05/03/2024
Dear Customers and Friends;
I've been procrastinating sending this email to you. I guess we all like to avoid bad news, and I keep holding off making this official, as if somehow that leaves the door open for this not to be happening. But since May is upon us and soon most of you will be back at the lake, it is time to let you know we are not going to open the store this year. Unfortunately the writing has been on the wall for years now - almost since I bought the place, that this corner store will become what most have ... a memory.
While our loyal customers have done all they can to support us, unfortunately the majority of the cabin owners do not. For years now we have been at best breaking even, and the last couple of years we've been losing money. It takes all of the store's profits and then some to pay for the wages to run the store. So financially, it just makes no sense to continue. To add insult to injury, last year we had an accident in which a cabin owner broke her arm, and now they are suing us for more than a hundred thousand dollars. It sort of takes the fun out of running the place.
Personally I feel like this is the end of an era. I was always proud that we had a store on our lake, and I always found it so convenient that we could get minnows and groceries and other items right here. I think back to when I was a kid growing up and I remember that Sportsmans was a hub of the community. I think my uncle Doug & Elaine, and Amel and Mary would shed a tear - as I have - to see that this is now over. But as I have often said - the only thing worse than change is bitching about it.
Moving forward, we will continue to offer parking for both boats and vehicles. It will be pre-paid and self service only. We will also continue to have propane and gasoline for those that need it, but it will be by appointment only, when we are home, which is usually in the late afternoon or evening.
There are a few customers that still have credit balances on their customer cards. We will contact you to arrange for a refund. And if you have any questions about how the parking will work, please feel free to get a hold us.
I would like to thank each for your support over the years, and more importantly for your friendship. We look forward to seeing you around the lake.
Brian, James & CC
