Branding Memories-

Ownership Change at Iconic Restaurant Stirs Reflections

The iconic neon sign for the Branding Iron Restaurant on 16th Street in Merced.  Photo:  Steve Newvine

“Let’s meet somewhere in-between,” the voice on the other end of the phone suggested.  “How about the Branding Iron in Merced?”

That voice from sixteen years ago was from the head of development for a national charity’s regional office.  He was setting up an appointment to meet me and to talk about a position the organization was looking to fill.

The year was 2006.  It was the first time I would drive from my home in Fresno to the City of Merced.  It would not be the last time. 

 I had never heard of the Branding Iron.  But upon entering the restaurant, it was clear to me this place was “the meeting place”  for Merced.

The job I drove fifty miles north to discuss was never offered.  But it was nice to see the inside of an authentic California steakhouse.  

The Branding Iron recently changed hands.  The Parle family sold the place to Raj and Jeena Kahlon. 

The Branding Iron was recently sold to Raj and Jeena Kahlon.  Photo: Steve Newvine

Now a new generation will assume stewardship over this beloved local dining landmark.

From the dark wood grain walls, to the cattle branding motif throughout the restaurant, the Branding Iron was a perfect meeting place for business settings, service club meetings, or a special night out.

There is a recent story about the history of the Branding Iron in the January 6 edition of the Merced County Times newspaper.  

Three months after my first visit to the 16th Street establishment back in 2006, I got another call from another organization. 

After discussing the job, I was asked to come up to Merced again.  “We’ll have lunch at the Branding Iron,” this new voice declared.

This time around, the outcome of the business discussed proved positive for me.  The lunch led to another meeting, and eventually to an offer to work in Merced.

The rest is history as my wife and I settled in, bought a house, got involved, and made this community our new hometown.   

Unique features of the Branding Iron are the branding symbols seen throughout the restaurant.  Photo:  Steve Newvine

Through it all, the Branding Iron was part of my Merced experience.  My first office was next door at the old railroad station.  Owner Greg Parle would frequently stop in to use the copy machine.  The Chamber held some special meetings there.

The Chamber would occasionally hold luncheon events in one of the banquet rooms at the restaurant.  The Parle family was always supportive of Chamber fundraising events.

In 2007, then Assembly Member Cathleen Galgiani spoke at one of the Merced Chamber’s issues luncheons held at the Branding Iron.  L-R:  Suzie Bubenchik (board chair), Cathleen Galgiani, and me.  Photo:  Steve Newvine

I recall one afternoon after then-Governor Schwarzenegger spoke at a luncheon held at the County Fairgrounds I got a call from one of the field assistants of an elected member of the legislature. 

That person asked whether I could join other field assistants for a late afternoon happy hour at the Branding Iron.  I joined the group briefly after work and I enjoyed connecting with this circle of professionals.  

It was one of the highlights of my time with the Chamber.

Most of my business lunches were held there not only for the convenient walk to and from the office but also for the statement the restaurant made about Merced.

That statement in my mind is this:  we’re a friendly place, most of the people here are honest to the core, you’ll be treated well, and you will want to stay here for the rest of your life.

  A smaller neon sign welcomes visitors to the Branding Iron entrance.  Photo:  Steve Newvine

It is a time to celebrate the continuation of a Merced tradition: the Branding Iron.  With all the community has been through during the COVID crisis, this could have been a farewell to the local institution.  Instead, it is a celebration. 

A tradition lives on. 

A new owner is ready to serve the local community as well of outsiders looking for a place that’s somewhere in between.

Who knows, maybe even another outsider like I was some sixteen years ago will stop in and discover his first view of Merced.

The Branding Iron made an impression on me then.  It is now time to make a lasting impression on a new generation of customers.

Steve Newvine lives in Merced. 

He came to Merced in 2007 first to head the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce, and then to serve as the Senior Program Manager for Government Partnerships for a public utility.  

His new book, A Bundle of Memories, combines his first two memoirs (Growing Up, Upstate and Grown Up, Going Home) along with thirty pages of new stories.  It is available exclusively at Lulu.com 

Midway between Oregon and Mexico-

Highway 99 Group Seeks Support for Statewide Sign Effort

Proposed design of historical marker type sign for Highway 99.  Photo:  Highway 99 Association

Think of the Central Valley as having two highway 99s.

One is the highway many drivers love to hate.  While it may be the fastest way to get from Merced to Modesto or Fresno by car, construction and traffic snarls can ruin the best of plans.

Over the past twelve years, we’ve seen millions of dollars poured into more lanes, better access points, and a variety of other improvements. 

Then there is the other 99: what remains following the major overhaul of the route back in the 1960s.  Before the current stretch of concrete, rest stops, and traffic, Highway 99 wound north and south directly through many cities in the Central Valley.  

Some of those roads remain in use.

In the City of Merced for example, the original 99 is what we now know as 16th Street. Highway expansion that created the four-lane roadway most of us are familiar with took place decades ago.  

the palm and the pine south of the City of Madera on Highway 99.  Photo: KCRA Sacramento

The Historic Highway 99 Association of California has sought historic recognition for the highway that was known for a time before Interstate 5 as the transportation backbone of the state.

The Association is looking at local governments that have a portion of the old highway running through their jurisdictions to support efforts to add historic markers along the roadside.

“As we are a new organization and still getting established, what we qualify as a big accomplishment can seem a lot smaller,” says Michael Ballard who is president of the Historic Highway 99 Association.  

There is a lot of work for this 501(c)3 California Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation.  But the rewards are worth it according to Michael.   

Historic 99 signs have been placed in seven locations along Gateway Drive in Madera.  Photo: Madera Tribune.

The mission of the Association is to make more people aware of the historical significance of the highway.   The group points to the iconic palm and pine trees in Madera.

“We are currently working on getting signs posted at the Pine and Palm location along Highway 99,” Michael says.   “Right now, we are in the early stages of exploring our options as to what we can accomplish.”

 The palm and the pine represent the geographic center of California.  The palm is to the south representing southern California.  The pine is to the north representing the northern section of the state.

As reported in the column over the past several years, the exact geographic center is in North Fork in eastern Madera County.  

We now have a sign design, one for each direction,” Michael says.  “We are currently working on getting more support for the sign and estimates for its fabrication as well as installation.”

You are midway through the state when you see the palm and pine in the median south of the City of Madera.  Photo:  Steve Newvine

Drawing attention to the historical significance of the original highway 99 laid the foundation for the establishment of the Historic 99 Association.  The group received tax-exempt status from the IRS, and can now raise charitable contributions to help achieve goals.

 The group was successful in 2021 in completing a project to get Historic US 99 signed through the city of Madera.  

Seven signs were posted along Gateway Drive marking the pre-1958 alignment of US 99 through the city of Madera.

They are building on that effort with the palm and the pine site.   The effort requires working with Caltrans, Madera County, and the City of Madera.

In the long term, the organization wants to see signs posted on both sides of 99 marking the location of the palm and the pine. The trees are in the median with no safe public access.

The Association hopes it can help secure a State Historic Landmark designation for the site.

“There is a near-perfect location for a marker off-site,” Michael says.

But the palm and the pine are not the only items on the agenda for 2022.  “We intend to get new signs posted north of Yreka through Shasta River Canyon along State 263,” Michael says.  “Which may well be the northernmost Historic Route signs in California.” 

The Historic Highway 99 Association of California is a Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation that raises awareness as well as resources to purchase signs and clear government hurdles.  The group’s mission is to Protect and Promote Historic US 99 in California. 

The challenge now is getting the word out about our efforts and the goals of the organization. With more awareness, and hopefully more membership donations, the group knows it can achieve those goals. 

So it’s the former roadway once known as Highway 99 that the Association wants to support and protect.  The group sees the old highway as a perfect venue for car shows, swap meets, and historical tours. 

There may be if you pardon my play on words, a long road ahead for this group.  But with some early wins such as the sign project in Madera, the future looks promising.

Steve Newvine lives in Merced. 

He has written about the palm and the pine in this column for a number of years.  He spoke to the significance of the trees in the center median of 99 sound of Madera to KCRA-TV in 2020.

His new book A Bundle of Memories combines two early memoirs along with thirty pages of new memories from his years growing up in upstate New York in the sixties and seventies.