Eugene Frandson Loomis, simply known as Bud, was the grandson of a Reno sheepherder from Denmark. As an adult, Bud went to law school before journeying to China, eventually becoming an envoy for American businesses. During his time in China, he legally acquired many artifacts which he periodically shipped home to his mother in Reno.
When China closed its borders and excluded foreign nationals in the 1930s, Bud returned home to Reno, marrying his wife Cebe and opening his own law practice. Needing a place to display portions of his Chinese art collection, Bud and his wife acquired some land on the East First Street corner along the Truckee River, building a small restaurant, cocktail lounge, and the River House Motel, all with a Chinese motif.
The restaurant’s name? Bundox, often mispronounced as bun, except by those in the know who pronounced it ‘boon-docks.’ Legend has it the origin of the name comes from the anglicized Tagalog word ‘bundoc,’ used by pre-World War II soldiers to romantically describe a remote, forgotten location.
Now it’s your turn to make your own memories!
The Bundox Restaurant was anything but remote and forgotten, serving for years as the place to be seen, make business deals, and celebrate special occasions by Reno’s movers and shakers. When the former Siena Hotel was renovated by Reno developer Fernando Leal, he removed the outdated casino and replaced it with seven indoor bocce courts, a dining area and Reno’s longest continuous bar. Being an advocate for adaptive reuse and wanting to create a new gathering space for all Reno locals to enjoy, Leal named the space Bundox Bocce.
