By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

The Bistro, a new soup and salad lunch spot, recently opened for business in the heart of downtown Burns.

The restaurant is part of Samantha and Kelly Landon’s Beauty on Broadway Day Spa, 314 N. Broadway, and is managed by Jeannette Vinson.

The Bistro quietly opened on March 4. “We’re taking baby steps right now, trying to do it right,” Samantha said of the “soft” opening, which means they chose not to advertise it.

Starting slow means that right now, the Bistro serves espresso drinks and a lunch of a hearty soup, salad and roll. While the Bistro is taking baby steps, business has been robust as the restaurant served 75 customers for lunch on a recent Friday. “We wanted to offer something different and unique to Burns, but still something that fills you up,” Samantha said. She hopes to eventually add Friday and Saturday night dinners to the Bistro’s menu.

Samantha is no stranger to the restaurant business, as her family legacy includes running The Antlers and the Pine Room for many years. In fact, she is incorporating many of the same soup recipes that were popular at those eating establishments. Friday at the Bistro is German potato soup day, which was a Pine Room favorite.

In addition to soup and espresso, the Bistro features artisan breads and gourmet desserts from Sonni Svejcar’s On a Roll Bakery. “Everything is homemade and as fresh as we can possibly get it,” Samantha said. In fact, she noted that the Bistro will try to focus on all things Oregon as well.

Bella Java, the Bistro’s espresso counter, already features coffee from Oregon Coffee Roasters, which roasts the coffee and sends it to the Bistro the next day. Samantha hopes to eventually add a counter with Oregon cheeses and a service bar featuring Oregon wines.

Rustic oranges, reds and browns cover the walls and ceiling, giving the Bistro a warm Italian feel. Fresh flowers decorate each table. The Bistro building used to house the JC Penny store in Burns. “This is a beautiful building,” Samantha said. “Nobody saw it when we first started working on it.” She and Kelly have been  remodeling the building for the last three years. “There was a lot of craftsmanship put into this building. Unfortunately, it was covered up,” she said. As they removed layers, they found items they wanted to incorporate in their design, such as the molding and ceiling tiles.

If the furniture looks a little familiar it could be because the Landons used table legs that came from The Antlers. Samantha and Kelly built new table tops and attached them to the old table legs. The chairs, circa 1948, were originally used when Samantha’s family ran The Stag in Madras.

This summer, the Landons will remodel the front of the Bistro to offer some outdoor seating, and wireless Internet will also be an option for those who want to bring a laptop downtown.

Samantha feels the Bistro compliments the day spa and other businesses that are already established in the building. “It just goes with our wellness theme,” she said. “We have Zantiva Yoga and Beauty on Broadway. It’s beautiful and simple.”

The Bistro at 314 N. Broadway is open from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.