Editor's note: This is part of a 15-story series titled "If These Walls Could Talk" completed by Pioneer reporters with help from the Beltrami County Historical Society for our 2023 Annual Report.
Many Bemidjians fondly remember it as T. Juan鈥檚 Restaurante & Cantina, the town鈥檚 go-to Mexican spot.
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But the location on Park Avenue on the western edge downtown also held Bemidji鈥檚 Light and Water Plant, a couple of trucking companies, beer distributors and even a can and bottle recycling center.
After sitting empty for more than 10 years, it鈥檚 now home to the Hair Affair Salon and Spa, which moved there earlier this year after an extensive remodeling project.
鈥淎nybody who鈥檚 from Bemidji knows T. Juan鈥檚,鈥� said Calyn (Hensel) Lalone, owner of the salon. 鈥淎nd if they didn鈥檛 live here they went to college here and have come back. We鈥檝e actually had people just walk in just to see the original painting of T. Juan.鈥�
Calyn and her husband, Matt, purchased the building on Dec. 31, 2020, and started gutting the place the next day. Ironically, the couple had their first date at T. Juan鈥檚. Now they had to decide how to preserve some of what once was their favorite restaurant while creating an inviting space for customers.
鈥淭he tables were still set for diners,鈥� Matt said. 鈥淚t was a full two years of removing everything and selling everything that was salvageable. All of the kitchen equipment was in working order. We utilized as much of the kitchen equipment as possible, all stainless steel. We saved table tops from T. Juan鈥檚, saved as much wood as possible and used it all for our shelving.鈥�
They also discovered something from the building鈥檚 past. It was a sign on a door and pipes from the Warfield Electric Company, the original owners.
According to Bemidji historian Cecelia McKeig, Bemidji鈥檚 Light and Water Plant was constructed on the site in 1904, and four years later a steel water tower at the end of Third Street was built alongside Warfield鈥檚 light and water plant.
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Among other occupants through the years were Midnite Express Trucking, Glendenning Motor Ways, Bemidji Distributing Co., and Honest Oly鈥檚 Used Can and Bottle Lot.
Midnite Express had daily trucking service between Bemidji, Duluth, the Twin Cities, Fargo and Grand Forks. Bemidji Distributing served as storage for the Langdon Bottling Co. and Nichols & Shanahan Beverage.
Bemidji Distributing was one of the oldest wholesalers in Minnesota and the oldest in Bemidji, going back to 1933. In April 1974, the company introduced Olympia beer in Bemidji.
In 1976, Honest Oly鈥檚 made a Bicentennial pledge to the community to buy any and all crushed aluminum cans returned to the Recycling Center for 15 cents a pound.
But most people know the building best as T. Juan鈥檚. In addition to the popular Mexican cuisine, legend has it that the place tried to set a Guinness world record for serving the most shots of tequila on Cinco de Maio one year.
鈥淚 used to come here and play pool, throw darts,鈥� Matt Lalone said of the place he now co-owns. 鈥淲hen we started to hear a lot of firsts from people, we thought, 鈥楲et鈥檚 not cover everything up, let鈥檚 try to keep some of it the same.鈥� We kept the floor, just sealed it. You can see where the bar was. You can see where the family booth was.鈥�
They also kept an old, heavy safe that was still in the building.
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鈥淭here are so many buildings in our town that have been torn down that are extremely nostalgic and important to people,鈥� Calyn Lalone said. 鈥淪o to take something that has been in Bemidji since roughly 1908 鈥� and revamp it and make it into such a modern space for people to come and enjoy and relax, is really amazing. There are no words. I think it was meant to be for us to buy this building.鈥�
The Trust Project
