Co-owner Ted Hawley says now that the golf league season is winding down, patrons can expect some new food offerings.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
The Captain’s Pick at Lake Panorama National Resort had a soft opening in late March, opened to the public in early April, and has been “full speed ahead” ever since.
Last February, LPN reached an agreement with Ted Hawley and Joe Wells of Alpha Ventures LLC to operate the bar, restaurant and banquet facilities in the LPN clubhouse plus the Spikes snack shop.
Nick Smith (left) has been the executive chef at The Captain’s Pick since it opened last spring. Craig Pote (right), who grew up in Carlisle and now lives in Redfield, has eight years of culinary experience. He joined the kitchen staff shortly after The Captain’s Pick opened.
“Our first few months have been great,” Hawley says. “There were a lot of annual events we had to get through for the first time, but that’s been fun and we’re happy with the outcome. The restaurant and bar have been busy, especially on weekends. We’ve been very pleased with the turnout for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights.”
Business also has been brisk at Spikes.
“We were lucky to have Deb Douglass continue this year as Spikes manager,” Hawley says. “We added a food warmer, which made it possible for us to offer sandwiches there on busy days or days when we had an event at Captain’s. We also added a cigar box, which has been popular. I think being open more hours and offering more options has helped reduce the number of people who bring alcohol onto the course.”
Hawley says at the beginning, he had some concerns about finding the right people to fill all the staff openings.
“We were lucky to get a lot of high school and college kids interested in working for us this summer, and we were fully staffed to handle both the restaurant and special events.”
Max Monthei, who grew up in Panora, had worked for Alpha Ventures for eight years before going elsewhere for a year. He rejoined The Captain’s Pick team in the spring and now is the operation’s general manager.
Craig Pote, who lives in Redfield, has eight years of culinary experience. He joined Nick Smith in the kitchen in the spring.
“Craig is the perfect fit to be Nick’s righthand man,” Hawley says. “He’s doing a great job, and our kitchen staff is very stable now.”
One more local person helping make The Captain’s Pick successful is Lori Hawley, Ted’s mother.
“She has done all the linens for all our events, which was a lot, especially in August,” he says.
“It’s been a hectic summer,” Hawley continues. “By the time we got here, there were several events on the schedule that we didn’t book. We stepped in and honored existing conversations. It’s been good to get through this first year. We’ve been taking notes and talking about ways we can improve as we host events.”
Several members of The Captain’s Pick staff are shown in the hallway adjacent to the lounge and restaurant. Despite early concerns about having enough staff to manage summer restaurant business and events, the operation maintained a good staff level throughout the busy season.
A new menu was introduced in mid-August. Items that proved to be favorites through the summer remain including appetizers, flatbreads, burgers and other sandwiches. The new menu includes some new salad options. It also offers beef, pork, chicken and seafood dinner entrees and four pasta dishes.
One item that was added early in the summer will continue to be available through the fall and winter.
“The soft serve ice cream machine we purchased has been a hit,” Hawley says. “We had a lot of kids and families coming upstairs from the pool through the summer to get an ice cream treat. We’ve also had quite a few events that added ice cream to their menus.”
A prime rib special now is available each Friday evening. Starting at 4:30 p.m., customers can enjoy a prime rib dinner served with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetable, dinner roll, horseradish and au jus. The prime rib is available in either 8-ounce or 12-ounce servings.
The Captain’s Pick plans to televise all Iowa and Iowa State University football games this season. Food and drink specials during the games include $10 wings, dine-in only, and $10 domestic pitchers.
Hawley says now that the golf league season is winding down, patrons can expect some new food offerings.
“The summer season was insane for the kitchen,” he says. “Chef Nick is looking forward to the fall and winter season when he has time to get more creative.”
In an interview last March, Hawley said the goal was to first gain the trust of the golfing members at Lake Panorama National, then grow by bringing in more customers from the lake, Panora and surrounding communities.
“I think we’ve made a great start toward those goals,” Hawley says. “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 are the most common events.
“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 also want people to know we’re available to cater for groups both large and small.”
Hawley says holiday parties are being scheduled, and The Captain’s Pick fall and winter calendar is starting to fill up. Those interested in scheduling an event or inquiring about catering are asked to email captains@lakepanorama.org. Someone will respond as soon as possible, and include a copy of the Captain’s Party Guide to help the planning process.
Hawley and Wells meet monthly with a small group of LPN and LPA personnel to discuss various aspects of the business. While Alpha Ventures initially had a one-year lease with Lake Panorama National, negotiations are underway for a longer-term lease that is expected to be finalized in the next couple of months.
Ted and his wife, Katie, have three children. The family has a new home under construction at Lake Panorama, and the kids are enrolled at Panorama.
“I’ve been playing golf at the LPN for many years. This was 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.”
Alpha Ventures also 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. New is Ta’Chido Cantina in the downtown Des Moines Court Avenue District. 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. n