The owners of Umatillla’s former adult entertainment venue finally made the relaunch into The Bridge Bistro & Brews official.

“We started in July 2020, but haven’t had an official grand opening in two years,” owner Paulette Dufloth said.

She and husband Daren Dufloth have been in business for 21 years, but in March 2020 they closed Riverside Sports Bar & Lounge due to the pandemic. They remodeled and branded the establishment at 1501 Sixth St., even winning Umatilla’s Business of the Year award in 2021, and finally held a ribbon cutting ceremony June 18.

Two federal Paycheck Protection Program pandemic relief loans in May 2020 and January 2021 aided the revamp. Totaling $99,468, the Small Business Administration forgave both loans. A great many Northeastern Oregon businesses received PPP loans.

The Dufloths also benefited from a Restaurant Recovery Fund grant of $156,754. RRF grants were far fewer than PPP loans. The American Rescue Plan Act program mandated the vast majority of its funding to go to eligible businesses owned by women, veterans and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

Lawsuits challenged that priority policy, alleging discrimination against white men. After several judges ruled in favor of those claims, the SBA stopped processing applications from members of prioritized groups and rescinded some approvals already made.

The Bridge offers burgers, pizzas, steaks, salads and two poutines, a Quebecois dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with brown gravy. Dufloth is from Prince Edward Island, Canada, of French Acadian ancestry. The Bridge also serves cocktails, a variety of bottled beers and non-alcoholic beverages. It features live music on Wayback Wednesdays and some Saturdays.

Sit down dining and takeout service are available. Takeout orders helped The Bridge survive pandemic lockdowns.

For more information, including hours of operation, visit The Bridge’s website, thebridgebistroandbrews.com, and look for it on Facebook.