I hope this finds you all doing well. We received our first sign of winter with a skosh of snow coming this weekend. Not a whole bunch, but a worthy reminder of what is to come. We are looking forward to this season like no other having had to experience what we had to do last season. I’d just as soon not even mention that 5 letter acronym that had become the definition of unpleasantry in 2020 and well into 2021. The silver lining is that we have adjusted and have been pushed into reimagining the way we not only go about our daily lives, but how we operate our business model to better serve the new landscape. In short, our business model has been to provide the best environment for our guests as possible. What we have learned is that to do so, we have to focus on the environment of our staff because, in the end, that is a key ingredient to the success of the guests’ experience. To that end we have made some changes to some of our operations that we hope will be a positive shift for everyone involved.
One of our changes serves to mitigate some of the confusion with the whereabouts of all of the food venues. We moved Java Stop from the main lobby just off the deck downstairs to the cafeteria level. No longer when someone asks where to get food will we say “well everywhere,” then send the guests through the labyrinth of twists and turns and several flights of stairs … with ski boots on. Now, Java Stop, the Gunbarrel Cafeteria, and Elmo’s Bar are all on the same level with easy access from the slopes or tunnel entrance. Hint: The tunnel entrance from the parking lot or slope side is the best place to kick your skis off for coming in for food service. If you come in from the deck, you will have to utilize your ski-boot-stair-technique three different times. From an employee perspective, with the venues relatively close together, they can more readily help each other when needed, which is what our folks have always felt was a hinderance in the past. Good news is we like helping each other. Nice.
The space left by the exodus of Java Stop on the main floor has been incorporated into the retail store. Where there used to be table seating around the fireplace is now a lobby with comfortable seating. This main level is not meant for dining any longer and more for simple/casual social gatherings. At the very least it is a place to relax while your spouse is shopping in the awesome Elation Sports Shop.
Lastly, who doesn’t like seeing the barstools come back to the Sidewinder? Enough said.
Next post I’ll get into what’s happening outdoors. Enjoy your week!
