Page 11 - BusinessWest June 9, 2021

The Starting Gate at GreatHorse ReBopening Timeline Prompts Excitement, but A“lso Trepidation
ryan Smithwick believes he’s like most The first two elements are a function of just business owners and managers in the how bad 2020 was — we’ll get to that in a min- broad hospitality sector when he says ute — while the third is obviously a reflection of a
that the news of the accelerated timeline for labor market the likes of which even those busi-
fully reopening the state was greeted with a mix of excitement, anticipation, and trepida- tion.
nesses owners with several decades of experience have never seen before.
“It’s like ... great, we got the green light to go ahead and reopen and start
hosting large audiences,” said Smithwick, general manager of the Starting Gate at GreatHorse, the high-end private golf club in Hampden. “But the labor market is so challenging right now. It’s awesome that the deadline was moved up, and moved up so sig- nificantly, but I think businesses thought they would have more time to plan, more time to really get their employees re-engaged with work — those employees who had been laid off — and even find new employees.
“The time frame was greatly reduced,” he went on. “And in the post-COVID world — I think I can say we’re in the post-COVID world
now — that’s the greatest chal- lenge we face, finding employees and getting geared up. We’re going to execute well over 80 weddings
It’s awesome that the deadline was moved up, and moved
up so significantly, but I think businesses thought they would have more time to plan, more time to really get their employees re-engaged with work — those employees who had been
laid off — and even find new employees.”
in 2021, and finding staff that can meet the busi- ness levels and get prepared is something we’re really struggling with right now.”
Looking back on 2020, Smithwick said it was certainly a great year for the golf business.
Indeed, while play was up at the public and semi-public courses, the private clubs benefited
GreatHorse
Continued on page 13
Greathorse GM Bryan Smithwick is optimistic about the last two quarters of 2021, but, like all those in the hospitality sector, he has real concerns about the process of staffing up.
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