Georgetown’s grubstaking grocery poised for change after 141 years ...Middle East

Sneak Peek of the Week

Change coming to one of Colorado’s oldest businesses

“They are the heart of Georgetown.”

— retailer Laura Russette

141 years

Span that the Kneisel & Anderson grocery store in Georgetown has been run by the Anderson family

GEORGETOWN — The door creaks and in amble a couple of friends, smiling in their beanies and parkas.

“We just wanted to check in,” one of the women says. “We are so glad to see you in here, still doing this.”

Wendy and Smoky Anderson, standing at the same counter in the grocery store their great-grandfather and grandfather opened in 1893, chatter about neighbors and business. The Anderson siblings smile as they talk about their sister, Coralue, who died last month on her 87th birthday.

The women promise to return soon and head out. It’s a simple interaction and one that has been part of the Anderson family for four generations. Coralue, an avid skier and Georgetown historian, loved those little chats. Even as she lost a touch of her energy, she always had time to catch up and share some stories. For more than 30 years, she was at Kneisel & Anderson grocery every day.

“This store was her life,” says Wendy, who spent many years as professor of Swedish studies at the University of Washington before returning to the home where she was raised in Georgetown. “Skiing, the store and the history of Georgetown. Those were really important to Coralue.”

The loss of their sister has Wendy, 74, and Smoky, 77, thinking about a change. They think maybe it’s time to sell their family’s historic business and the building built by their great-grandfather Henry Kniesel in 1893. Kneisel and his son-in-law Emil Anderson — Smoky and Wendy’s grandfather — opened the Kneisel & Anderson grocery in 1883 and moved it across the street 10 years later. In 1912, the two men bought the hardware store next door.

And now, for the first time in 141 years, there might not be an Anderson behind the till in Georgetown.

Smoky and Wendy aren’t going anywhere though.

“I can’t imagine where I’d go,” says Smoky, who still skis regularly at Loveland, where, on opening day this season, they draped Coralue’s worn ski parka on the first chair.

“We both really like Colorado weather,” Wendy says.

“And we like small towns, and Georgetown is a real special community,” Smoky says.

The two siblings often speak like that, finishing each other’s sentences and voicing each other’s thoughts. They get quiet as the words of change drift through the store that has anchored not just their family, but the historical integrity of Georgetown.

“We have tried to maintain the store as long as we could,” Wendy says.

>> Click over to The Sun on Friday to read this story

Welcome to The Outsider, the outdoors and mountain newsletter from The Colorado Sun. Keep reading for more exclusive news on the industry from the inside out.

If you’re reading this newsletter but not signed up for it, here’s how to get it sent directly to your inbox.

Send feedback and tips to [email protected].

The Outsider now has a podcast! Veteran reporter Jason Blevins covers the industry from the inside out, plus indulges in the fun side of being outdoors in our beautiful state.

Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Breaking Trail

Vail Resorts sold 2.3 million passes and lift tickets heading into 2024-25 ski season

$1.02 billion

Cash available to Vail Resorts for acquiring new ski areas

Vail Resorts’ stock has been trading near a five-year low for several months after recent earnings reports that fell below investor expectations. But the company lost less than expected in the first quarter of its fiscal 2025. (The first three months of the company’s fiscal year –August through October – is typically a losing span.) With decent early-season snow fueling a final surge in Epic Pass sales for the 2024-25 season, the country’s largest resort operator looks ready for a Wall Street rebound.

In its quarterly report to investors this week, Vail Resorts said it had sold 2.3 million of its pass products — from advanced-purchase day tickets to full season passes — generating $975 million heading into the ski season. The pass sales mean about 75% of all the visitors to the company’s 43 ski areas are using passes or tickets purchased in advance. Last season, Vail Resorts reported 15.8 million visits to its 37 North American ski areas, down from a record 17.2 million in the 2022-23 ski season.

Pass sales for the 2024-25 season are about 2% below the previous season, but with an 8% increase in Epic Pass prices, revenue from sales is up 4%. Over the last four seasons, Vail Resorts has increased Epic Pass sales by 59% and revenue from those sales is up 47%.

The advanced sales give Vail Resorts “meaningful stability,” company CEO Kirsten Lynch told investors Monday in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 earnings call.

The company plans to invest $249 million to $254 million in its ski areas next year, including investment at its two recently acquired European resorts and planning for the new West Lionshead base village at Vail ski area.

A major part of the company’s 2025 plan includes multiyear projects at Park City and Vail ski areas. A new 10-seat gondola at Park City — alongside improvements to on-mountain dining and ski school terrain — and a new 1,800-spot parking garage are part of the plan to prepare Park City for hosting events at the 2034 Winter Olympics.

The company also is planning to renovate its Arrabelle at Vail Square hotel as part of an overhaul of Vail ski area’s base villages, which includes the fourth base village being developed in partnership with the Town of Vail and East West Partners.

Vail Resorts also said it was investing in the Breckenridge Peak 8 base area. At Keystone, the company is opening a hotel at the base of the River Run Gondola in the new Kindred Resort complex.

In 2024, the company invested $189 million to $194 million at its resorts, which does not include $13 million to launch the new My Epic Gear rental program at 12 of its ski North American areas.

Lynch told investors that the company saw “really strong” spending by guests last year and the My Epic Gear “innovation is really critical” as the company works to collect more revenue from its skiers. With transportation, lodging and now rental gear, the company is expanding the number of ways it can harvest money from visitors.

The company has $1.02 billion in accessible money, including $404 million in cash and $620 million in available credit.

One investor asked if the company planned to spend any of its cash on new ski areas. Lynch said the acquisition of two Swiss ski areas in 2022 and 2023 was a successful first step into Europe and the company is always looking for “more families or owners of assets who want to make a transition.”

“We do believe there are specific areas in North America we would like to acquire,” she said. “Europe is huge. Asia is a big opportunity as well.” Lynch, obviously, declined to name any ski areas the company would be interested in buying.

Another investor asked about how the company balances the pricing for its lift tickets with the cost of its season passes. The walk-up ticket price for a peak-season day at Vail reached $329 this season. The Epic Pass for the 2024-25 season cost $982 when it went on sale in March.

“We are not focused on lift ticket pricing being lower to drive volume,” said Lynch, adding the company sets the price of a lift ticket to “reflect the value” of a day of skiing and “encourage people to buy a pass. Right now, where we’ve landed with our pass results and our ticket pricing, I’m very pleased with the balance we have between those two.”

The coming fiscal year, which started Nov. 1, Vail Resorts told investors to expect the company to make $240 million to $316 million, which is higher than what was projected earlier this year thanks to $16.5 million bump in revenue from selling 23 acres in East Vail to the town of Vail following a fight over whether the company should develop the property into housing.

The Playground

Could this be Cuchara’s chance?

“There is quite a bit of disruption in this space right now.”

— Conor Hall with the Colorado outdoor recreation office

$250,000

Colorado outdoor recreation grant for Cuchara Mountain Park

The Colorado outdoor recreation office has doled out more than $3.7 million to 49 projects in 27 counties in the last two years. The latest dollop of pandemic-recovery dollars from the U.S. Economic Development Administration is heading to the Cuchara ski area, which closed 24 years ago.

The $250,000 from the state is not going toward getting the shuttered ski area’s long idled chairlift running. It’s going toward operating expenses to support a now eight-year community-based effort to breathe new life into the southern Colorado ski hill.

“This one was a real learning curve,” said Conor Hall, the director of the state’s outdoor recreation office. “The grant for Cuchara was a great ...

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Georgetown’s grubstaking grocery poised for change after 141 years )

Also on site :

• India-Pakistan deadly fighting forces airlines to re-route, cancel flights
• Kremlin comments on ceasefire plans after Ukrainian drone strikes
• '90s Singer Makes Powerful Career Move After 5 Years Without New Music