Druid Hills project in the works, FGCC holds town hall – Crossville Chronicle

Many Fairfield Glade residents who spoke at a town hall meeting on the future of the Druid Hills Clubhouse project made it known that they miss dining at the now-closed Legends banquet room and Fireside Lounge there.

Whether the Fairfield Glade Community Club should operate more than one restaurant currently only Stonehenge Grille was the primary topic of discussion during the Oct. 26 meeting at The Center.

The board of directors called the town hall meeting for residents to offer their suggestions and ask questions about the future of the Druid Hills Clubhouse building.

The board will decide whether to remodel the 50-year-old building or tear it down and replace it and whether a restaurant will be included.

FGCC board member Greg Jones, who heads the Druid Hills Clubhouse project advance planning team, said the meeting would be the first of several town halls on what should be done at Druid Hills with the support of residents.

This is not the committees or even the boards clubhouse, it is the communitys, said Jones, who moderated discussion with the audience of about 150 people. So we want to be attentive to make sure were listening to what you have to say.

He said there likely will be a survey for residents, too, and noted that residents also can offer their comments and ask questions by email at druidhillsprojects@fairfieldglade.cc.

Most residents who spoke wanted either Legends/Fireside to reopen or a restaurant to be included in plans for a new clubhouse complex.

One woman made her point for more dining by asking the audience for a show of hands who are golfers and then for the same among those who like to eat out. About twice as many hands went up for the latter.

I think that tells you where were coming from, she said, adding that the emphasis in Fairfield Glade, seems to be on golf, and golf only.

She said the Casa Grande Mexican restaurant that opened on Peavine Rd. in October has been mobbed with customers, and noted that they dont even have a liquor license.

So, I think there is an opportunity for us to have more and better food and beverage service here, and have it quickly, she said. She and others agreed that waiting several years for a remodeled or new complex is too long.

According to a project timeline, construction of a new complex or remodeling of the existing building would occur in two phases, with the first completed in 2024. There was no timeline yet for completion of the second phase.

One resident said because the community club has a flagship golf course in Stonehenge there had better be a flagship restaurant to go along with it. Stonehenge Grille, he said, is nice, but it doesnt cut it.

Pointing out FGCCs history of an unsuccessful food and beverage operation, he said a friend who owns an Illinois resort with golf courses and restaurants suggested to him that FGCC lease Legends/Fireside to a restaurateur who knows how to run a restaurant rather than operate it itself. Many in the audience applauded him.

The F&B operation had been subject to complaints in recent years from some residents when both Stonehenge Grille and Legends/Fireside were open. In 2018, for example, it lost $657,000. Losses were reduced to $472,000 in 2019.

All F&B losses are subsidized through property owner assessments.

Complaints about poor quality of both food and service, primarily at Fireside Lounge, coupled with the high level of subsidies, led the board to decide to close Legends/Fireside effective April of this year, and operate only a newly remodeled Stonehenge Grille year-round. Stonehenge Grille previously shut down at the same time as the golf course in November until the spring.

With now only one restaurant to manage, F&B for the year to date ending Sept. 30 lost about $239,000; that is $90,000 less than what it was budgeted to lose at $329,000 for the first nine months. During the same period last year, it lost $425,000.

Before the meeting, one woman walked carried a petition and asked attendees if they would sign it in support of a drive to reopen Legends/Fireside.

A reopening is not likely anytime soon, if at all. At a board meeting this past summer, General Manager Bob Weber said that the COVID-19 pandemic has made hiring and retaining staff even more difficult than previously. He repeated at a board workshop Oct. 27, that staffing is the major obstacle to reopening Legends/Fireside.

Weber said another issue is that there arent enough diners to support more than one restaurant in the fall and winter when the number of visitors to the Glade drops considerably, some residents leave for warmer weather and others prefer to stay at home during cold temperatures. He said F&B revenue typically falls about 40% during that time.

The board announced last week that Stonehenge Grille will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting in November and continuing through the winter as part of a reshuffling of services during the usually slow time.

But the board said it is working with caterers to have some special events at The Center, which has a banquet room but no full-service kitchen.

Jones said at the workshop that the community meeting on Druid Hills was well-attended with a lot of good conversation and that he received 30-35 email messages on the topic.

I thought yesterday was a pretty good day, he said.

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Druid Hills project in the works, FGCC holds town hall - Crossville Chronicle