Restaurant closure may show deeper issues

By: 
Leslie Silverman
Visitors to Keystone have no off-season dining options unless someone steps in to fill the void left by the closing of BarLee’s restaurant. The establishment, located right next to the Comfort Inn, was a staple for over a decade, although to mixed reviews. Some online reviews called the staff rude, others raved about the great food and fun. For locals the venue was a place to hang out and grab a drink or meal. For people on vacation, it had become the only restaurant in town during the winter months.
What the loss means is anybody’s guess. Keystone Area Chamber of Commerce Director Robin Pladson said losing the restaurant was a hit to hotels, especially those who try to remain open year-round. 
“It doesn’t give them many options,” Pladson said, other than sending visitors to Hill City, Rockerville or Rapid City.
“You just have to explain we’re a small town,” Pladson said, noting it does make it harder for off-season businesses. “How can a hotel be open and not have a palace for guests to eat a meal?”
At this point, the chamber is focusing on the summer season and has no plans to recruit a year-round dining option.
Keystone Town Board President Sandi McLain worries about what she calls a “huge loss,” concerned the town may end up losing revenue over it. “People haven’t thought about it yet. We really  haven’t had a whole winter yet,” McLain said, to feel the impact of the closure
In fact, until recently, when the sign indicating J & L Knives was taking over the space, tourists passing through may not have known.
But local business owners who have known are concerned, not merely for the impact on winter tourism, but also on the overall state of the Keystone business community at large.
Chris Glaesemann of Boss’ Pizza sees an overall lack of plan and investment in any projects that will develop the business community.
He wonders why town officials don’t limit the types of business Keystone has so that T-shirt shops aren’t the primary proprietor. He calls the current climate in Keystone challenging with outside real estate investors running businesses out of town, citing the taffy shop and Guadalajara’s as just a few businesses that have recently been forced out. 
“Rent increases are absurd, to put it mildly,”  Glaesemann says about what he calls “predatory lease” tactics, he has experienced.
Recently Glaesemann sold the rights to his  Boss’ franchise and while he loves the town he felt he could no longer make a living here. 
“BarLee’s was a fixture in the community,” he explained, saying that if locals don’t make a concerted effort to support  a year-round business there’s not enough of a draw for tourists to stop either. 
“If everything is shuttered people aren’t going to look around. They’ll just pass on through,” Glaesemann said.
Tammy Hunsaker of Battle Creek Lodge, located across the street from BarLee’s, is also concerned about the state of Keystone business.
“It’s  a bad thing,” she said about the loss of BarLee’s. “We see people already booking shorter stays. If they’re eating at the only restaurant in town and they’re staying for three nights, they want somewhere else to eat.”
Hunsaker wants to make certain her guests want to come back to Keystone after they have visited. She sees the loss of BarLee’s as a customer service issue. 
“When you get to the point that you’ve eaten at the only restaurant in town, that was a challenge before,” Hunsaker said. “Now it’s a bigger challenge.”
Like Glaesemann she agrees locals need to make a “consistent” effort to support a restaurant that chooses to stay open year-round.
Hunsaker also agrees that BarLee’s is part of a bigger problem. 
“I love this town,” she says proudly, saying that other towns are more attractive for business owners. “People aren’t connected to the community. They have no reason to level up. If they can get $200,000 from the taffy guy, what is that to them?”
She adds, “It’s unfortunate it’s about the money.”
Personally if she was traveling she wouldn’t stop in Keystone. 
“What are we missing? How do we fix that? We have to ask the question, ‘What is it Americans want to see when they’re traveling?’ Local, hometown, salt of the earth.”
And while she stops short of supporting planning and zoning in Keystone, she says the town is operating with a lack of community vision and that the lack of planning and zoning is “leading to what we have now.”
Currently Keystone has no planning and zoning commission.
 

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