Wildwoods applying for kitchen equipment, upgrade funding

    BROWNVILLE — The Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) is working on an application to the state’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for a micro-enterprise assistance grant — for up to $50,000 — to fund the purchase of restaurant equipment and some kitchen remodeling at Wildwoods Trailside Cabins, Lodge & Restaurant.
    Wildwoods recently completed an expansion of its dining area, including closing in the porch entrance to preserve heat in the main dining room and prevent drafts negatively affecting the diners when customers enter and exit. This has the business poised for increased profitability with its expanded seating capacity subject to getting the kitchen modernized and expanded.

    Wildwoods was started by Cheri Brackett in February 2008 near Schoodic Lake. The resort is open seven days a week year round, and has three cabins that can each sleep eight. Being completed in the spring is an 18- by 48-foot addition that enclosed an existing patio and porch. Besides increasing the customers that can be accommodated, the larger venue will allow for single events such as wedding receptions and anniversary celebrations. Calculating the annual restaurant headcount, and using 2009 as the first full year of operations, the customer count went from 8,832 to 10,353 last year — not counting single events.
Photos courtesy of PCEDC
    KITCHEN UPGRADES — On behalf of Wildwoods Trailside Cabins, Lodge & Restaurant in Brownville, the PCEDC is working on a micro-enterprise assistance grant application through the CDBG program for the purchase of restaurant equipment and funding of some kitchen remodeling. Pictured are before and after images of the main building and the expanded dining area.   

    To better serve the increased clientele, the kitchen needs to be reorganized and needs additional equipment including a fire suppression system over the recently expanded hood, walk-in refrigerators and freezers, new dishwasher, under-counter refrigerator and freezer, flooring repairs and washable wall covering. The three windows on the back wall in the original dining room need to be moved to the back of the enclosed patio area to allow for a laundry room. 
   

    A point-of-sales (POS) system is a high priority in order to track sales, customer preferences, inventory management, data analysis, security and integrated credit card transactions. POS saves valuable wait staff time, allowing for increased customer contact and attention. The system reduces ordering errors and eliminates wait staff errors on customer checks. Another advantage is that POS eliminates wait staff from providing complimentary food and beverages to customers since the kitchen cannot prepare food that has not been entered into the computer where everything is tracked and accounted for.
    To increase Wildwoods’ potential draw as a tourist destination, Brackett worked with area snowmobile and ATV clubs to develop Wildwoods into a recreational vehicle hub. Starting with a goat path lined with willow trees, a 25-mile, 12-foot wide multiuse trail was developed that now connects the resort to a state multiuse trail on the back-side of Schoodic Lake (Katahdin Region Multiuse Trail) using an old rail bed easement out of Millinocket. Wildwoods is now linked to Brownville, Brownville Jct. and Milo and to the west and south and to Millinocket to the north and east. Snowmobile ITS 82 and ITS 83 access Wildwoods.