We live in rural, small-town America. The population was 530 at the 2010 census. And now in November 2017, the population sign as you come into town reads “Population 487.” Bayfield is a destination location during the summer for tourists from around the country and the world.
Come mid to late October, the tourists are gone and many of the shops and lodging locations shutter their doors for the winter months. The hustle and bustle of the summer months are great for all who live and work here, and we’re also thankful for the peace and quiet of the winter months.
There are times during the winter months while driving downtown that the city appears to take on ghost town status. Parking along the main street is wide open, and businesses are shuttered. In times like these that I begin to ponder, ruminate and wonder what would happen if…?
Over these next 10 blog postings, I’m going to highlight random business properties in our town. The photos were randomly taken. There are new buildings, empty storefronts, and unimproved real-estate.
This closed business is simply closed for the winter season. I’ve known the owners since they arrived in Bayfield nearly three years ago. They are a great couple and an asset to the community.
Bayfield is a two bar town. Ok, one is a bar and the other is a historical pub. Now, historical in that the pub has been in town since 1935. So yes, it has some history, and people were glad to have the new owners take over and improve the place.
As Bayfield is a travel and vacation destination, businesses in town go 900 miles an hour from May until just after Apple Fest. Then, many of the businesses close their doors until the next season.
In talking to the owners of the bar, I was told that they had nearly a zero inventory after Apple Fest. Now that the winter season was upon them, they didn’t see a good return on their investment, by ordering more date sensitive consumables for the winter season when the customer base is simply the locals and a few stragglers wandering through town on their way somewhere else.
I’ve got no beef with this strategy, and likely for their bottom line, it makes perfect sense. Now I’ll have to visit the other bar in town to see if it has any character