Laura and Bryce Weinheimer recently took over operations of the Mint Bar and the MJW block following the purchase of the property from long time owners Jill and Don Leo. In the time since they have gotten to better know their customers, and recently held a Grand Re-Opening of the long-standing watering hole with a 'Great Gatsby' themed celebration.

Laura and Bryce have big plans for the property which includes building on the legacy built by the Leo's in their 24 years of running the Mint. The couple plans to eventually renovate the dance hall above the Mint to eventually be able to be used for graduation parties, weddings or community social gatherings.

Establishing the Mint and connecting with its customer base is priority number one. The Weiheimer's did just that during the months of April and May and began organizing their Grand Re-Opening for the end of June.

"The Chinook community has shown great support these last three months since we took over ownership of the Mint Bar," said Laura. "The Grand Re-Opening this past Saturday, June 25 only showed us what a great town this is and how wonderful the members in it are."

In organizing the celebration Laura was meticulous in wanting to get things right, "We wanted to celebrate the great support that the town has shown us with a little party to show how much we appreciate our patrons. It took some time to decide on what to serve as we did not want to intrude on other events in town, so we decided to go with trays filled with meat, cheese, vegetables, and fruit along with a Popcorn bar with lots of goodies."

The Weinheimer's were joined by friends and family, many who traveled many miles to be on hand for the celebration and to be with them celebrate the newest journey in their lives. "We are hoping to continue themed celebrations throughout the years with the next one being a Pool party before the summer ends. We truly appreciate our community, families, and wonderful staff for the support, and we are excited for our future here in Chinook," said Laura.

The Great Gatsby was set in the 1920's jazz era making for a unique opening. "We were so happy to see lots of people dressed up for the occasion. The costumes and patrons made it a fun night of entertainment. A few customers even started the night off with fun music from the era. We hope to see even more people dressed for the next party," concluded Laura.