MURRIETA, CA — Joannie’s Cantina in historic Old Town Murrieta has operated for decades, but now the pub is up for sale — just like its next-door neighbors.
The western-themed 1,300-square-foot watering hole/restaurant at 24750 Washington Ave. is listed at $1,550,000. (Sheri Shoemaker of Lee & Associates has the listing.)
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The single-story bar sits on .69 acres and was built in 1980, according to the listing, though the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder’s office shows a 1962 build date.
The establishment carries a California Type 48 Liquor License and includes 25 parking spaces. The sale includes all the pub’s assets.
In December 2021, San Diego-based Belching Beaver Brewery acquired the commercial property. According to the assessor’s office, the sale price was $1,375,000.
Shortly after the purchase, Thomas Vogel, Belching Beaver’s co-owner and chief executive officer, told The Press-Enterprise his company was planning to build a new brewpub at the Joannie’s site. The proposed two-story building was expected to be 5,000 to 7,000 square feet. The project did not move forward, but maybe it will with the next investor who buys Joannie’s.
Old Town Murrieta is changing, and development opportunities exist.
Last year, the historic Lakeman House at the northeast corner of Washington Avenue and Juniper Street was torn down. The home was more than 135 years old and was determined to be unsafe for occupancy.
Ray’s Murrieta Cafe at 24770 Washington Ave. sits on the same .61-acre land parcel as the Lakeman House once did. The long-closed eatery dates back a century. The cafe and razed lot are listed for sale together at $1,299,000 by Kelli Jones of Associa Equity Management & Realty Services. Because the property is zoned multi-use, the site could appeal to a bevy of developers.
Across the street from Ray’s and Joannie’s sits a recently refurbished barn-red house with lots of history. It, too, is on the market with an asking price of $2,190,000. It’s being advertised for potential residential, retail or commercial (or combination) use.
The house is located at 24771 Washington Ave. and was built in 1887. Reportedly, it was the second home built in Murrieta. The Steiner family — who recently refurbished the property — have advertised it as a destination venue. It features 1,982 square feet and sits on .32 acres, according to the listing held by Ryann Steiner at Exit Alliance Realty.
The listed properties are among the many changes in Old Town Murrieta over the last decade or so. For example, locals remember (not that long ago) buying produce from the old market at 24683 Washington Ave. Now that property houses Wine Ranch Grill & Cellars. The current Downtown Marketplace building at the southwest corner of Kalmia Street and Washington Avenue, which includes the Public House, was once the site of small old homes.
Old Town, on historic California route 395, is a treasure trove of bygone times.
On Thursday night, I was in Old Town. I live a few miles away and love the few city blocks in and around Washington Avenue. Murrieta Market Night, the twice-monthly street fair, was going on.
After about two hours spent at the Community Center just around the corner, it was time for me to go home. The sun was setting and as I drove away, the locals were out walking and riding. There were tricyclists and bicyclists, tail-wagging dogs with their families, and couples hand-in-hand. Stress and motor-vehicle traffic were sparse.
Watching the residents stroll by on a warm spring night caused me to drift and wonder what it must have been like all those decades ago when places like Ray’s welcomed patrons. It’s nostalgia I get every time I’m in Old Town — and it’s always bittersweet.
What are your memories of Old Town Murrieta? What do you think of the changes? Share your thoughts below.