be something that will attract people on a regular basis to be profitable. Younger crowds may be the answer, not sure. I have no idea what a younger crowd might want.

As Jeff Foxworthy has said. Men just want a beer and to see something necked. We're pretty simple.
 
G

GringoZona

Guest
It is out of the way, but I always make sure a new Penasco traveler of mine gets a stop here.

I hit Wrecked too bit this will crush me if they ruin this classic.
 
G

GringoZona

Guest
brokenwave said:
We started going to JJ's 30 years ago and spent time during many weekend 's there, we have ton's of great memories from there.
It was a great place to hang out but, as the years, passed it became tired and worn as other new places opened up.

Back in the late 80's-90's you would sleep on Sandy beach, find a bush for the restroom and JJ's was a perfect
compliment for that rustic style living. The routine was start at Manny's go to the Pink Cadillac, stop by Margaritaville and finish at JJ's

As the crowds became less over the years, Joe, one of the owners showed zero desire to do anything to upgrade JJ's,

I spoke to him about some of the different things he could do to attract more people there because the other bars around
offered a better experience than JJ's, he also dismissed most of his customer's suggestions because it
would cost $$ to do.

One guy I know offered to install an A/C system in JJ's for free to attract more people during the summer months,
He was told, No thank you.
Instead they closed JJ's 2 days a week from July 5th - Sept to save on worker's salaries.

They used to serve many different brands of beer, now only Tecate/DosXX brewing products, that lost them customers
including me, as I prefer Pacifico. I still went to JJ's, just not every trip and only for 1-2 beers when I did go.

The last time I ate there, the flies were so thick on the kitchen counters, cutting boards, peoples food etc. I left without touching my food.
So these days, I visit JJ's 1-2 times per year to say Hi to the remaining people I've known there for years. (I am in Cholla
over 100 days per year).

IMHO, JJ's needs some fresh ideas, A/C, new bathrooms and kitchen upgrades, A menu upgrade, daily special's and FLY control to help re-gain
it's popularity.

I would really like a reason to start enjoying a beer and some food at JJ's again, but it needs an upgrade.
I am not a fan of much of what Wrecked has evolved into, so hopefully they get the new JJ's right, leaving some of the rustic vibe.
And keep some of the people I have known for the past 20-30 years working there.
Off my Soap Box. :cool:
Click to expand...
Wow. Saying what everyone doesn't want to say out loud let me collect my thoughts.
 
B

Bob Oso

Guest
Much like brokenwave been going to JJ's when the barroom was the only room, had an Arcadia style door going out back on to a 10 foot square concrete pad where some cheese ball band would play on the weekends. Back in those days pretty much the only people in there were the fisherman waiting for their fish to be cut up and spinning yarn about their day out at sea. Evenings were ripe in the room as showers weren't something anyone much cared about back then. Cigarette smoke, beer and tequila helped keep the smell in check.

With time slowly came the upgrades to what you see today, but still keeping some of the character of years past. Denver John & Joe did dabble in some promotion-marketing ideas, the bathtub races, sand golf tourney, holiday events as documented in the pictures on the walls but seemed to dwindle down to primarily the Memorial weekend fishing derby.

As for the new ownership, Randy has definitely made his bones navigating his way through Rocky Point commerce, but it'll be interesting to see what type of hurdles he'll be up against with the elders of Cholla Bay. Looking forward to see what he has in mind, and hope he keeps some of the past flavor of our local cantina.
 
I

Idyllwild

Guest
The restaurant and bar scene in Puerto Peñasco is evolving very rapidly, as is housing. Encantame Towers is apparently selling out, and I’m seeing ads that Sonoran Stars is going to break ground on Sandy Beach. Islas del Mar is shaping up as a blow-out success. We have another 20 single family homes under construction, the 31 units of Eagle Village are nearing completion and half sold, Costa Divina is creeping towards completion, and 21 additional lots for homes sold out last week days after becoming available. There are 100s of additional lots in future phases. I wasn’t around 30 years ago when Cholla was THE place to be, but the concentrations of new residents are elsewhere, and JJs is a long drive from many of these places. It may be that fishermen and Cholla residents can continue to sustain some iteration of JJs in perpetuity, but no one is driving past Collins Cantina, Wrecked, Banditos, and numerous restaurants to go to the present state of JJs. I’ve even stopped going to Cholla Oyster House because I had a bad experience with service, and there are several places I like that are closer.

What is the solution? The new owner knows the business much better than me. The place needs to be cleaned up in a major way. It needs an actual menu. A few higher end cocktails. Cigarette smoke is a major turn off for a lot of people, but JJs is popular with smokers. And then it comes down to whether you want to bet on drawing people out there with amenities that won’t be cheap. The right business model might be to go cheap, power wash the place, build some decent bathrooms, upgrade the kitchen and menu a little, and serve the existing clientele with a better experience.
 
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Mexico Joe

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
I saw this post late Monday night but didn't have time to write and wanted to see if there were other opinions first. Bob Oso and Brokenwave couldn't have said it better but I have a slightly different take. The first time I stepped foot inside JJ's was March 1998. It was also my first trip ever to Cholla Bay and RP. From what I remember I believe the building then was basically as it stands now. I know the bathrooms went through 1 or 2 variations over the years since so that may have been the only fundamental difference in the layout itself. Back patio was there with the tiered lava rock and cement tables. The only thing that wasn't there which was added a few years ago was that back pool table room. I was always more fascinated with the history preserving pictures laced on the walls. I was first introduced to Cholla Bay by the Blair family. Having been friends with their youngest son Eric since I was 8 and later going to middle school and high school together I already knew that Chuck Blair was a local fishing legend. Being a fisherman myself at that young age I found the pictures on the walls to be far more fascinating than the bar itself. I think the culture is why you go to JJ's. Why many still make one stop over a trip especially to show a N3WB one time if for nothing more. It's contextual. Like hey, want to blow your mind? This was THE SPOT in the 80's! Boom, person's brain explodes. I digress...

Back to the pictures on the wall. Like Bob said about the Bathtub races, One Club Open and many other legendary Cholla Bay COMMUNITY events, that's really what JJ's was, for Cholla Bay. A Club House. That's it. It's Cholla Bays club house.

Back to fishing. My take on what JJ's is and should be also has to do with it's affiliation to the Cholla Bay Sportsmen's Club. Like Bob said, many of them hung out there during Derby and other times of the year. The official fish scale is right below the stairs leading down from the back patio. It's where Villa pulls out the boats, Alex cleans the fish. The Radio Shack is right there where you file your Float Plan. I think what people don't know is that Cholla Bay is Rocky Point's other PORT. Villa is a port Captain. There's two ports in RP. In town and Cholla Bay. Many of the good reefs to fish are West and West NorthWest out of Cholla Bay. Back in the day a lot of fishermen were launching out of Cholla Bay and keeping their boats there in "cabins" that were basically 4 walls and a roof. Basically the Cholla Bay 60's version of a TOY HAULER. Use it to store, use it to sleep.

To me, JJ's, the Radio Shack, the boat ramp, the fish scale and the Cholla Bay Sportsmen's Club are all one. All synonymous with each other and what the culture of Cholla Bay has been for the better part of 70 years. I think you ABSOLUTELY have to preserve that in the new business model. The culture IS THE BUSINESS MODEL. I think for obvious reasons you have to modernize it a bit. Cleanliness is important if you're going to be a modern bar in RP. I see PARKING as being a major point of contention however. Space is finite in CB, especially around JJ's. I think one of the draws of this location is that people, CUSTOMERS of bars absolutely LOVE to have something to watch. And I'm not talking about TV's. People love watching shit. That's why BooBar just renovated again to incorporate a FRONT patio overlooking the street because people used to love to sit on those hi backs at the tables by the street and PEOPLE WATCH. What better place to sit on the patio at high tide, have a beer and PEOPLE WATCH all the shit happening at the port 30ft below the patio. Boats coming and going, pangas loading and unloading, LARGE FISH being weighed on the scales... Lot's to watch while you have a cold one and bullshit. It's why the Tekila Bar front patio is always PACKED during the day. Ocean and people watching.... People love to watch shit. Shit, the kids could even be out jet skiing around Cholla Bay or snorkeling or kayaking while the parents watch from afar on the newly renovated patio as they sip on cold brews, good cocktails and eat decent food while being provided with service and scenery... A great view of the Pinacates on clear days?????????? Shit, I'd drink to that!

The last observation. Over my time in Cholla Bay I've always noted how the Cholla Bay type resemble the PARROT HEADS of Jimmy Buffet world. I think it goes without saying that Cholla Bay has a cult like culture and appeal. Basically, the community motto is, It's 5 O Clock Somewhere... I'm seeing a Pirates Life at 40 type bar dedicated to the exploration of the Sea of Cortez keeping in line with the culture of Cholla Bay. I think that ensuring the neighbors patronize the establishment during the week and off demands days, weeks and months should be a priority because as Idillywild says, Who's driving all the way out there for that crap? You need the local community to patronize daily as they have been for years. So you must NOT stray away from the business model of CULTURE. Cholla Bay culture. Ceasar behind the bar should be a necessity. In fact Joe should have written that into the sale if he didn't already. Keep the pictures but redesign in a way that pays tribute to the Cholla Bay history and culture of fishing and having fun because, IT'S 5 OClock Somewhere!


I got off track multiple times while writing this because there's so much to say about Cholla Bay and JJ's. It's hard to organize 22 years of thought and opinion.

-Joe

CHOLLA BAY 4 LIFE ​
 
brokenwave

brokenwave

Guest
Joe, Nicely said.
I'm not a fisherman, but have seen lots of boats launched and many big fish being cleaned at the scales and have seen
most of the JJ's events and did the sailboat regatta once.
I wasn't into all the JJ's events but can appreciate how good it was for everyone involved.
And as you said people watching at it's best.

Last time I was in JJ's in early Nov. I noticed their booze inventory was low, there weren't any t-shirts for sale and went, Hummm?
I asked Cesar about it and he said he don't know why, I asked how Joe was doing? He said, Joe was not great, so this doesn't surprise me.

I was expecting a sale for a few years, but when Joe told me they wanted $4.5 million for JJ's and all their
property, I thought, Wow! good luck with that.

All of the JJ's employees will be given their cash payout when the deal closes as all businesses should do for their employees.
There is a place in Cholla down the street from JJ's that doesn't do this for their workers and only hires workers on
10 month contracts to avoid having to pay them at the end of their employment.

I heard one employee is taking their JJ's payout and going onto something else. Not Cesar from what I heard.
The word is JJ's employees are being offered jobs?? We'll see if it's still called JJ's??
We'll know shortly.
 
Mexico Joe

Mexico Joe

Cholla Bay 4 Life
brokenwave said:
Joe, Nicely said.
I'm not a fisherman, but have seen lots of boats launched and many big fish being cleaned at the scales and have seen
most of the JJ's events and did the sailboat regatta once.
I wasn't into all the JJ's events but can appreciate how good it was for everyone involved.
And as you said people watching at it's best.

Last time I was in JJ's in early Nov. I noticed their booze inventory was low, there weren't any t-shirts for sale and went, Hummm?
I asked Cesar about it and he said he don't know why, I asked how Joe was doing? He said, Joe was not great, so this doesn't surprise me.

I was expecting a sale for a few years, but when Joe told me they wanted $4.5 million for JJ's and all their
property, I thought, Wow! good luck with that.

All of the JJ's employees will be given their cash payout when the deal closes as all businesses should do for their employees.
There is a place in Cholla down the street from JJ's that doesn't do this for their workers and only hires workers on
10 month contracts to avoid having to pay them at the end of their employment.

I heard one employee is taking their JJ's payout and going onto something else. Not Cesar from what I heard.
The word is JJ's employees are being offered jobs?? We'll see if it's still called JJ's??
We'll know shortly.
Click to expand...
$4.5 mil?! Does he own the lot or lots across the street as well? I know he owns those little hotel rooms that we used to stay at for a while. I wonder what he's doing with those. I think John lives there as well when he's in town. Kind of a weird setup with a boat house below.
 
brokenwave

brokenwave

Guest
Yep, 4-5 years ago, Joe me $4.5 mil, but flexible and negotiable, LOL

JJ's property includes the old gas station, and 3 big lot's, the Santa Claus Bldg. and all the parking near JJ's.
There are some lots with rentals up (where you probably stayed ) on the hill to the south and a rental house near Pelican Pt.

There could be more I'm not aware of. They own a fair amount of land around JJ's.
I know he want to sell the whole package but now might be ready to break it up into pieces to lease/sell.

In March the last time I spoke with Joe, he told me, he hadn't taken a draw from JJ's in 6 months
because business was that slow. Also, Joe is at least 75 now.
 
R

richwi

Guest
My wife remembers her first time at JJs in 1979 or 1980. Her ex in-laws (who are still our friends) have owned a place in Choya forever. We still go maybe once a year for the memories but that’s about it. Randy has a definite history of success in Penasco and I am hoping he finds a way to upgrade JJs while still maintaining some of the old school feeling. I’m betting he will succeed.
 
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