Happy Campers
The art of managing guest seating in the mid-mountain lodge

With over 6 feet of new snow in the past week, The Griz & Snow Valley open, no doubt we'll be seeing a lot of "happy campers" in the days and weeks ahead. Whether it's on mtn or in the lodge we strive to provide an exceptional experience! Making sure skiers/snowboarders buying lunch from the Hungry Bear Cafe have a convenient place to sit and eat is a main concern.

Visit any resort on a Saturday or peak period will have its fair share of "Campers" as we affectionately call them. These may be non-skiers/boarders in a group or family who take on the responsibility of marking out a "territory" (i.e., a table) and then sprinkling jackets, backpacks, coolers, gloves and helmets on chairs in order to "save" seats. Heck, I even saw an entire table dedicated to Scrap Booking one day. This would not be a problem on a quiet midweek day, but certainly is not OK on a busy Saturday or holiday.

Here's how we are approaching our goal to improve seating availability for customers:

1) Signage - Permanent signs have been installed every other post in the Hungry Bear Café instructing guests that "Ice Chest, Coolers and Bag Lunches NOT allowed in the Hungry Bear Cafe". This leaves the majority of seating closes to the Food Court open to guests buying their lunch.
2) Ambassadors - We've enlisted our public relations team (wearing the Gold jackets) to inform guests that the sunroom and sprung structure are the designated areas allowing ice chests and bag lunches. They'll even help you find a place to sit on the busy days!
3) More Seats - We've erected a Sprung Structure (temporary building) on the sundeck that provides an additional 1400 sq ft of indoor seating. This is space intended for Campers.

On a sunny day, guests have the opportunity to enjoy outside seating on our sundeck, near the BBQ or downstairs outside of ski rentals. Ah, those are the days! On snowy or cold weather days, a place to sit inside is like GOLD, as guests flock to the inside needing a reprieve from the elements to warm up, refuel, dry out and prepare themselves for more time on the mountain.

Let it be known to all, we do not endorse guests saving seats, tables, etc... Our mid-mountain lodge facilities are meant for one and all to share and enjoy. Unless your party will be sitting in a chair in the next 5-10 minutes, that seat is technically up for grabs! We want everyone to be a Happy Camper, whether they buy lunch from us or bring lunch from home. Next time you see a tray carrying skier or snowboard scoping the lodge or sundeck for a place to sit, invite them to share your table. Remember, what goes around comes around.

Who knows, you may even make a new friend!

Enjoy - Andrea