On October 29, Zander Ault and Heidi Rentz opened the doors of the Patagonia Lumber Company, a beer, wine, and coffee bar.
The idea was hatched when Ted Piper, owner of the building at 295 McKeown, asked the couple for ideas for a new business that would be a fit with the growing number of people coming to Patagonia to enjoy the outdoors. It did not take them long to envision the indoor/outdoor bar that they named the Patagonia Lumber Company, after the old sign that hung on the front of the building.
Current hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 7a.m. to 9p.m. In the mornings you can get coffee or a beer if that’s your fancy. There are a rotating series of beers on tap from regional breweries and a nice selection of local wines. You can sit at the outdoor bar or at one of the many tables on the porch or the back patio. Masks are recommended in the small inside space, but the rest is open to the fresh air.
In its first month, the Patagonia Lumber Company has served a lot of locals, many of the riders in the Spirit 100 race, a good number of our neighbors from Nogales, and folks from Tucson and elsewhere in Arizona who are visiting Patagonia. The venue is good for live music. Recently, our own local Hog Canyon Band drew a nice crowd.
Ault and Rentz have made Patagonia their home and run their gravel bicycling business throughout our local region.
“There is just no place better for gravel biking,” says Ault, “and we intend to be good stewards of the land.”
Five of their gravel bike clients have recently bought property in the area and more are expected. Both Ault and Piper see outdoor recreational tourism as the economic future of Patagonia.
The couple hopes that the Patagonia Lumber Company will “become a starting point and an ending point in the day for people enjoying their outdoor passions.”
They will add food slowly into the menu.
“We want to do it thoughtfully and well,” Ault said.
In the meantime, you can bring takeout or home cooking to the patio tables to enjoy with the local libations on offer.