La Tia Juana sports bar aims to keep Merced sports fans local
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- La Tia Juana opens July 14 in downtown Merced with food, cocktails and sports.
- Brothers Cris and Sal Tristan aim to retain local nightlife and boost economy.
- The bar features TVs, outdoor seating, live music and a staff of about 20.
A new sports bar in downtown Merced is looking to become a go-to destination for sports fans, offering classic bar food, specialty cocktails and a welcoming environment.
La Tia Juana, located at 425 W. Main Street, will officially open to the public on July 14, with a grand opening event expected to take place in either August or September. Brothers Cris and Sal Tristan, owners of the sports bar, said their goal is to create welcoming local option for patrons who may otherwise travel to larger cities like Modesto or Turlock for nightlife.
“We’re trying to have that economy stay in here,” Cris said. “So hopefully we’re able to do something like Turlock where people are just hopping around from business to business, to have the economy, everything stay in town instead of going out of town.”
Originally envisioned to be a taqueria and bar, the brothers said they shifted their focus after determining the concept would face competition from local pop-up vendors.
“We changed the concept. We already had the name already in place, so we couldn’t really change that,” Cris said. “We had all our, you know, plans and all this and that—licenses and everything already with that name. So we kept the name.”
The sports bar will serve traditional bar fare including wings, cheese steaks, burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, salads and even some Mexican-inspired dishes such as shrimp quesadillas. A reduced menu will be available after 9 p.m.
La Tia Juana will also feature a menu of specialty cocktails and employ a staff of about 20 people, Sal Tristan said. The space includes indoor seating with televisions throughout, as well as outdoor seating along the front and sides of the building. A misting system has been installed in an effort to keep outdoor diners cool during the warmer months.
“We wanted to have a place that one — we’re going to have sports playing when sports are on,” said Sal. “Two, we wanted to focus on also having an environment where anybody can come and hang out,” he said.
The brothers also plan to host live music multiple times throughout the year with performances from bands of varying genres.
Hours of operation vary by day:
- Monday through Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Thursday: 11 a.m. to midnight
- Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to midnight
The location of the sports bar next the Regal Hollywood Cinema, is already generating interest from diners during multiple soft openings, according to the brothers.
“That’s something that a lot of people have mentioned ‘hey, we’re gonna grab a drink or food before we go the movies or after we come out of movies let’s go have a drink and eat some food,’” said Sal. “So a lot of people have, actually told us that that’s something that now it’s gonna be within their plans.”
During times when there are few sporting events on television, the brothers hope that La Tia Juana will serve as a place where members of the community can gather and have a good time.
This story was originally published July 11, 2025 at 3:19 PM.