Life on the water... weekend re-cap

Hi everyone! My name is Gabriella and I am officially signing on as a summer marketing intern here at Gordy’s in Fontana, Wisconsin. You have probably seen me walking around the lakefront with a camera, but I’m so excited to introduce myself via blog! I am a college senior studying advertising and public relations at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and am so excited to be graduating in May! So far working here at Gordy’s has been the best experience, and I learn something new everyday.

I’m actually spending my morning writing outside of the Surf Shack because of how peaceful the mornings outside are here. The weather was in the low 60’s, so it was pretty quiet in the morning, consisting of few boats on the lakefront and choppy water. This may not sound as upbeat and exciting as you’d expect us to be on the weekend, but people are not always looking for a hot spot, they just want a relaxing weekend getaway after a long work week. In that case, while not everyone was on the water in the morning, there were so many people still out walking around with their dogs, sitting outside Coffee Mill enjoying each other's company, and taking pictures in our big chair wearing their new Gordy’s sweatshirts from the Pro Shop. Nothing felt more peaceful than sitting on the lake, with nothing surrounding you but water. No place to be, no phone to be answering to, just you and the boat! Despite it being a more quiet day, there were still people from around the area enjoying the start to the weekend. 

As the day went on more people began showing up on their boats, ready to enjoy that welcoming atmosphere Gordy’s and the lakefront as a whole brings. The best part about being on the lakefront is that everyone is so talkative and is always willing to get to know each other. With a global pandemic still happening, I’ve heard so many people say that being on the lakefront is like a whole different world. When I began my time as an intern here I was slightly shy and intimidated because I am not a local, I don’t own a boat, and am still trying to understand more about boat logistics in general. I was worried it wasn’t going to be my scene, but I have never been so wrong. While they are what makes the brand here, there is so much more to this environment than the boats. A local man we met this weekend agreed, stating that his favorite memory here was, “great food, great service, and great people”, and that couldn’t be more true, because it really is the memories that makes weekends on the lakefront so great.

A personal favorite weekend memory was when I came across a little girl named Paige sitting outside of the Shore Shack. She was selling handmade rubber bracelets for $5, and was eager to tell me that her earnings would be donated to Saint Benedict's Food Pantry here in Fontana. It was fun to watch so many people purchase bracelets and support what she was doing. There was one woman we met this weekend that said, “We’ve had nothing but great experiences here, it’s been like a family because we’ve gotten to meet people and now everyone knows us by name, so it’s always fun seeing them year after year”.  Although I haven’t been working here for long, I can definitely realize that Gordy’s is so much more than a location. It’s a series of memories as a whole that people have with them for the rest of their lives. 

I hope everyone had a great weekend and I can’t wait to get to see you all out and about on the lakefront soon! Have a Gordy-Great week!