‘The choice was made for us’: Bend’s Unofficial Logging Co. owner speaks of business closure
(Update: adding interview with owner, John Heylin, and full story)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — After opening right before the pandemic hit, then enduring one economic hardship after another, a beloved downtown Bend business is shutting its doors.
Following five years of community events, concerts and axe-throwing, Unofficial Logging Company is calling it quits as of Wednesday.
Though a difficult decision, owner John Heylin, told KTVZ News on Tuesday he wanted to make sure he handled it with grace and consideration for those he employed. After suffering a 40% decline in sales, "the choice was made for us," said Heylin.
“I wanted to be transparent about what’s going on," Heylin said. "So often, we see businesses closed, and employees generally find out the day of that they’re no longer employed. I was determined to not have that happen with my business.”
Heylin said his hope is that the community considers the lives behind any small business, and gives owners patience and support when possible.
“I think having understanding for people that are going through the closure process and seeing something they’ve invested so much time in just go up in smoke is important,” he said.
For Heylin, his business meant more to him than any monetary success -- he wanted to give back to the community.
“If I’d taken all the money I borrowed to open the bar and put it into the stock market, I would be a millionaire. But that’s just something on paper," he said. "Instead, we have people out there that are working 80-hour weeks to try to improve Central Oregon, eke out a living, make connections, and provide a service.”
Though the business won’t be coming back in any form under his ownership, Heylin says his work in Central Oregon isn’t over. He may be going from throwing axes to throwing his hat in the ring for county comissioner...
“I do not foresee myself opening another axe bar. I think I touched the stove and got burned. But I’m going to be running for county commissioner,” Heylin told KTVZ News.
Heylin was the driving force behind a ballot measure in the November 2024 election that proposed expanding the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners from three members to five. The measure (9-173) passed with overwhelming approval from voters, with two new positions being added to the ballot in the May 2026 election.
Heylin said he is grateful to the community for five years of support. He hopes that whatever his next role may be, it will give him a new way to serve Central Oregon.
Unofficial Logging Company's message to the public announcing the closure and KTVZ's original story is below:
In a heartfelt message posted to the company’s Facebook page on Monday, the business shared the challenges that have led to the closure decision, calling the closure “heartbreaking.”
“When we opened our doors in 2019, we had a simple dream: to create a place where people could gather, laugh, and connect,” the post reads. “Just a few months later, that dream collided with the pandemic.”
Since then, the business says it has faced nearly constant hurdles: the COVID-19 shutdown, a lumber supply crisis, staffing shortages, inflation, and tariffs. In 2025, they said, the latest blow has been the broad economic uncertainty and tightened consumer budgets.
Unofficial Logging Co. reports a 40% drop in sales compared to last year, a decline they believe reflects larger trends.
“We’re probably the canary in the coal mine,” the post continues. “What’s happening to us may be a sign of what’s ahead for many others in Central Oregon and beyond.”
The business operated not just as a bar, but as a gathering place for concerts, weddings, fundraisers, baby showers, and other community events across Central Oregon, including in La Pine, Prineville, and Redmond.
According to the company, it has contributed over $5 million to the local economy since its founding six years ago.
Though saddened by the closure, the team expressed pride in what they built.
“Our real impact is harder to measure. It’s the way people felt when they walked through our doors. It’s the joy, the laughter, the sense of safety, the unforgettable memories,” the post concluded. “So long, and thanks for all the fish.”
Here is their full Facebook post:
Dear friends,
It breaks our hearts to share that Unofficial Logging Co. will likely be closing, with our last day set for July 2nd.
When we opened our doors in 2019, we had a simple dream: to create a place where people could gather, laugh, and connect. Just a few months later, that dream collided with the pandemic. We had to shut down almost immediately. What followed was a series of challenges that never seemed to stop.
After COVID came the lumber crisis, with prices tripling overnight. Then we faced staffing shortages that never really let up. Then inflation. Then tariffs. And now, in 2025, economic uncertainty is the new normal. People are tightening their budgets.
We’ve done everything we could to stay afloat, but this year our sales are down 40% from the year before. That isn’t a marketing issue or a temporary slump. It’s a signal that something deeper is happening. Axe throwing is fun, but when compared to food, rent, health care, or insurance, it’s a luxury. And luxuries just don’t survive in economies like this one.
We’re probably the canary in the coal mine. We hope we’re wrong, but we’re afraid we’re not. What’s happening to us may be a sign of what’s ahead for many others in Central Oregon and beyond.
Despite all of this, we are incredibly proud of what we built. Our bar has been more than just a place to throw axes. It’s been a home for concerts, fundraisers, first dates, last hurrahs, and everything in between. We’ve hosted weddings in La Pine, baby showers in Prineville, festivals in Redmond, and community gatherings right here in Bend. We’ve been lucky to meet and connect with hundreds of thousands of you.
We know people often talk about economic impact in numbers, and we’re proud to have contributed more than $5 million dollars into the local economy over the last 6 years. But our real impact is harder to measure. It’s the way people felt when they walked through our doors. It’s the joy, the laughter, the sense of safety, the unforgettable memories.
Thank you, Bend. Thank you, Deschutes County. Thank you, Central Oregon. For the time, the support, the love, and the trust.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
–The crew at Unofficial Logging Co.
