Bar's new owners renovate, re-open historic Hartington landmark
By Loretta Sorensen Journal correspondent | Posted: Sunday, June 15, 2008
Jesse and Monica Huerta re-opened Hartington's Chief Bar in February 2008 after renovating the kitchen and dining area of the 1898 building. They offer full traditional bar services as well as a menu featuring authentic Mexican foods. (Photo by Loretta Sorensen)
HARTINGTON, Neb. -- The rugged, rolling hills of northeast Nebraska were just beginning to submit to the efforts of settlers to harness their resources in 1898 when Hartington's Chief Bar opened in the heart of the then 15-year-old city.
The bar recently re-opened under new ownership when Jesse and Monica Huerta purchased the business from longtime owners James and April Pearson.
After renovating the kitchen and bar's interior, the Huertas opened their new business, offering all the amenities of a traditional bar along with a menu that features Mexican foods.
"We have the best eight-ounce hamburgers around," Jesse Huerta said. "We toast the bun and grill the onions on it. It is really very succulent. Our menu features a variety of foods, but our customers really enjoy the Mexican dishes we prepare."
A copyrighted broasted chicken recipe, pork chops and beef steaks are all part of the Chief Bar's menu. Patrons will find a wide variety of liquors and some imported beers at the Chief. The bar is available for lease for a variety of events, including weddings, reunions and other family events.
As one of Hartington's few vintage late 1800s buildings that survived the passage of time, the Chief Bar allows patrons to take a step back into the city's history in a number of ways.
The more than 30-foot long, 16-foot high hand-carved, wooden illuminated Budweiser wall unit complete with engraved mirrors and hand-carved details has been a central point of interest in the bar for decades and still dominates the atmosphere of the building with its beauty and historic appeal.
"I believe it's a combination of oak and mahogany," Huerta said. "The hand-carved figures are beautiful and interesting. We love the globe lights. I believe they are probably irreplaceable now because they're the original globes."
Even though the original bar that matched the wall unit was replaced some time ago, the aesthetic appeal of the decor still sets the mood for the establisment.
As part of their renovation process, the Huertas refinished the building's original woodwork. About 90 percent of the tile floor that was installed by the original business owner is still intact. Just a few tiles inside the door were replaced due to deterioration from all the years of foot traffic.
"Those tiles were hand crafted," Huerta says. "The tiles that were replaced were selected to complement the original floor and they really don't detract from the overall look of the building.
"The building has been pretty well maintained over the years," Huerta continued. "The renovation we did was mainly in the kitchen area. We also did some painting and added table cloths, some new dishes and flatware and a fountain pop machine. In everything we did, we designed it to complement the rest of the building."
Huerta believes the historic appeal of Hartington in general may draw customers from around the region to the Chief Bar. Because the city is Cedar County's county seat, he knows that many area residents frequently visit Hartington.
"When people come to do business at the courthouse, I expect they'll consider stopping in," Huerta said. "We've designed our lunch specials to offer some different types of dishes from time to time. I think our menu will go well here."
While Jesse and Monica Huerta didn't bring a strong business background to the Chief Bar, they believe their ability to offer a variety of services as well as prepare and serve tasty and sometimes unique dishes will be a strong asset to their new venture.
"We prepared some of our dishes for James Pearson's relatives," Monica Huerta said. "They're the ones who told us we should consider purchasing the bar. Our focus here is cleanliness, exceptional food and courteous service. All of our employees are excellent at what they do."
Jesse Huerta said his and Monica's entrepreneurial spirit led them to purchase the Chief Bar and they expect that same outlook will serve them well as they continue to develop the business.
"We're both good at managing people and we thought we could learn the other things we needed to know," Jesse Huerta said. "We sought input from the Hartington community before we organized our plans for the bar because we wanted to know what kind of food people liked so we could make that part of the business. This is not about us. It's all about our customers."
The bar recently re-opened under new ownership when Jesse and Monica Huerta purchased the business from longtime owners James and April Pearson.
After renovating the kitchen and bar's interior, the Huertas opened their new business, offering all the amenities of a traditional bar along with a menu that features Mexican foods.
"We have the best eight-ounce hamburgers around," Jesse Huerta said. "We toast the bun and grill the onions on it. It is really very succulent. Our menu features a variety of foods, but our customers really enjoy the Mexican dishes we prepare."
A copyrighted broasted chicken recipe, pork chops and beef steaks are all part of the Chief Bar's menu. Patrons will find a wide variety of liquors and some imported beers at the Chief. The bar is available for lease for a variety of events, including weddings, reunions and other family events.
As one of Hartington's few vintage late 1800s buildings that survived the passage of time, the Chief Bar allows patrons to take a step back into the city's history in a number of ways.
The more than 30-foot long, 16-foot high hand-carved, wooden illuminated Budweiser wall unit complete with engraved mirrors and hand-carved details has been a central point of interest in the bar for decades and still dominates the atmosphere of the building with its beauty and historic appeal.
"I believe it's a combination of oak and mahogany," Huerta said. "The hand-carved figures are beautiful and interesting. We love the globe lights. I believe they are probably irreplaceable now because they're the original globes."
Even though the original bar that matched the wall unit was replaced some time ago, the aesthetic appeal of the decor still sets the mood for the establisment.
As part of their renovation process, the Huertas refinished the building's original woodwork. About 90 percent of the tile floor that was installed by the original business owner is still intact. Just a few tiles inside the door were replaced due to deterioration from all the years of foot traffic.
"Those tiles were hand crafted," Huerta says. "The tiles that were replaced were selected to complement the original floor and they really don't detract from the overall look of the building.
"The building has been pretty well maintained over the years," Huerta continued. "The renovation we did was mainly in the kitchen area. We also did some painting and added table cloths, some new dishes and flatware and a fountain pop machine. In everything we did, we designed it to complement the rest of the building."
Huerta believes the historic appeal of Hartington in general may draw customers from around the region to the Chief Bar. Because the city is Cedar County's county seat, he knows that many area residents frequently visit Hartington.
"When people come to do business at the courthouse, I expect they'll consider stopping in," Huerta said. "We've designed our lunch specials to offer some different types of dishes from time to time. I think our menu will go well here."
While Jesse and Monica Huerta didn't bring a strong business background to the Chief Bar, they believe their ability to offer a variety of services as well as prepare and serve tasty and sometimes unique dishes will be a strong asset to their new venture.
"We prepared some of our dishes for James Pearson's relatives," Monica Huerta said. "They're the ones who told us we should consider purchasing the bar. Our focus here is cleanliness, exceptional food and courteous service. All of our employees are excellent at what they do."
Jesse Huerta said his and Monica's entrepreneurial spirit led them to purchase the Chief Bar and they expect that same outlook will serve them well as they continue to develop the business.
"We're both good at managing people and we thought we could learn the other things we needed to know," Jesse Huerta said. "We sought input from the Hartington community before we organized our plans for the bar because we wanted to know what kind of food people liked so we could make that part of the business. This is not about us. It's all about our customers."
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