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Honey Baked Ham is planning to return to Eugene by Thanksgiving 2026. Three local venues are hosting tropical drink events in the coming days. El Taco Fresco has opened a new food truck location at ColdFire Brewing. Alesong released four new summer beers.
Honey Baked Ham seeks local franchisee
The Honey Baked Ham Co. is committed to returning to Eugene, according to Eric Edwards, franchise development director, who said, “it won’t be hard” to find a franchisee quickly.
“Eugene is one of the highest priority target markets in the entire country for us right now,” Edwards said.
The company is targeting an opening in advance of Thanksgiving 2026, and has already secured financing for the store.
Honey Baked Ham previously operated a corporate-owned store in Eugene near Valley River Center that closed around 2011. The company, headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, wants to return to this part of the country, but with a franchise model this time.
“We really want this to be a store that becomes part of the community,” Edwards said. “Really focuses on hiring local, keeping all the revenue that comes in to that store local.”
The company is specifically seeking a franchisee with local market connections. While Honey Baked Ham is best known for its holiday hams, turkeys and prime rib, it also offers catering services, box lunches and daily lunch options.
Honey Baked Ham operates more than 450 year-round retail locations in 40 states across the country. The company operates a seasonal store in Salem. There are also two Honey Baked stores; one in Oregon City and one in Beaverton.
Tropical drinks at Play
Play — an all-ages venue for games, drinks and food — is hosting three days of beach drinks in its 21-and-older cocktail lounge area. The Endless Summer Cocktail Festival kicks off Aug. 20 with a menu of refreshing cocktails they say “will transport you directly to white sands and crystal clear waters.”
Play is planning special events each day. DJ Food Stamp in the Cocktail Lounge will spin vinyl records Aug. 21. Stern Mama, a Eugene-based rum distillery, will offer free tastings of its Silver Rum, single-distilled from 100% sugarcane molasses, Aug. 22. Play is hosting live music from Day Dream Derby from 7-9 p.m. Aug. 23 on its patio.
Play has batting cages, a golf suite and an arcade that are open to all ages. Play has not yet announced the full list of cocktails it will be making during the festival, but you can follow its Instagram to be updated when that list is available.
Play
232 W. Fifth Ave.
541-357-5010
https://www.playeugene.com
Tiki drink tasting at Jazzy Ladies
The next Jazzy Ladies monthly drink tasting experience is Aug. 16, when owner Michelle Reid shares the history and ingredients behind classic tiki cocktails.
The 6:30 p.m. reservation-only tasting will sample five classic tiki cocktails, followed by a full-size version of one cocktail of your choice. Attendees will also get drink recipes. While food is not included in the $35 ticket price, participants can order dinner before the event or appetizers during the class.
And speaking of tiki cocktails, the Richard E. Wildish Community Theater in Springfield is hosting a screening of the movie “The Donn of Tiki,” Tuesday, Aug.19. Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, better known as Donn Beach or Don the Beachcomber, invented several tiki drinks which are still popular and celebrated, including the Zombie, Navy Grog, Cobra’s Fang and Three Dots and a Dash. The filmmakers will be available for a Q&A and The Monkey’s Paw tiki bar in Springfield will serve a special one-day-only drink menu.
ColdFire adds El Taco Fresco food truck
El Taco Fresco, owned and operated by Noe Garcia, has set up in the food truck plaza at ColdFire Brewing. Garcia brings Mexico City-style tacos with fresh flavors to the truck. He also runs the El Taco Fresco inside the Valley River Center along with a food truck near the Chase Bank on East Game Farm Road in Springfield. El Taco Fresco will be at ColdFire for up to three months as ColdFire finalizes construction of its own kitchen.
The ColdFire location offers a large menu of queso tacos, street tacos, burritos, quesadillas, torta, nachos, asada fries and torta fries, taquitos, quesabirrias and chicken fajitas. One unique dish is alambres, similar to a fajita but made with different meats. El Taco Fresco makes theirs with bacon, chorizo and steak with peppers and cheese. Any of the dishes can be served with asada (steak), chorizo, beef, chicken, birria beef (marinated in adobo sauce), steak and chorizo together, adobada (pork marinated in red chili sauce) or bacon.
El Taco Fresco
Open at ColdFire Brewing
263 Mill St.
Tuesday through Thursday: 2-9:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: noon-9:30 p.m.
Alesong releases new summer beers
Alesong Brewing & Blending released four new summer beers this week. Returning is malty fan favorite Kentucky Kilt, a Scotch-style ale aged in Wild Turkey 16-year bourbon barrels.
Doug Coombs, Alesong’s co-founder, described Cucumber Enlightenmint as a “bright and refreshing tart ale aged in neutral French oak barrels.”
The third beer is Beleza, inspired by the Bellini cocktail. Beleza is a blend of oak-aged sour beers matured with Willamette Valley pinot gris grapes and Oregon peaches.
The final release is Showstopper ’25, a collaboration with the Hult Center for the Performing Arts celebrating the Hult’s 43rd season. Coombs described it as a “rich, bold, bourbon-barrel-aged imperial stout” finished on vanilla beans and Dominican Zorzal cocoa nibs selected by the Hult Center team.
These beers are available on draft and in bottles at the tasting room. Kentucky Kilt and Beleza will be available at select retailers throughout the Pacific Northwest beginning Aug. 21.
Alesong Brewing & Blending
80848 Territorial Highway
541-844-9925
www.alesongbrewing.com
