07/20/2024
Dear Friends & Neighbors,
You've probably noticed that we have been pretty quiet the last few months. When the end of this past ski season came around we needed to press reset and take some time for reflection. After a very challenging year, we have made the very difficult decision to not renew our lease at Sugarloaf and close our operations for now. When we pivoted from A&L to Cork & Rind, we were hopeful that the shift would allow us to achieve sustainability both personally (workload) and financially (sales success). Unfortunately, this was not the case. The coupling of lower than expected sales with an off-year for snow, an unexpected injury, and our consistent struggle to maintain enough staff, the numbers just don't work.
We knew when we launched A&L that we were taking a risk; we pointed our skis downhill and went for it anyway. Over the years, we created something we are quite proud of. We have made friends, spread joy, and had a lot of fun along the way. We are closing our doors with some truly beautiful memories and some incredible new friends. It's also been incredibly hard, and the truth is that the amount of hard is no longer being overcome by the amount of joy.
That said, this doesn't necessarily mean that it's the end. We are turning the page to a fresh sheet, making room for a new chapter and for different things that bring us joy and for which we have new or renewed passions. If you'd like to read a bit more about what has driven us to make this decision, you can find a more in-depth discussion on our website, . Social media and this newsletter may not be the place for it, but we think a larger conversation about quality of life, expectations, and the state of the restaurant industry is an important conversation to have.
Until the next moment arrives, you can catch us on the farm in Kingfield, or at Harvest To Huts this September, an event in conjunction with the Maine Huts and Trails.
Stay well friends,
We'll see you at the next stop.
