F&B late season not to hijack the Vail sucks thread

[zyk]

Just curious why more areas don't push a hard f&b or at least the b late season? We manage the b side for events in the summer. Good music good vibe and the beer money is substantial. Not trying to send people driving home drunk but large crowds couple beers on average over a day and there's money. Thoughts?

 

[NYDB]

Every ski area I’ve ever been to pushes alcoholic beverages hard. Especially in late winter / spring.

i mean, selling $2 beers for $10. Who wouldnt like more of that business?

I haven’t been to a vail owned area in a long time so maybe they don’t?

 

[Edd]

Bar was closed at Black Mountain yesterday. Wildcat’s was closed up the street. One is mom & pop, the other owned by a soulless corporation. I guess F & B is no longer profitable. Who’d a‘ thunk?

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

I ski with an ll bean wardens parka and it can hold a six pack

 

[NYDB]

Bar was closed at Black Mountain yesterday. Wildcat’s was closed up the street. One is mom & pop, the other owned by a soulless corporation. I guess F & B is no longer profitable. Who’d a‘ thunk?

Closing services midweek is common in the NE, no? Especially at non ‘destination’ type areas

 

[Edd]

Closing services midweek is common in the NE, no? Especially at non ‘destination’ type areas

A place like Black, honestly, no telling. That it’s open 7 days a week is pretty good so it’s hard to get too spun up about not opening the bar. Although we were disappointed, their website gave us no warning that we saw.

Staffing in the MWV seems tougher than ever, and Monday and Tuesday many of the places aren’t open at all. I’d think they’d want to split that up a bit, instead of everyone fighting it out Wednesday thru Sunday.

Prior to COVID, I would not say “closing services midweek is common in the NE”. Not the places I went to, and I went to many.

 

[snoseek]

Bar was closed at Black Mountain yesterday. Wildcat’s was closed up the street. One is mom & pop, the other owned by a soulless corporation. I guess F & B is no longer profitable. Who’d a‘ thunk?

I just wonder how they justify have 2 bars at Attitash (and matty b's non vail) open everyday without fail but none at the cat.

 

[thebigo]

Last fifty ski days have been split among Pats/Ragged/Loon, all are running full bar service seven days a week with packed rooms. Then again Pats/Ragged/Loon are probably three of the best run mountains in new england.

Will be in the MWV second weekend of March for Champs at Attitash, interested to contrast.

 

[jaytrem]

Last fifty ski days have been split among Pats/Ragged/Loon, all are running full bar service seven days a week with packed rooms. Then again Pats/Ragged/Loon are probably three of the best run mountains in new england.

Will be in the MWV second weekend of March for Champs at Attitash, interested to contrast.

Yeah, when I skied Pats for the first time last year, it was quite obvious they're well oiled machine.

 

[deadheadskier]

As much as I dump on Vail all the time and question their business decisions, they are a big data driven company to drive operational decisions. A good friend was in charge of that program for about a year. They know how and when every dollar is spent at their properties.

What can't be quantified easily is how much do these data driven decisions piss off customers and staff which may force them elsewhere. I'd think it would be penny wise and pound foolish to make any cuts in operations in the Northeast until after the holiday week. But, if the same number of people buy passes next year, I don't have much of an argument / I told ya so.

 

[pinion]

...if the same number of people buy passes next year, I don't have much of an argument / I told ya so.

Agreed, but isn't a big part of offering cheap passes for Vail be to recoup $$ on the backend via F&B, retail, and lodging?

 

[NYDB]

Agreed, but isn't a big part of offering cheap passes for Vail be to recoup $$ on the backend via F&B, retail, and lodging?

yes at the places and times they get big skier visit numbers.
if they can cut to the bone midweek and still not have any effect on pass sales then why not?

and im not sure the 20k they net all year on the Monday / Tuesday bar at wildcat warrants them keeping it open. Especially if by doing so 2 or 3 more employees become full time and eligible for benefits.

 

[2Planker]

Hit BW on Sunday & Pleasant (Shawnee) yesterday. F&B fully staffed, and all the Bars were hopping

Cat Today is a ghost town for F&B. Bar should be open now...??
Come on Vail WTF ?? School Vac is next 2 weeks

 

[drjeff]

Every ski area I’ve ever been to pushes alcoholic beverages hard. Especially in late winter / spring.

i mean, selling $2 beers for $10. Who wouldnt like more of that business?

I haven’t been to a vail owned area in a long time so maybe they don’t?

Just 1 of Mount Snow's bars, per what a friend was told by a F&B staff friend of theirs, did over 11k in business last Saturday alone. And that wasn't even the bar of theirs that I am guessing had the greatest amount of sales last Saturday.

While Vail Resorts has certainly made some changes to their F&B operations compared to the past, they certainly aren't completely running away from the concept of that business side of the ski industry. Now if they went back to the ways that previous owners did where they weren't beholdened to the products that just 1 or 2 distrubutors carry and allowed some of the bars to seek out more local offerings for some of their beer menus, that wouldn't be a bad thing in my mind.

 

[jimmywilson69]

the bean counters in CO don't understand the word "local"

 

[deadheadskier]

the bean counters in CO don't understand the word "local"

They understand that distributors if not the beer companies themselves offer rebates to have their products featured. Local breweries can't compete with that

 

[jimmywilson69]

Good point.

 

[zyk]

Just 1 of Mount Snow's bars, per what a friend was told by a F&B staff friend of theirs, did over 11k in business last Saturday alone. And that wasn't even the bar of theirs that I am guessing had the greatest amount of sales last Saturday.

While Vail Resorts has certainly made some changes to their F&B operations compared to the past, they certainly aren't completely running away from the concept of that business side of the ski industry. Now if they went back to the ways that previous owners did where they weren't beholdened to the products that just 1 or 2 distrubutors carry and allowed some of the bars to seek out more local offerings for some of their beer menus, that wouldn't be a bad thing in my mind.As

As the days get longer and the sun shines brighter I would think more places would capitalize on this if they're busy. Maybe beer on the patio as well. Maybe a grill. Maybe music. Draw in some of the tailgaters to the party (and i like tailgating). A few good beer slingers can move product with the right setup. I've poured half barrels without stop. Lot of beer...

 

[2Planker]

Black Market beer truck in AT lots yesterday. $3 tall boys around 1-3
Have seen the dude at Cat last year.
Sells out in 30mins on a weekend

 

[jimmywilson69]

that's brilliant and also a good way to get arrested...