JJ’s Cantina on Cholla Bay, which has operated under the management of Joe Anacleto and his partner John Fowler since Memorial Day weekend in 1984, transferred hands and closed for remodeling last month.

Grand re-opening is planned for next month. It will be part of the family of clubs, include Wrecked at the Reef, owned and operated by Randy Gahan.

The cantina was opened in the late 1940s by Sra. Eva Ibarra and her husband Eduardo who was mayor of Puerto Peñasco at the time. When Joe and John purchased the cantina, it was known as El Club de Pesca La Cholla and was one of only five bars in all of Puerto Peñasco.

With some innovative marketing and the creation of special events to draw folks back to Rocky Point, by 1987, JJ’s was selling more Corona beer than any business in all of Mexico.

Those events included the “Angler of the Year” fishing tournament, a One-Club Open golf tournament at low tide on the sand of Cholla Bay, Bathtub Races and more. John Fowler added Cornhole Tournaments and charity auctions to the cantina events to benefit his Santa Claus Club charity which takes much needed items to the poorest neighborhoods in Peñasco and provides Christmas gifts for the children there.

In 2007 Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers brought January Jam to the patio stage at JJ’s. That event brought fans and raised money for local charities for more than a dozen years.