As the Pendleton Round-Up descends upon the city, businesses are bracing for increased traffic and competition with temporary vendors, leading many to change their menus, hours or even shut down for the duration of the rodeo.
Joe’s Fiesta Mexican Restaurant, for example, will shut its doors beginning today through Sunday, Sept. 11-15. The restaurant’s owner, Joe Meda, said this is his sixth year closing down during Round-Up.
Meda said sometimes people coming in during the rodeo are less respectful to his staff than locals, and after an incident with a potential customer and an employee, he decided he’d rather take off to somewhere warm than stay open for business for those five days.
“I’m getting older, and the things you used to do for money when you were younger, there’s a point in life where you’re no longer willing to do the things you used to do for the money,” he said. “The older you get, your tolerance for stupidity is very, very minimum now.”
The restaurant’s sister establishment, Mi Tributo, a bar with a Day of the Dead theme that opened up in early 2024, also will be closing down throughout the rodeo because Meda wants it to stay respectful to its roots.
“I want this for the locals,” Meda said. “They come here, they have memorials. This is more about being respectful to the people who passed away than making it a hook-up bar.”
Extended hours, limited menus
The downtown restaurant isn’t alone in changing its plans during the rodeo, though it may be the only one fully closing during the event. In addition to the crowds of tourists, Round-Up attracts numerous out-of-town vendors setting up shop at booths on South Main Street and other areas to offer food, Western wear, Native clothing, jewelry and more.
Carol Hanks, owner of Great Pacific Wine and Coffee Company and treasurer for the Pendleton Downtown Association Board, said the PDA has been encouraging local businesses to stay open during Round-Up and other busy times to maximize services to the community and keep the tourists entertained.
Great Pacific will not only be open, its full menu will be available and the restaurant will host live music throughout Round-Up. Sister’s Cafe, by comparison, will be extending its hours over the weekend and will offer a full bar, but will have a limited menu. Hamley Cafe is taking a similar approach, opening on Sundays before and after the rodeo but offering limited options.
ella Grace Boutique also will be extending its hours, owner Celia Medina said. Last year, she said, the store saw increased sales the week after Round-Up, when people returned to purchase items they’d seen while wandering Main Street.
“That was pretty big for us,” she said, adding she chose the extended hours so people can peruse the merchandise while they walk by the vendors in the evening.
Other shops with extended hours include Hamley & Co. Western Store, Re-Ride Western Resale Store and Pendleton Art and Frame.
One more chance to draw a crowd
Emily McGraw, owner of the Studio Pendleton, said her business also will be staying open during the rodeo, though its hours will mainly shift to the evening. Each year since they’ve opened, McGraw said they’ve changed their strategy to try and make it worthwhile, as business is often slow for the Studio during Round-Up.
“We seriously contemplated closing, but figured we’d give it one more year to try and bring people in,” McGraw said. “People don’t go into mom and pops, a lot just walk up and down the main drag of vendors in the street.”
This year, she said, she’ll be open in the mornings to serve coffee during the parade on Friday, Sept. 14. In the evenings, her strategy is showing pieces in their outside-facing gallery that have lower price points to encourage people walking past to come inside.
Additionally, she’s painting some Western and rodeo watercolors to entice people to purchase art, one of which — a painting of her friend barrel racing — she’s spent 30 hours working on. She’ll be selling original artwork as well as prints and said some of her focus will be on engaging people outside on the sidewalk.
The Pendleton Chamber of Commerce has more information on businesses extending their hours or hosting events during the 2024 Round-Up events.
