Extended Q&A: Steve Kealy (“A Living Classroom,” pg. 44); Chef John Zeggert (“Carving a Special Niche,” pg. 34)
Bonus Recipe: Chef John Zeggert’s Harvest Scallops (“Carving a Special Niche,” pg. 34)
Digital Discussions
Ryan Laney Harris, Marketing/Membership Director at The Country Club of Columbus (Ga.), posed this question to the group:
We are in the planning phase for wine lockers. What is your experience with lockers and what would you do differently? How did the lockers impact your sales for your wine list, and for dining in general?
“We have lifetime leases with our wine lockers, which paid the initial cost of the lockers themselves. If a member leaves, the locker is then leased to a new member at a large profit. We also charge a corkage fee, but were not clever enough to require the wine be purchased from us. In addition, we are on the hook for the maintenance of the lockers, including HVAC issues. In the end, they make the wine lovers happy, but cut into our wine sales and profits.”
— Caroline Gedney, CPA, Controller,
Wykagyl Country Club, New Rochelle, N.Y.
“It’s a great benefit if you can provide it and it serves to assist with retention. I’ll take long-term dues payers over short-term wine profit every time. The more value we can create in club offerings, the easier it is to attract and retain members, and that’s the most important revenue source in a private club.”
—Bob Devitz, President and CEO,
Legendary Golf Management
With more than 3,600 professionals connecting, Club & Resort Business’ LinkedIn group is an active, online community forum for the latest trends, insights and issues affecting our industry. Here’s this month’s most productive conversation.
Have something to add? Join the conversation – click the LinkedIn icon at ClubandResortBusiness.com or find us on LinkedIn.com
“We installed lockers back in 2006 along with a 1,500-bottle wine cellar, and the impact has been incredible. Not only have our wine sales taken off, but our private member banquet business has also increased. Our bottle sales have seen an incredible upturn. A member tries a new wine in the dining room, loves it, then says, “put three of those in my locker for me.” So now that one-bottle sale has turned into a four-bottle sale.”
—Ron Meyers, Club Manager & Sommelier,
Sunnehanna Country Club, Johnstown, Pa.
“We built 68 of them in our wine room and if I had it to do over again, I would have made room for 100! They all sold out in 30 days at a price of $600, plus an $85 annual maintenance fee (the club owns the locker). It is highly successful and I have a wait list to add more in a different area of the club, if and when I decide to pull the trigger.”
—John Milleson, Chief Operating Officer,
Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club, Virginia Beach, Va.
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.