The Gem Lounge

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The Gem Lounge The Gem Lounge hearkens back to Medford's past while looking towards the future.

21/06/2025

Come on out! I'm here now and it's HOT!!!

Meet the team so far:Jo Alvey: An aspiring businessman with an intrepid spirit, Jo has traveled over 100,000 miles acros...
20/06/2025

Meet the team so far:

Jo Alvey: An aspiring businessman with an intrepid spirit, Jo has traveled over 100,000 miles across the country and visited over 200 drinking establishments to gather a wealth of knowledge for his chosen field of bartending and food service. He has worked as a tour guide off and on for 12 years. He also has experience in human resources and team management, which puts him in the perfect spot to start a business. Jo also makes videos on TikTok and YouTube under the username Average Jo Explorations. In his spare time, Jo enjoys playing Minecraft, studying local history, and spending time with his loved ones.

Gabriela Rodriguez: Gabby, Jo's partner and a mother-to-be of their baby boy, is an adventurous outdoorswoman who is incredibly loving, supportive, and passionate about everything she does. Gabby will be running our social media pages and, when we open, will be training as our first bartender. In her spare time, Gabby enjoys hiking, exercising, playing with their two cats, and preparing for parenthood.

05/06/2025

Introduction video by our founder, Jo Alvey!

05/06/2025

The Gem Lounge page is now live! We are a planned new bar in Medford, Oregon and our name is an homage to one of Medford's original 1884 saloons, the Gem Saloon. The original Gem was opened by William "Bill" Kenney and Hamilton "Ham" H. Wolters in June 1884 at the southeast corner of Main and Front Street. Their saloon was well known across the Rogue Valley to be a premium hangout spot for old and new residents alike. The Gem had the latest newspapers, magazines, and a premium Brunswick pool table which was a highlight of its offerings. Throughout its long history, the bar went through various name changes (Nash Thirst Parlor, Medford Hotel Saloon, etc.) and survived Prohibition by becoming a soda parlor. It was only closed in the 1970s when the building that housed it was demolished following a fire that gutted the brick building in the 1970s.

Today, hardly a soul knows that the Gem was once considered one of the finest bars between Portland and Sacramento. The Gem Lounge aims to preserve the legacy of early Medford while respecting the tastes and interests of Medford's current population. With premium leather couches, a small stage for music performances, the latest newspapers on the table, a mouth-watering food menu, and specialty cocktails that reference Medford's past, the Gem aspires to be a beacon of historic preservation and bar comfort in Oregon's eighth largest city.

Follow us for Medford history tidbits and updates about our progress as a business enterprise!

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97501, 97504

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