PICTURED ABOVE: Nick Smith stands in the LPN kitchen wearing his new chef’s coat with The Captain’s Pick logo embroidered on the front. Smith grew up in Guthrie Center and has 20 years of culinary experience in the hospitality industry.
Ted Hawley and Joe Wells of Alpha Ventures LLC will operate the bar, restaurant and banquet facilities.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Teddy and Katie Hawley are shown with their three children on the Lake Panorama lot where their new home is being built. In the middle is Braylen, who is 9 years old. In front is Briley, who is 7, and Rusty, who just turned 4 years old.
Ted is the son of Russ and Lori Hawley, who have owned homes at Lake Panorama for 30 years. He grew up in Vail and graduated from Ar-We-Va, then went on to attend Buena Vista University and the University of Northern Iowa.
“I worked at Wells Fargo for four months before I decided that life wasn’t for me,” Hawley says. “I got my start in the hospitality industry in the summer of 2006, when I applied at both the Subway in Panora and The Port. Subway didn’t hire me, so I started bartending at The Port and did that for three summers.”
In August 2009, Hawley and a cousin formed Alpha Ventures LLC. On Oct. 1, 2009, they opened a bar named Heroes on the second floor of The Court Center building on Court Avenue in Des Moines. Wells was hired as general manager.
Alpha Ventures now operates food and beverage establishments in Des Moines, Omaha and Sioux City. The company has three The Breakfast Club restaurants in Des Moines, West Des Moines and Ankeny. In Omaha, Annie’s Irish Pub, The Exchange, and Beer Can Alley are second generations of concepts first launched in Des Moines. Beer Can Alley also has a location in Sioux City. Additionally, Hawley is a partner in Panora’s Local Liquor.
Ted Hawley and Joe Wells stand for a photo in the LPN dining room. The pair has worked together since they both were hired as bartenders at The Port in the summer of 2006.
In February, Hawley announced a new name for the LPN restaurant and bar that has been The Links for many years.
“This was the most difficult name to settle on of all the 20-plus businesses we’ve operated,” Hawley says. “I wanted it to incorporate both the golf course and the lake. After a lot of thought, we settled on The Captain’s Pick. With some inspiration from the movie Caddyshack, a boat captain’s hat on a golf ball gave us the vision for our logo.”
A captain’s pick refers to golf team captains who have the responsibility of choosing other members of their team for an upcoming competition. Hawley was the 2020 Ryder Cup captain, and his wife, Katie, was the 2024 Solheim captain at Lake Panorama National, so the name has special meaning to them.
Two other men with local ties have key roles in getting The Captain’s Pick and a special events and catering operation established at Lake Panorama National Resort.
Nick Smith is the executive chef. He grew up in Guthrie Center where he graduated from high school. He is the grandson of Jim and Dee Smith, longtime Lake Panorama residents. With 20 years of culinary experience, Smith has worked in kitchens in several Des Moines restaurants, including Jethro’s and Granite City. Most recently, he was a private chef for Iowa State University fraternities and sororities while offering private chef services on the side.
“We knew if we were going to take on this project, we had to get a world-class chef,” Hawley says. “Our first choice was Nick, and we were ecstatic he agreed to join us.”
Smith and his wife, Ellen, live in Windsor Heights. Ellen teaches in the Des Moines Public Schools.
“I’ve done some catering for Teddy over the years,” Smith says. “I’m a local guy. When he talked to me about this opportunity, I knew I couldn’t pass it up. My first job was washing dishes here. The kitchen is great and offers everything we need. I want to help bring back the glory days of good food and events at Lake Panorama National.”
Hawley and Joe Wells first met in 2006 when they both were hired as bartenders at The Port, where they worked together for three years. Joe is the son of Dr. Mike and Nancy Wells. He attended school in Guthrie Center through his junior year. When his parents moved to Lake Panorama, he transferred to Panorama Community Schools for his senior year.
Wells says he has always been interested in the hospitality industry. Since collaborating with Hawley to open Heroes, they’ve been operating businesses together ever since. He has been managing partner of the Omaha venues since March 2018 and became part owner of Alpha Ventures in 2020. He is involved in employee training, special events and general oversight for all the company’s locations.
Wells and his wife, Cassie, live in Omaha and have a 2-year-old son named Bud. They are expecting another boy in June.
“I won’t be onsite at The Captain’s Pick often, although I do plan to be here for the launch and am helping with startup plans,” Wells says. “I love to play golf and love the LPN golf course. We’re all local, and we’re excited to be involved in this venture. In fact, I’d say this is a passion project for all three of us.”
The Captain’s Pick is set to open with hours adjusted seasonally. April through Nov. 15, hours will be Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the off-season, from Nov. 16 through March 31, minimum hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 3-9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Bar hours may extend beyond kitchen hours. Special events can be accommodated seven days a week, year-round.
Hawley says, as they settle in through the busy season, they will evaluate and possibly make adjustments.
“We may do a Sunday brunch and offer lunch more days,” he says. “This is going to be a work in progress. Our overall goal is to provide an elevated food experience with friendly service and earn the support of the community.”
During the summer and off-season, Hawley and his team plan to host some special events to entice new customers.
“We’ll bring in some bands and other entertainment, maybe try some movie nights for kids. We plan to create a family-friendly environment,” he says.
As The Captain’s Pick menu is developed, Hawley describes the food offerings as “not just bar food, and not just fine dining. Customers will be able to get both, depending on what they want. We will have sandwiches, salads and flatbread pizzas, but we’ll also have steaks, pork chops, seafood, pasta, chef specials and desserts. And we’ll have a reasonably priced kids’ menu.”
A sneak peak of the menu shows a wide array of appetizers, including some classics such as cheese curds, pretzel bites, specialty dips, fried pickles, bruschetta and several wings options. Plans are in the works to offer soft serve ice cream customers can serve themselves.
Hawley has been spreading the word about positions he wants to fill for The Captain’s Pick and to support special events.
“We’ve filled a lot of positions but are always looking for others interested in joining our team. Even if you don’t have experience, we want to hear from you,” he says. “It will be a fun, fast-paced environment.”
Those interested in working in the kitchen can contact Chef Nick Smith at 515-339-0940. Cooks start at $17 per hour. Potential bartenders, servers and event support team members can contact Ted Hawley at 712-790-0090 or captains@lakepanorama.org.
“Our goal is to first gain the trust of the golfing members at Lake Panorama National,” Hawley says. “We plan to offer a quality product that matches the quality of the golf course. Then we want to grow by bringing in more customers from the lake, Panora and surrounding communities. The next step is to grow the events and catering side of the business, because we need those to help make this financially viable.”
Banquets tied to golf tournaments currently are the most common large events held in the LPN clubhouse.
“We want to expand on that and get more weddings, reunions, graduation and retirement parties, baby showers, whatever type of event someone is planning, large or small,” Hawley says. “We want to be the place people call when they plan an event.”
Hawley says his team is fortunate to have the kitchen in the LPN clubhouse as their base.
“It’s huge, immaculate and built for speed,” he says. “We will be able to handle events both large and small. We also want people to know we’re available to cater for groups both large and small.”
For now, the catering portion of the business will be “drop off and pick up,” but as operations evolve, more full-service options may be possible. One new piece of equipment that will make catering and large group events possible is a commercial wood smoker.
Those who have already booked events at LPN in 2025 or are interested in scheduling something are asked to email captains@lakepanorama.org with as many details as possible.
The Captain’s Pick team has two special events on the calendar before the restaurant opens to the public. An opening date hasn’t been set, although it’s expected to be in early April. Some soft opening opportunities are in the works.
The Captain’s Pick has a Facebook page. Information also will be included in the LPN Resort Weekly newsletters. Those who don’t currently receive the newsletter can go to the LPN website at lakepanoramanational.com and scroll down the home page for instructions.
Ted and his wife, Katie, have three children. The oldest is Braylen, who is 9 years old. Her sister, Briley, is 7, and their little brother, Rusty, just turned 4 years old. The family currently lives in Polk City but ground recently was broken for a new home at Lake Panorama. The family hopes to move in before school starts in the fall.
“I’ve been playing golf at the LPN for many years. This will be my 16th year playing in the men’s league,” Hawley says. “Katie has played in the women’s league for a few years. This place has long been important to me, and now it’s the same for Katie. We are anxious to raise our family here and look forward to being a full-time part of this community.”