Greg Alexander did not hold back details of his economic losses and his dedication to Whiskey Creek Bishop.
Greg Alexander, owner of Whiskey Creek Bishop and operator of Whiskey Creek Mammoth, has been on a long, painful business journey. He invited about 70 local business owners and staff to lunch last week in Bishop and told of the difficulties with Mammoth developers, banks and the economy there. He assured the audience of his devotion to Whiskey Creek in Bishop.
Alexander recently invested more in his Bishop restaurant with a remodel and wish, as he put it, “to be the best dinner house in Bishop.” To his audience, Alexander said he would tell the “story of the whiskeys”. He explained how the economy and real estate activity in Mammoth Lakes led to his loss of the Whiskey Creek there, although he told how he turned it around by convincing a New York bank that he could lease Whiskey Creek in Mammoth and run it successfully. He continues with that work.
At his home base in Bishop, Alexander said they make everything right on the premises and buy the best meats. He explained that he personally did the work on a lot of the remodel with help on color and design from Robin Stater. His tour of the new dining area reveals big, cushy booths and carpeting to soften the sound.
Alexander said he’s sensitive to customers’ needs to be able to have a conversation – including in the new lounge. So acoustics matter. The Whiskey Creek owner called himself a “midwest boy who likes comfort food.”
His own personal challenges, Alexander said, have taught him that “things don’t mean anything. Family does.” He encouraged the lunch guests to give him feedback on all aspects of Whiskey Creek.
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Greg is an asset to the community for all he does with soccer and various charitable events. Unfortunately if an Applebees, Marie Calendars or Chillis comes to town, I think it would be the end of Whiskey. These chain restaurants offer comparable (in my opinion) foods at half the price. I go to Whiskey for lunches only now since the dinner menu seems way too high…
Been to both Whiskeys.
Mammoth has the best Happy Hour in California.
Bishop has the best breakfasts.
And that lucious Double-Nut Brown is served in both.
The Happy Hour waitstaff at Mammoth Whiskey are SUPER!
Agreed, Dingo.
Daniella, Kathy and the rest are SUPER!
And the half-off appetizers ain’t bad either.
Unbelievable Calamari strips!
Wow! Hard enough to work in a restaurant I could not imagine running one. Super long hours, hungry grouchy patrons (many of us get grouchy when we are hungry), drunks, dealing with the health department, finding and keeping decent employees. Hard to believe restaurants I frequent have not yet had to raise their prices. How much have prices at the pump and prices at Vons gone up? A lot!
So many restaurants, in Mammoth anyway, come and go. Why? Not because they are easy to operate and extremely profitable.
Amused is a whiner. Let us know your tourist driven business you cite in mammoth and I will pick your place apart the same as you have done to mr. Alexander. Whiskey creek is an awesome place, and the new remodel is great! WC is the anchor of this community, thanks mr. Alexander! Oh and to the folks complaining about price, if you think it is too expensive, then maybe you should eat somewhere else or stay home. It costs money to buy good quality food, heat and cool the building, pay employees, etc.
Mike;
You obviously missed my point. I am not picking WC apart, and I think that your comments are simplistic. Offering an opinion is far from whining or ” picking someone apart.”
My business is based on rental properties-caring for the properties and dealing with the hundreds of renters that pass through them each year. So it would be impossible for you to show up and “pick my place apart” now wouldn’t it? I also have overhead expenses and pay employees.
Some of the suggestions I made are comments that I have heard over and over again from people traveling through the area.
I agree with you that WC is an anchor in the community, and I personally like the Alexanders. I think that they are very nice people and wish them nothing but success.
So you can stop waving your pom poms around and realize that we’re on the same team.
As a lifetime local, I have seen Whiskey Creek go through a few changes. So as a self-employed individual who lives in Bishop, but works in Mammoth, I would like to offer my suggestions….
1. Make the happy hour time slot consistent in both towns. I forgot that Bishop Whiskey does not have happy hour prices on Sunday, and therefore ended up paying $70 for a couple glasses of wine and 2 dinners. Ouch…..
2. Offer a daily happy hour dinner special. It would be great to have a new option as opposed to the same few 1/2 price dinners.
3. Possibly introduce some kind of specialty nights, (burger, bbq, italian, anything….) Please give us something new to eat and remember that we are all struggling financially also.
4. Make the food in Mammoth taste the same as Bishop. Mammoth food seems like reheated leftovers. I can stay home for that.
I do not mean to sound rude, but as a fellow business owner, do not expect me to be impressed by the fact that you had to work long hours to redecorate your business. My business is tourist driven also, and often work 10-12 hour days. Please give us a continuing reason to come in besides the basic need to eat and my fondness for the employees who always treat me nicely.
5. And one last thought…the “comfy ” couches only encourage us to leave as quickly as possible since they are the most uncomfortable pieces of furnishings known to man…
Please continue to give us a reason to frequent a longtime local establishment, and recommend it to our clients and visitors.
Mr. Alexander, I really like your Bishop place, but your prices for dinner make it very hard for us middle class families to eat there . Just being honest.
The town of Bishop understands that in a terrible economy you must appeal to those with the money. Isn’t this obvious?
Just like they’ve been doing all along in Mammoth Lakes.