drag race to snail's pace

It has been a while since I have posted. I knew there was a storm coming, I knew that all of you were coming, and you did. Ths last month has been one of rapid acceleration of our business, both in terms of customers and responsibilities. As we have found both ourselves and our staff completely overwhelmed at times, we have also been asked over and over in the last month, "Please tell me will you stay open this winter?" Peppered in between this question is as always the fond, fond stories of Aqualand memories the rare soul who remembers Uncle Pat- my grandfather. Through the drag race, I have grown in respect for servers and restauranteurs everywhere. I wonder if the average customer understands how incredibly difficult it is to put on a smile and try your very best to give them the very best experience you can, in flavors, atmosphere and friendship day after day while the line gets longer and the kids get rowdier. Inevitably something goes wrong, as it will no matter how hard you try to think of everything and no matter how hard you try to police details behind the scene. You feel personally crushed, you appologize and do your best to make things right. In our busiest and best month, we also got our first down-ticked rating ruining our perfect Yelp Score, (though I am pretty sure if enough friends rate us well, that can be overcome). It has been so quirky. I have had people ask me why we charge so much for our beer, and why don't we offer fried food? Then the very next guy thanks me for the quality of our beer and our fresh ingedient, uniquely flavored meals. What a crazy roller coaster- highest of highs and lowest of lows. The failures make us determined to try harder, the successes make us determined to get more of the same. Another thing I have discovered is that there is a zone that you access when the place is humming. There is an energy of souls that when combined create a warmth like none other- and this seems to happen every day. There is a joy in the experience of tasting a great craft beer that feels like you have been on this quest, crossing the desert and mountain in search of that unique brewing story. Then you found out a little-known and totally obscure mad beer scientist sent a keg of nirvana to the Aqualand Ale House and you just found it. You turn to the folk at the next stools and advise them to try it too and wait for the cheer as everyone smiles together in the joy of a shared moment of flavor discovery. We have tried to provide that in both our menu and our beer. I think from what the majority of you say, we are providing that for you. But fall is coming. The pace of business is slowing, and we wonder what is wise- where to go next. As we watch the snails pace come, we have determined that we will continue to try to drill into that very special, very unique brew. We may need to do more private "beer runs" to the brewers that as so small they don't have formal distribution. We will have to coax our distributors to give us the limited stock of the most unusual, and the best small batch stuff on their list. This weekend is our first experiment in testing our fall model. We will offer four Founder's Beers on tap on Saturday, in an atmosphere complimented by live music and food specials. Representatives for the Founder's brand will be on hand to answer your questions and tell their story. Most importantly, there is a super special, limited batch keg that will be tapped- the only one of it's kind in the entire north woods region. It is our hope that each weekend this fall and winter we can do the same- something special, something unique that will be an experience to share together. I have a feeling that we will become a micro- society in Boulder Junction this fall. A support group, a gathering of friends united to celebrate the little guys, the artisans, the craftsmen of food and beverage. We are working through the plans for a special addition to our kitchen. Already purchased, the wood-fired oven that we have been storing all summer is ready to be installed before the snow flies. We have set a goal of have this cooking option for new menu items consisting of hot, hearty winter fare to satisfy the local and visiting cold, lonely, hungry and thirsty. Our fireplace will be lit for the first time Labor Day weekend- our beer garden work will begin as well and though we don't expect this to be fully constructed until next summer, we hope to add a gas fired open flame fire pit this fall and we expect to have some special outdoor winter events as well. There are all those great winter beers to be tried as we don our flannels, Stormy Kromer hats and Joan of Ark sorrels. We just found a groove and now we are finding out it is time to switch speeds. It is our goal to help you stop and enjoy the slower journey with us- here's to quieter, deeper days, more extremes of hot and cold, dark and light, and most importantly, here's to friends who will be on the journey with us!

Day Dreaming...

One of the most interesting things about starting the Aqualand Ale House is seeing the differences in who we thought we would be and who we are becoming.
We thought that we would draw a craft beer enthusiast that may want to have some supper while they enjoy a brew.  Thanks to Chef John and his kitchen staff, we have instead become a destination for a great fresh ingredients meal also.  We are finding that our customer enjoys a great atmosphere, thanks to the architecture of the original building and the tweaking of the interior that my training and experience in my other work has given me the ability to pull together. I think artisan craft and microbrew all come to mind when describing us, but we have become so much more than that. 

I think this is a double edged sword.  While we love the reputation that we are quickly gaining with foodies, we don't want to lose sight of the core message that the best of the craft beers can be sampled on a daily basis- on temperature and fresh.  We want to make the art of craft and the message of the little guy central to an experiential sampling of great flavors.

As we complete our first year at high season, we are already day dreaming about what comes next.  We know for sure there will be a beer garden by the time we open in the spring-  exactly what that means is in process, but we have plans....We designed our model around a specialty oven, but ran out of time to expedite the project of building it in.  This too will be a focus during the quieter season of fall.

Beyond that, we are playing the, "Where do we see ourselves in 5 years" game.  We have always set goals as a couple, as a family and now as small business owners, it only makes sense to evaluate our goals in the same way.  The rules to this process are, 1. Express your deepest day dreams-  nothing is off the table; 2. Throw out lots of ideas, the notion here is that you are looking for possibilities, not limiting anything- including expectations. 3. Listen well to each other regardless of how ridiculous the other's ideas may sound at first blush- I cannot tell you how often my husband's hair-brained ideas have been exactly where we have found our path leading. 4. Close your eyes and imagine a day in that life then decide how that feels vs. how another five year away life feels. 5. Write everything down and say a prayer. Step away for a while and then come back and discuss any new thoughts that have come to you in to exercise of processing all the ideas just thrown around. 
6. Re-visit and break the same process down in a 3 year span, then a 1 year span.
7. Write one year actions that move in the directions of the 3 and 5 year goals, recognizing that you cannot move up the clock, but you can move firmly in a specific direction.

We love finding our written lists from the past years.  It gives us a chance to look back and see where we thought we were going vs. where we actually went.

The Aqualand Ale House is a baby, but we are day dreaming already about where we will be going next. 

Keep watching and stay tuned.  One thing we don't do is settle. Another thing we do not know is how to stop moving forward. Step one has been so great, so many people have offered helpful suggestions and ideas on things we can add to enhance the experience further.  We know this is because everyone wants us to succeed. It has been a great first season and we look forward to a great next step in the adventure.

Thanks All! 

Free-Range Husband

Recently, one of my best pals from high school stopped by the ale house.  We had re-connected on facebook and had caught up on lots of family history via this social media opportunity.  But of all the things I had posted, Mac remembered me referring to my husband as a “free-range” husband as my stand-out comment.  He shook my husband’s hand and told us he wants to be a free-range husband too.

Just last weekend, my husband explained to a group of our friends that he finds playing it safe to be a false goal.  Risk and reward go hand in hand.   His philosophy and faith challenge him to stretch us and always be ready to be challenged.  Opening the Aqualand Ale House in northern Wisconsin is an extreme risk.

I wonder sometimes if he had known then what he knows now, if he would change anything.  This endeavor has certainly been the most challenging thing we have ever done, to include two years of separation while he risked all in a war zone thousands of miles away.  I have hinted in previous blogs that there are many stories we could tell.  Let me just say as I give you a glimpse- we are now VERY stretchy!

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger right?  Well, we are also particularly strong now.  The power has gone out four times, always when we were open and serving- the issues everything from a lighting strike to stressing the capacity during hot humid and peak service times.  The septic had to be upgraded immediately rather than staging our upgrades the way we had discussed with the state. Several key pieces of kitchen equipment have leaked, broken down or been non-functioning.   Thank goodness the power was already out the night the big brown bat found his way in an open doorway….Mr. Military is not so good with bats, so I grabbed the broom and our bartender’s dad and I helped him find his way back outside.  Our credit cards are run via internet.  Well, every time the power goes out, the server has to be re-set, not an easy task and the first two times we didn’t recognize the issue until it was time to help someone pay their bill.  It was one of the many moments we were crying for the help of our techno-sons. 

Having never scheduled staff, we did not initially realize that this would truly be the most challenging weekly task.  Many weeks I would be left feeling that in trying to make everyone ok, no one was ok.  Everyone’s needs and life schedules are a puzzle, and since most of our staff work part time, they all have other job or jobs to work around as well.  I will say this- I am very impressed with the enterprising attitude of our college and high school workers.  No one can accuse our young adults of being lazy that’s for sure!

I entitled this post Free- Range husband.  And this is what I want to close with.  My husband comes from  a modest, hardworking ,faith-based south western Wisconsin agricultural family.  He has always shared the story of his very first visit to Boulder Jct as a journey into a fantasy kingdom.  The icing on his cake during that first visit was the newborn fawn in my parent’s kitchen as was so often the case in our zoo family home.

He never knew my paternal grandfather, who passed away when I was a teenager, but he has admired the courage and tenacity and slight craziness of my family’s story.  For him, to be able to celebrate and pay homage to Aqualand’s history as part of our new venture means absolutely everything.  His respect for my family and their courage is evident in everything he hopes to emulate.  I love my husband so and love him more than ever for loving Boulder Jct as much as I do. 

In a piece I once wrote about my husband’s office guy career prior to his deployments overseas, I referred to his office/officer life as “death by cubicle”.  The chaotic, messy and challenging life of a small business owner suits his free ranging nature so much better.

We are risking everything, trusting God and flinging our arms wide.  No matter what happens, we will never be accused of being safe or boring.  People ask if we will ever brew our own beer.  I have to tell you, I see that crazy, rogue-elemental glint in my husband’s eye as he says, “not yet”, and know that we are not done stretching yet…and as I shiver a little in fear I find myself also wondering if Mac wants to become a brewmaster?!

Hair on Fire!

We are screaming along now!  Busy, busy busy and thankful to be so!  There are so many folks who want to know whatever posessed us, two people with no food service industry to speak of, opening a business in a scary, risky part of the country-Northern, Wisconsin.  Frankly speaking, there are days when we want to know what possessed us too.

I could regale you with the stories of all of the adventures and mis-adventures to date, but I am guessing you can only imagine. 

There real story though, lies with people.  Our staff-  tenatious, determined and loyal.  We are humbled by their willingness to lay it all out there to help us succeed.  there is no way on earth we could do this without them.  It is our goal to relieve the extra stress and burden they have each shouldered so that they can enjoy every minute of the day with us.  Everyone gets along so well here.  That is virtually unheard of when working with different people from different places in a high stress environment.  When we get to flying through a busy night, we can still find time to tease and laugh a bit.  The chef and his staff in particular find a way to enjoy the hot, tiny kitchen and produce fabulous food that has built a name for us in just a few short weeks.

Our bartenders enjoy people, their stories and sharing the experience of really, really good beer.  Nothing thrills us all more than to create a new beer snob! 

The wait staff are superheros.  Two people handling a crowd like ours is never easy, but they manage to do it with style and grace.  I am amazed that there have not been any missteps- well, unless the novices like me are trying to lend a hand, but even then people are gracious and forgiving when I forget to re-fill a glass or forget to bring the ticket, for some reason my two biggest airhead moves.

But my husband has amazed me the most of all.  His move from career military man to long-haired host is a tranformation that has to be seen to be believed.  He loves to share his knowledge of craft beer with each and every guest and also loves to hear everyone's story.  "Where are you from?  How was your beer/meal?".  He wants to know.   I don't think anyone sneaks in and out without his thoughtful conversation.  There are times when he is very hard on himself for little things, times when he forgets the detail in the fast pace of the moment.  But to me, his gift of hospitality is anchored in his love for people and love for craft beer.

We need more help-  a few more partners in our journey.  We would love to have live music or other entertainment....so many ideas yet to be developed.  But today, I am feeling blessed.  People come more than once-  which tells us we are doing okay. 

Though we race through many days with our hair on fire, we are happy.  The future is bright and we hope to see you soon!

You CAN come home again!

Good news folks- You CAN come home again!  In the weeks since we opened our doors, I have re-introduced myself to many old friends, neighbors, former peers and Aqualand employees.  I have met many second home owners whose families have been summer residents since my grandfather's era. 

Dick and I have made so many new friends.  It has been such a blessing to see folks come in, then come back  in with neighbors, family and friends. 

Our musky and walley flights have been a big hit.  Some of our new friends have come every weekend to work their way through all twenty taps.  The taps have all turned over and there have not been any duds in the bunch, confirming our belief that craft beer followers enjoy the journey of "tasting", rather than sticking with just one brew.

People ask us how things are going, what is it like to open a business like this with little background in the industry.  I think I can speak for both of us in saying, "Exciting, terrifying, chaotic, thrilling, the highest of highs and the nearly heart stoppingly low and unexpected moments". When the transformer across the street was first hit by lightning and then just blew on it's own two weeks later, we despaired to watch our weekend visitors dejectedly turn around to leave as we sat there in the dark....Nearly every piece of equipment has exposed it's quirks.  buying used pieces saved allot of money, but also gave us introduction to the wild ride of maintenance.

There are to do lists in every area from menu and marketing to garbage and lawn care.

I am excited to open the Frog House sometime in the next two weeks-  my own dream of shop ownership is the second side of our long term plan.  I can already see my little book shop area.  I am going to call it "Georgie's Window" after my local hero, Sunday School Teacher and mentor Aunt Georgie, whose book reading was legend.  I would guess that she gifted my sisters and I with more books than anyone other than perhaps our Mom, who also received many, many books from her friend Georgie.  Maybe no one will think to buy books from an artisan snack, beer and wine shop, but I cannot imagine having a shop in Boulder Jct without them.  Something about the northwoods makes me expect everyone will want to take time out to relax, re-create themselves and read.

I cannot remember the last full night's sleep for either my husband or I.  He just came home to pick up the desk and a few other things for our office set up, which has been deferred while the most important areas got done first.  It was the first time he had been home- home since early April.  We have not sat down to eat a meal together earlier than 11 pm in a very long time. 

Dreams are not easy, and we have learned that they are not birthed without allot of sacrifice and pain.  But our dream of owning a business in Boulder Jct, the home town I have longed to return to for many years is coming true.  I am thrilled to discover that everything I hoped and imagined it would feel like is truly what it can be.  I am humbled by the welcome that confirms to us that you CAN come home again.

The Aqualand Ale House opened it's doors last weekend.  Our grown sons, our daughter-in-law, grandson beside us.  Our first guests seemed to enjoy themselves, our chaos was mostly hidden from view, and by day three we began to feel our stride.  but for me, one of the big highlights that first night was watching my Mom and Dad as people shared with them their memories from Aqualand, recognizing them as the celebrities in the room who had made it all a reality.

The journey to this day has been challenging, but in that moment, it was all worth while.  Later, as I watched my husband in his element, guiding folks to the craft beer he felt they may enjoy most, explaining each brew type, it's features and story, It made it all worth it again.

On the third day, as a couple asked me to walk them through all the photos, they shared with me that they went to Aqualand on their honeymoon, and for years after made it a yearly pilgrimage that celebrated one of the sweet memories within their marriage.

The past will always be honored at the Aqualand Ale House, but we are excited to move on into the future.

We have been humbled by the people who showed such amazing support.  I think of the Altschwagers from White Birch Village, allowing us to utilize one of their winterized cabins as our winter home; my grade school classmate Judy- the only other girl in our grade at the tiny Plum Lake Grade School and her husband Grant, who just showed up during crunch time and said simply, "we know how it is, put us to work"; My sister Becky and her husband Ty who watched over things and saved us when we were headed for bad ideas, who fed us dinner when we had worked until dark and forgot to plan our own; my parents, who advised and guided us from their years of experience in running first a resort and then Aqualand as business owners and entrepeneurs;  Dad's hours spent re-caning the backs and cutting out new seats for all the chairs and stools in the place; Our son Perry and his wife Stacie, who designed our logo, helped us plan, built our website and internet presence, designed the menus, pos system and all things electronic; Dan, our younger son, who worked right along side us for weeks, putting his own life on hold to be there when we most needed a hand, and who has also contributed his artistic and design skills in our photo art throughout the building.  His practical common sense acted as a sounding board when the choices were too many and the details too great; Kurt and Cherie, who travelled all the way from Minneapolis to check out our equipment and then who served as designers and advisors in laying out a working plan for our miniscule kitchen.

So many more wonderful people who gave advice, reviewed our layouts, lists, menus and lent a hand.  Our new neighbor Todd who lent his forklift and then his storage space to hold equipment in transition for us; Mike who swiped through with his plow on a snowy day, refusing payment; the Community Church, who rescued our friends a family day when the kitchen equipment would not function and friends and family were already enroute; The people of Boulder Jct for being so welcoming and encouraging- we hope to make you proud; Bill and Mark at Tribute Brewery in Eagle River and Mark at Forest Lake Country Store- we look forward to many coordinated events in the future.

Finally, we feel very blessed to have gathered the most awesome staff.  Our talented young chef John, who is passionate about making everything from scratch; Melissa, our bookkeeper/manager/prep cook and sounding board- yeah, sort of superwoman; Lisa, our head server who brings years of experience and wisdom in an area where our experience is limited at best; Christopher our bar tender, whose calming presence holds us together even under stress.  We are thrilled with our super-servers Kat, Taylor, Taylor, Miranda and Katie-  thank you all for being willing to do the dance with us as we find our rhythm.  Gabby and Vaun, our high school workers who have been willing souls, helping in and out of the kitchen and doing whatever task is asked or them.

We love our tenantts Ben and Tim.  Their patience with our disruption as we prepared for opening has been amazing.

Every new business is launched from hopes and dreams.  Ours has been further launched by support and care-  We hope to serve you for many years to come.  Thank you and we love you all!

The other photo...

A number of years ago, a local artist was commissioned to paint a portrait of a group of fishing guides conducting a shore lunch.  The painting was re-produced into one of the northwood's more famous prints, and there are a few that know it's secret. Some of the faces and names were changed. Bent over the fire adding something to the pan was a humble, quiet young man in the original group photo who was later replaced with another fellow deemed more, "one of the guys", by the person requesting the commission for the painting.
 
That quiet young man was my dad, and over the years I have wondered how it must feel to be the famous guy no one knows....

It has been an old locals  secret.  When we see the print, we grin a private grin knowing...that quiet young man dodged fame and went fishing...