Page 13 - BusinessWest June 9, 2021
P. 13

 GreatHorse as well, with indi- Continued from page 11 viduals and families
deciding that, if they couldn’t travel, they should invest in a coun-
try-club membership.
That was certainly true at GreatHorse, which
opened in 2015.
“For people who had been contemplating
private-club membership, COVID really was the stimulus that made people take a hard look at all that private clubs have to offer,” he noted. “The safe-haven effect, and the relevance of clubs, was certainly strengthened during that emo- tional time, and we saw tremendous growth in our membership at GreatHorse, and we’ve con- tinued to see that into the first and second quar- ters of 2021; we’ve really grown that side of our business.”
Unfortunately, the same could not be said of the banquet and event side of the ledger, one that has become an all-important part of the portfolio at the club.
Pretty much every event that was on the books after March 2020 was canceled or, in the case of weddings, pushed back a year or two, said Smith- wick, adding that it was a year of “emotional con- versations” with clients (and especially brides), pivoting, and trying to make the most of an extremely difficult time.
“We were only able to execute about 15% of the weddings that we had planned in 2020,” he told BusinessWest. “We were able to salvage the overwhelming majority of our weddings and shift them into 2021 and some even into 2022, but, overall, it was a lost year for revenue on that side of the business.”
While the outlook for this year is gradually
improving, the shifting of those weddings slated for 2020 consumed a number of the dates in 2021 — and some in 2022 — limiting the overall rev- enue potential of this year and next, said Smith- wick, adding quickly that projections are for a solid balance of the year — even if most weddings will not increase in size in proportion with the loosening of COVID restrictions — and an espe- cially strong fourth quarter, with the anticipated return of holiday parties.
“It’s nice to know that we will have an opportu- nity this year to secure some December revenue,” he noted. “Without holiday parties, December
“
not going to lie — it’s the most suppressed labor market for hospitality that I’ve seen in my career.”
can really be a soft month.”
But while the general outlook is positive, some
question marks remain concerning the ‘new nor- mal’ and challenges when it comes to making a full recovery, especially in regard to staffing.
Returning to that subject, and speaking for everyone who shares his title or something approximating it, Smithwick repeatedly stressed that finding and retaining good help is the most pressing issue facing those in this sector, and one that has made this transition into the new normal
exciting but also daunting on several levels. Taking a deep dive into the matter, he said a number of factors influence this problem. That
list includes veterans of this industry (servers, bartenders, even managers) simply leaving it for something else during a very difficult 2020, gen- erous unemployment benefits that have made sitting on the sidelines even when jobs are avail- able an attractive proposition, and difficulty with bringing on interns from overseas, something GreatHorse had done with great success prior to COVID.
“Traditionally, we would work with J1 students from South Africa to England,” he explained, referring to the visa program that offers cultural and exchange opportunities in this country through initiatives overseen by the U.S. State Department. “With COVID being a world pan- demic, we have not had access to the students looking to do internships in the hospitality sec- tor; we’re really hit a roadblock with every avenue we’ve chosen, from job fairs to working with local hospitality schools to putting referral bonuses in place for existing employees.
“It’s tough, really tough. I’m not going to lie — it’s the most suppressed labor market for hospital- ity that I’ve seen in my career,” Smithwick went on. “Our staffing levels are not where they need
to be; we’re just not having much success finding servers and bartenders, which is the key for our business model here.”
That’s why an otherwise joyous and exciting time is also being met with a dose of trepidation on the side. u
—George O’Brien
It’s tough, really tough. I’m
       Women Lead, Women Managed THE PERMANENT SOLUTION WBE since 1992
Carol Campbell President, CEO
Anne Golden, Director of Finance, Deb Dart, Director of Operations, Liz Sauer, Project Manager
Rigging | Millwrighting | Trucking Construction | Warehousing 413.538.7279 chicopeeindustrial.com
            Choose a mutual bank with mutual business goals.
         We are a mutual bank. That means our focus is on our community, our neighbors and our customers. Because when local businesses do well, all of us do well. That’s why you can rely on us to always be there for you with local knowledge, business expertise, and the products your business needs to grow and prosper. Find out more about our business banking products and services.
FlorenceBank.com/ChooseAlways
Member FDIC / Member DIF
  FEATURE
JUNE 9, 2021 13
BusinessWest





























































   11   12   13   14   15