NEWBERG, Ore. — A new bar and music venue is preparing to soft-open its doors in downtown Newberg with a ticketed live music performance that may well define its future as a consistent stage for local and regional acts.
“It’s pretty cool to see people in here,” said Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery owner Christian DeBenedetti during a small friends-and-family gathering on June 20. “I feel like for the past few months it’s been the crew and me in here with tools and brooms. It’s great to actually see people in the space.”
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DeBenedetti said getting to June 25 — opening day for the Wolves & People bar, whose name may change, at 107 N Meridian St — has come with its own set of hurdles. The previously vacant garage needed significant work to transform into a pub atmosphere, from installing new electrical to building a walk-in cooler and taps behind the bar.
“It’s been a big group effort,” he said. “We’ve all pulled together to make this happen and we’re excited to finally be at this stage.”
The project was announced in June 2025, with the goal of opening later that year. DeBenedetti launched a GoFundMe page seeking to raise $18,000 to help fund the retrofit. As of press time, the fundraiser has raised more than $17,000. The page lists a top-level goal of $30,000.
A series of setbacks — with physical work, permits, and licensing — pushed his opening date back. Another hitch arose when a restaurant concept that would have occupied the other half of the building fell through. The original business model outsourced food service to that restaurant. Without food service, the bar would face licensing issues with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.
That’s when DeBenedetti reached out to Briar Ridge BBQ food truck to see if they’d be willing to bring their Texas-style barbecue to the plate.
“It feels like a natural connection,” DeBenedetti said. “It plays right on theme and pairs really well with everything we’re serving.”
Briar Ridge BBQ will offer a limited menu on site until they’re able to build and move into the building’s kitchen, said the food cart owners.
Wolves & People beers will be the primary beverages on tap, though DeBenedetti said they’ll likely bring in selections from other breweries to help fill the lines in the early days. The tap wall features 15 taps, one reserved for nitro beers and another outfitted with a Czech Lukr faucet for pouring authentic European lagers with a dense, wet foam cap. DeBenedetti said there will likely be nonalcoholic options as well, including kombucha and soda. Unlike the brewery’s farmhouse location, the downtown space will feature a full bar, which DeBenedetti said will likely start with a standard cocktail list.
He connected with Juneau, Alaska-based bluegrass musician Josh Fortenbery about performing at the new venue and set a date of June 25 — a deadline, he said, that helped him focus the final push to open. He tapped local bluegrass band Knuckle Grease Station, which formed out of Wolves & People’s weekly bluegrass jam night, to open for Fortenbery. Tickets to the show are available in advance on Eventbrite, and DeBenedetti said tickets should be available at the door.
“It’s a nice full-circle moment, and I think captures what we’re trying to do here,” DeBenedetti said. “We want to bring high-level acts to Newberg, and elevate the musicians and bands that are already here.”
Looking ahead, DeBenedetti hopes the Wolves & People bar becomes a destination for touring musicians — bluegrass or otherwise — looking to fit in a show while traveling the Interstate 5 corridor.
DeBenedetti said he’s aiming for the bar to be open Wednesday through Sunday, 4 to 11 p.m., though hours will remain in flux while permitting wraps up. The bar will operate under a special events permit while finalizing details with OLCC. The farmhouse brewery tasting room will continue operating as normal — a dynamic DeBenedetti sees as mutually beneficial.
“I think they’re going to feed each other,” he said. “When people are at the farm, they’ll learn about the bar downtown. And when they’re at the bar downtown, they’ll learn about the farm and we can cross-promote. I think it’ll increase the brand as a whole.”
Learn more by following the Wolves & People social media pages.
Disclosure: Newsberg founding editor Branden Andersen was a Wolves & People employee in 2022.
