September 15, 2005

Popular Quail Canyon Inn bar burns, temporarily leaving few options for locals

Almaden Feed & Fuel could also be gone in the future

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

Green, blossoming Almaden Valley may be drying up, not from lack of water, but lack of watering holes.

The old Quail Canyon Inn bar and restaurant burnt down the evening of Aug. 31 leaving area bikers and outdoorsmen wondering if it’s gone forever or if its owner, Ray Jeffers, will rebuild. Photo courtesy of Blondie Barnd.

Now that the popular country bar the Quail Canyon Inn (near Chesbro Reservoir) was damaged in a fire more than two weeks ago, where will avid outdoorsmen and weekend motorcycle riders get their alcohol fix, water and cold drinks on hot summer days?

That’s the question most bikers, fishermen and recreationists have as their throats have gone dry after the fire that totally engulfed the old Quail bar at around 11 p.m., Aug. 31.

The 40-year-old-plus bar was popular and frequented by people who live along rural McKean and Uvas roads as they traveled toward Morgan Hill.

Ray Jeffers, owner of the Quail, said this week he plans to rebuild his business. He said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. He said he doesn’t know how much damage the fire caused or whether the entire bar will have to be gutted to rebuild it. No one was injured during the blaze which firefighters stopped before it spread to nearby surrounding hills.

“I have no idea how the fire got started,” Jeffers said. “We hope to rebuild. We hope the insurance will help cover some of the damages.”

The Quail, located at 18780 Oak Glen Ave., and Almaden Feed & Fuel restaurant and bar, located at 19950 Almaden Rd., are the only two bars operating in this rural part of town.

At one time, customers could choose to take their business to four bars in the valley, but now the only one left is Almaden Feed & Fuel, whose owners have announced that they will sell the land to make way for a small housing development sometime in the near future.

The Calero Inn bar and restaurant was razed several years ago when the county sold the land. Then the Redwood Cabin at the corner of Almaden and McKean roads was damaged in a fire and closed down, too.

“The only one left is the Almaden Feed & Fuel and that’s going to be torn down for condos. This ends the whole era of going back 40 to 50 years of the old-time beer bars,” regretted longtime Almaden resident Blondie Barnd, a local realtor and former owner of Almaden Feed & Fuel.

“It was a social thing where we could go, talk and have a beer,” Barnd said. “Everyone is sad about this. Everyone at Feed & Fuel is talking about it.”

Jeffers, who lives in Morgan Hill, said the Quail opened in 1957. He bought the bar in 1992. “I think we can remodel it and rebuild it,” he said, adding that the bar’s previous capacity was up to 200 people.

“It’s been very devastating. We have a lot of friends who go there that we meet with and socialize. It’s been a real blow to us.”

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention responded to the blaze as well as the South Santa Clara County Fire Department.

“I don’t know if this was arson. They’re still investigating the cause of the fire,” Jeffers said.