McMenamins
Encyclopedia
McMenamins is a chain of nearly sixty brewpubs, microbreweries, music venue
s, historic hotels, and theater pubs. The chain is located mostly in the Portland metropolitan area
, but has many other locations in Oregon
and Washington. According to the Brewers Association
, McMenamins is one of the top 50 largest craft breweries in the United States.
; they trace the beginning of McMenamins to the 1974 opening of Produce Row Café. They created the first post-Prohibition
brewpub in Oregon — the Hillsdale Brewery & Public House in southwest Portland — in 1985. That same year McMenamins became the first brewery in the USA to legally use fruit in the brewing of ales (raspberries
, for Ruby Ale, one of their "standard ales").
Their first theater pub was the Mission Theatre & Pub
(1987). The company then entered the broader hospitality business
starting in 1990, when they converted a 74 acres (29.9 ha)-site (that at one time served as the Multnomah County
Poor Farm) into Edgefield, which over the years has been expanded to include "vinting
, distilling
, gardening, lodging, [and] golf.". By 1997, food accounted for over half of McMenamins' total sales. The purchase, $4 million remodeling, and 1997 re-opening of the Crystal Ballroom
as a dance hall
/music venue
got McMenamins into the staging of national music acts.
By May 1998, there were 37 McMenamins locations in Oregon and six in Washington, grossing $50 million/year in business.
There are fifty-seven McMenamins locations ; some of the locations feature multiple venues:
:
Other locations include a former Masonic
retirement home (The Grand Lodge), a building that was part of the Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition (St. John's Pub) and a former funeral home
in North Portland
(The Chapel Pub) that also serves as the company's headquarters.
, McMenamins is in the process of renovating The Hotel Alma in downtown Portland
, a former hotel, bathhouse and nightclub, into what the company hopes will become another property on the National Register of Historic Places
Music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
s, historic hotels, and theater pubs. The chain is located mostly in the Portland metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
, but has many other locations in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and Washington. According to the Brewers Association
Brewers Association
The Brewers Association is an American trade group of over 1,000 brewers, particularly concerned with the promotion of craft beer and homebrewing....
, McMenamins is one of the top 50 largest craft breweries in the United States.
History
McMenamins was founded by brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin, who grew up in northeast Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
; they trace the beginning of McMenamins to the 1974 opening of Produce Row Café. They created the first post-Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
brewpub in Oregon — the Hillsdale Brewery & Public House in southwest Portland — in 1985. That same year McMenamins became the first brewery in the USA to legally use fruit in the brewing of ales (raspberries
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
, for Ruby Ale, one of their "standard ales").
Their first theater pub was the Mission Theatre & Pub
Mission Theatre & Pub
The Mission Theatre & Pub is a movie theater and pub located in the northwest Portland, Oregon. Formerly a Swedish church and union hall, the theater was re-opened as a McMenamins establishment in 1987...
(1987). The company then entered the broader hospitality business
Hospitality industry
The hospitality industry consists of broad category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, restaurants, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise line, and additional fields within the tourism industry. The hospitality industry is a several billion dollar industry...
starting in 1990, when they converted a 74 acres (29.9 ha)-site (that at one time served as the Multnomah County
Multnomah County, Oregon
Multnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
Poor Farm) into Edgefield, which over the years has been expanded to include "vinting
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
, distilling
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
, gardening, lodging, [and] golf.". By 1997, food accounted for over half of McMenamins' total sales. The purchase, $4 million remodeling, and 1997 re-opening of the Crystal Ballroom
Crystal Ballroom (Portland, Oregon)
Crystal Ballroom, originally built as Cotillion Hall, is a historic building in Portland, Oregon, United States. Cotillion Hall was built in 1914 as a ballroom, and dance revivals were held there through the Great Depression...
as a dance hall
Dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub...
/music venue
Music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
got McMenamins into the staging of national music acts.
By May 1998, there were 37 McMenamins locations in Oregon and six in Washington, grossing $50 million/year in business.
Locations
- Cornelius Pass Roadhouse (includes Imbrie Hall)
- EdgefieldMultnomah County Poor FarmThe Multnomah County Poor Farm is a historic site in Troutdale, Oregon, United States. The former county poor farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
(includes Black Rabbit Restaurant) - Fulton Pub & Brewery
- Highland Pub & Brewery
- HillsdaleHillsdale, Portland, OregonThe Hillsdale district is a neighborhood in the southwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States. It is centered around the Hillsdale retail and business area, a series of strip malls on SW Capitol Highway between SW Sunset Boulevard and SW Bertha Boulevard...
Brewery & Public House - John Barleycorns
- McMenamins Cedar Hills
- McMenamins Greenway Pub
- McMenamins Mall 205
- McMenamins Murray & Allen
- McMenamins Oregon CityOregon City, OregonOregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
- McMenamins SherwoodSherwood, OregonSherwood is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located in the southeast corner of the county, it is a residential community in the Tualatin Valley southwest of Portland. The population was 11,791 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimate is 16,115 residents...
- McMenamins Sunnyside
- McMenamins West LinnWest Linn, OregonWest Linn is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Now a prosperous southern suburb of Portland, West Linn has a history of early development, prompted by the opportunity to harvest energy from nearby Willamette Falls. It was named after Senator Dr. Lewis Fields Linn of Ste...
- Oak Hills Brewpub
- Power Station Pub & Theater
- Raleigh Hills Pub
- Riverwood Pub
- Rock Creek Tavern
- St. Johns Theater & Pub
- Bagdad Theatre & Pub (includes the Back Stage Bar)
- Barley Mill Pub
- Blue Moon Tavern & Grill
- Crystal BallroomCrystal Ballroom (Portland, Oregon)Crystal Ballroom, originally built as Cotillion Hall, is a historic building in Portland, Oregon, United States. Cotillion Hall was built in 1914 as a ballroom, and dance revivals were held there through the Great Depression...
- Greater Trumps
- Kennedy School (includes Courtyard Restaurant)
- Market Street Pub
- McMenamins on Broadway
- Mission Theatre & PubMission Theatre & PubThe Mission Theatre & Pub is a movie theater and pub located in the northwest Portland, Oregon. Formerly a Swedish church and union hall, the theater was re-opened as a McMenamins establishment in 1987...
- Ringlers Annex
- Ringlers Pub
- McMenamins Tavern & Pool
- The Rams Head
- White Eagle Saloon
- Boon's Treasury
- East 19th Street Café (near the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
) - High Street Brewery & Café
- Hotel Oregon
- Lighthouse Brewpub (in Lincoln CityLincoln City, OregonLincoln City is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It is named after the county. The population was 7,930 at the 2010 census.- History :...
) - McMenamins CorvallisCorvallis, OregonCorvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
- North Bank
- Roseburg Station Pub & Brewery
- Grand Lodge (includes Ironwork Grill)
- Thompson Brewery & Public House
- Yardhouse Pub at Grand Lodge
- Dad Watsons
- McMenamins East VancouverVancouver, WashingtonVancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
- McMenamins Mill Creek
- McMenamins on the ColumbiaColumbia RiverThe Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
- McMenamins Queen Anne
- Olympic Club HotelOlympic Club HotelThe Olympic Club Hotel is a historic hotel owned by McMenamins Pubs & Breweries in Centralia, Washington, United States. Built in 1915, it was originally known as the Oxford Hotel. After acquiring the property in 1997, McMenamins changed the name to reflect the new ownership...
(includes Olympic Club Pub) - Six Arms
- Old St. Francis SchoolOld St. Francis SchoolSt. Francis School in Bend, Oregon was designed by Hugh Thompson and planned for the site of the Catholic parish house, adjoining St. Francis Catholic Church. It was budgeted at $45,000...
(includes Fireside Bar, O'Kanes, and Old St. Francis Pub) - Chapel Pub
- McMenamins on Monroe
- McMenamins Spar Café
- McMenamins Sand Trap
Notable locations
Many of its locations are renovated historical properties; , nine are on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- a former elementary schoolElementary schoolAn elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
(Kennedy School), - a movie theaterMovie theaterA movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
built by Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
(The Bagdad Theater and PubThe Bagdad Theater and PubThe Bagdad Theater is a movie theater in the Hawthorne District of Portland, Oregon, United States. It originally opened in 1927 and was the site of the premiere gala of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 1975, and of My Own Private Idaho in 1991....
), - a building once used by the Church of SwedenChurch of SwedenThe Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
as a Swedish Evangelical Mission (Mission Theatre & PubMission Theatre & PubThe Mission Theatre & Pub is a movie theater and pub located in the northwest Portland, Oregon. Formerly a Swedish church and union hall, the theater was re-opened as a McMenamins establishment in 1987...
), - the site of a former general storeGeneral storeA general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
once owned by Oregon's first state treasurer (Boon's TreasuryBoon Brick StoreThe Boon Brick Store is a historic building in Salem, Oregon, United States. It was built as a general store by John D. Boon who became the first Oregon State Treasurer. It also once served as Oregon's first State Treasury. It is now a brewpub owned by the McMenamins chain known as Boon's Treasury...
), - a saloonBar (establishment)A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
once used by Polish immigrants to plan what became the west coast'sWest Coast of the United StatesWest Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
first Polish Catholic Church (White Eagle Saloon), - a saloon and former brothelBrothelBrothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
in downtown Centralia, WashingtonCentralia, WashingtonCentralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 16,336 at the 2010 census.-History:In pioneer days, Centralia was the halfway stopover point for stagecoaches operating between the Columbia River and Seattle. In 1850, J. G. Cochran came from Missouri with his...
(Olympic Club HotelOlympic Club HotelThe Olympic Club Hotel is a historic hotel owned by McMenamins Pubs & Breweries in Centralia, Washington, United States. Built in 1915, it was originally known as the Oxford Hotel. After acquiring the property in 1997, McMenamins changed the name to reflect the new ownership...
), - a pioneerOregon TrailThe Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
homesteadHomesteadingBroadly defined, homesteading is a lifestyle of simple self-sufficiency.-Current practice:The term may apply to anyone who follows the back-to-the-land movement by adopting a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle. While land is no longer freely available in most areas of the world, homesteading...
with an octagonal barn (Cornelius Pass RoadhouseImbrie FarmImbrie Farm is an Italian Villa style home in Hillsboro, Oregon. It was built by Robert Imbrie and was a working farm for over a century. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977....
), - a former Multnomah CountyMultnomah County, OregonMultnomah County is one of 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. Though smallest in area, it is the most populous as its county seat, Portland, is the state's largest city...
poor farm (Edgefield), - a ballroomBallroomA ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
with a floating floorFloating floorA floating floor is a floor that does not need to be nailed or glued to the subfloor. The term floating floor refers to the installation method, but is often used synonymously with laminate flooring in a domestic context....
(The Crystal BallroomCrystal Ballroom (Portland, Oregon)Crystal Ballroom, originally built as Cotillion Hall, is a historic building in Portland, Oregon, United States. Cotillion Hall was built in 1914 as a ballroom, and dance revivals were held there through the Great Depression...
), - a saloon in Olympia, WashingtonOlympia, WashingtonOlympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
called Spar Café and Bar, first opened in 1935.
Other locations include a former Masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
retirement home (The Grand Lodge), a building that was part of the Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition (St. John's Pub) and a former funeral home
Funeral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
in North Portland
Overlook, Portland, Oregon
Overlook is a neighborhood in the North section of Portland, Oregon on the east shore of the Willamette River. It borders University Park and Arbor Lodge on the north, Humboldt and Boise on the east, Eliot on the southeast, and Northwest Industrial and the Northwest District across the Willamette...
(The Chapel Pub) that also serves as the company's headquarters.
, McMenamins is in the process of renovating The Hotel Alma in downtown Portland
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
, a former hotel, bathhouse and nightclub, into what the company hopes will become another property on the National Register of Historic Places