64 North Bar and Grill plans grand opening event on July 2

SHAWNA KONIECZNY

REPORTER

On November 16, 2020, 64 North Bar and Grill opened its doors for the first time under new ownership. Michelle and Ed Wisnewski bought the establishment formally known as Country Inn and transformed it into 64 North.

Michelle and Ed said that they like the history and character of the building and that they wanted a change from working in corporate sales for over 25 years, so they decided to buy the bar and make it their own. “We have both been in the restaurant business for a long time and had been in sales for a long time, so we decided that we wanted to make a change,” said Michelle.

At the time of their initial opening, the Wisnewski’s felt it wasn’t the right time for a grand opening event. Michelle explained that they wanted to have a band performing and to have an outdoor patio available for people to sit.

“We wanted to have it outside so if people were not comfortable being in the bar at the time when we bought it in November. Plus we had a lot of remodeling stuff that we wanted to do. But really we wanted to kick off our patio because our patio was one of the main things that we wanted to have done,” said Michelle.

64 North is finally having their grand opening on Friday July 2. The event will kick off the start of the Fourth of July weekend as well as the bar’s outdoor venue and summer of band performances. Blame it on Waylon will be the band performing during the grand opening. They will take the stage from 8 p.m. to midnight. Throughout the day, people will have the chance to win 64 North apparel and gift certificates.

Michelle said that they have bands booked for the next two months and into the fall, which can all be found on their Facebook page. Michelle and Ed agreed that business has been going well for the short time that they have been open. Michelle said that they are fortunate that people have been coming in to try all the food they offer. They noted that the former establishment didn’t have a food menu.

64 North’s menu includes a wide variety of bar foods, including burgers, chicken, and tacos. They also offer homemade pizza. Michelle said that they are hoping to add more items on the menu in the future. The bar and grill also offers delivery during lunch hours.

“A lot of the businesses in town order from us and we’ll deliver it right to them,” said Ed.

One thing that the Wisnewski’s are excited to show customers is their new grain bin bar. Behind the bar where the patio and stage is located, there is also a repurposed grain bin that offers seating and will have multiple televisions for people to watch sports games on. This grain bin bar will have full power and include a bar so bartenders can serve drinks to people outside of the bar.

Something that attracted the couple to the bar was its location. 64 North is located at N2993 County Road E, about four miles west of Medford. It is located near the corner of County Road E and Hwy 64, making it an easy place to get to. Michelle said that it’s a great corner that a lot of people drive by.

Ed and Michelle explained that the establishment is family-friendly as the main bar and dining areas are somewhat separated. Outside, there is room for children to go play and Ed said that they have Jenga and bean bag toss available to customers. “It’s not a typical bar. It’s not a corner bar anymore. It’s definitely a destination,” said Ed.