The F&B Department would like to sincerely thank all those that took part in the End of Year Survey.  We actually do look forward to seeing the comments and results each year, as we use them as a baseline for improvements.  Constructive criticism is important. If you don’t have a positive experience, we need to know about it. Please feel free to reach out and let us know how we are doing from time to time. I am always available at fb@springrun.com

As a team we each took five comments and formulated responses.  We want you to know that we do hear you, and are taking measures that will help us to become a better Club going forward.  We want you to be proud of what we do, especially with your guests. We pride ourselves on being a big family in this department, and want you to be a part of that as well.

We will be sending out a survey asking you what you would like to see on future menus.  Please be candid and let us know what you are looking for, whether it is a specific dish or specific style of dining.  We are looking for everything from the décor, service, drinks, all the way up to the food.  We take what we do very seriously, and want to make sure that you all are receiving nothing short of an exceptional experience.

I know everyone is ready to get back to normal, and we look forward to doing so with you.  Thank you for your support and for helping us to strive to become the best dining establishment around!

Josh Petrosky
Clubhouse Manager

Part 3

Q: Drinks are too high priced. Have happy hour everyday like other places

A: This is something that we have been doing during the summer months May-Oct the last couple of years to try and encourage more people to come up during the afternoons.  We definitely anticipate having an “everyday” happy hour once we open up from the renovation.  This upcoming season we are actually thinking of adding Saturday’s & Sunday’s as extra Happy Hour days, in addition to Wednesday’s and Friday’s.  As for our pricing, we are in line with a lot of similar clubs to us. Unfortunately, with being as small as we are, we lack the purchasing capacity that other larger chains do, so we are not always able to lock in a lower price on beer, wine and spirits that are reflected in their pricing.

Q: Maybe it was Covid related but felt the menu was very limited this year. There was not a lot of change or fluctuation and the choices became old quickly

A: This is definitely something that we will be making a conscious effort to change for this upcoming season.  With being as slow as we were for lunch service, we elected to go with a smaller menu than normal with hopes of keeping our waste as limited as possible.  We also tried to cross-utilize as much product in house between menus for this same reason, along with how erratic our business was between October-February.  We were also open for ala carte service 7 days a week, which in the past 11 plus years that I have been here, has never happened.  This led to more usage of our menus than we had been accustomed too.  It was definitely a learning experience, but something that we promise to never repeat.

Q: Need more waitstaff, also bartender needs to be more consistent. Too many seafood specials! Need more chicken, pork and vegetarian options. More comfort food options, menu items that are geared more towards home cooking, fewer fancy ingredients.

A: Agreed!  We do need more waitstaff and culinary staff, which is why we have begun the hiring process right now.  We will be solidifying the Bar Manager Position for this upcoming season as well.  Seafood specials will continue, as they tend to do really well here especially during lent, but we will also make it a point to have more offerings of other proteins on our menus along with the specials.  We have a very talented culinary team that does like to show off every once in a while, but they know when to turn it up as well as when to dial it back pertaining to preparation and wording of menu items.  We focused a lot more this past year on comfort foods, and will continue to do so going forward.  Please keep an eye out for a questionnaire that will be sent out to everyone asking them what they would prefer to see on our menus in season.  This should also help out with the planning and preparation going forward.  

Q: I understand that you needed to make changes in the Brunch menu due to COVID, however it seemed like the attendance was also lower. Was it the menu or were just less people coming?

The Easter brunch was very disappointing. We have attended almost every Easter brunch for the last 10 years with our guests, usually family. We expected the normal brunch with some additional menu items, like you usually have except saw more of a dinner menu. Our reservation was for noon. Our waitress pleasantly accommodated those that did not want to have dinner at noon with salads. Expensive price for what they had to eat. Maybe I should have paid more attention to the menu.

A: As with everything this past season, Sunday Brunch was one of those areas where we saw a significant decline in attendance.  We did not have the big buffet that we normally have starting in January due to health and safety protocols that we were trying to abide by, and a general hesitancy to use the clubhouse.  We did start doing a limited egg buffet beginning in March when we started to see an increase in attendance, but the numbers were still not on par with what we would normally do that time of year.  With the way things were going, as well as the optics of buffets at that point in time during the season, we felt that it was best to keep things simple and provide the membership with what we could at the time.  This also goes for the Easter Brunch Buffet, which was dialed back from what we normally offer…I assure you that this past year will not affect what we put out in the future for this Holiday.  We have already begun getting back to normal with our buffets and events, and look forward to putting out the famous spreads that we do both in November and April.  We will also have more of a balanced “Brunch” style buffet this upcoming year, as well as more offerings for children.

Q: I think the food and beverage department went out of the way to accommodate events (9 and 18 hole golf lunches) that they set up outside. (a lot of work to set up, serve and take down after the event) but they did it very effectively.

A: This past year was definitely a challenge and made a lot of people come out of their comfort zones.  I looked at it as an opportunity for us as a team to come together, and accomplish something that we have never had to worry about, or given second thought too…Outside Dining.  Almost all events, luncheons, and dinners were held outdoors this past season, of which we only had one rain out, which is pretty amazing.  It was definitely a challenge battling the heat towards the end, as well as running food from the kitchen out to the parking lot and pool areas, where we aren’t really designed to give efficient service too.  However, my staff rose to the occasion and did the best they could with what we had.  There were some nights where we were stretched from The Turn all the way out to the Pool, but we handled it.  By February we had our setups and breakdowns down to a science.  We setup lighting down by the pool, which helped with ala carte dining for 6 months at night, and utilized our portable bar more than we have ever in the past decade.  It was truly a great team effort, and thank you for recognizing it.

Q: I do not participate in several of these meals so went with middle choice. The lunch menu and service are very good. I do find that the dinners are not always consistent. Some are excellent and some are so-so. The same entree changes from time to time. The servers should always bring napkins with a drink. When eating outside all seated diners should be asked if they need a drink or food. When ordering wine we should be asked if we want 6 or 9 ounce not just serve a 9 ounce glass. Just trying to make this a better dining experience.

A: Consistency is what we are always striving for.  We also want to establish a set of standards with our serving and culinary teams to where they ask the right questions.  Where they are regimented in their crafts so that you always get that napkin when greeted at your table or are asked what size glass of wine you would like, as well as if you order a steak medium rare, it comes out that way.  We are also making it a point that all culinary staff is properly trained on plate up presentation, so that each menu item is executed and put together the same way every time.  Chef’s Kris and Mich have been working on weekly training sessions with the current staff on preparation of sauces, sides, and plate ups to help with this consistency.  We pride ourselves on knowing what your preferences are, as well as making sure that you are happy with what you order.  So please, if anything doesn’t come out right the first time, or your experience is sub-par let either Breanna or I know so that we can rectify the issue.

Q: Dinners at Trivia nights we attended were disappointing- the food was not tasteful. Although I love salmon, the sauce on the salmon was not good. Entrees at dinner were not always pleasing. Portions were large, but for example, chicken in the “bowl” items was not very tender. Entrée salads looked like they came out of a bag, and the protein along with a few veggies/fruits was added. I did not always feel we were getting the best value for the charge.

A: Trivia Night meals will be addressed going into season, we want to make sure that we are able to serve in a timely fashion so that the game can be finished at a decent hour.  Instead of making it a three-course meal, we will most likely dial back to a two-course meal with an entrée and dessert, while offering a better-quality protein.  This summer we have been focusing more on a schedule of events with our menu preparation with everything that we have planned on our master calendar, this should help to alleviate the issues that we have had with Trivia Night.  I always encourage our membership to let management know if your meal or experience is less than exceptional.  I can assure you that our salads and entrees are prepared fresh when ordered, and not out of a bag.  We “cook to order” and do not “cook ahead of time”.  This is why sometimes there is a time crunch with dinner entrees ordered between 6 & 6:30pm.  We will do a better job of staggering reservations in the future to help with this time crunch, but rest assured your food is always prepared fresh.

Q: Recently I ate at another bundled club in the area and the food was very good. The members I visited said how happy people were with their food service. Some events at SR the food is fine but other times not so good. If there was more consistency, there might not be so much complaining from members.

A: I always like to hear what other Clubs are doing as well as what they are offering.  If you ever go to dine at another Club, please let the management team know of your experience, as well as bring us back a menu.  We try to get out and see what comparable clubs are doing, as well as participate in multiple surveys…but your first-hand experiences are much more valuable than surveys.  Let us know what made your experience with that Club either exceptional, or not so much…this helps us to better understand your needs as well as what you are looking for.  Please feel free to stop by the F&B Office anytime to let us know about any experience that you have had at Spring Run or abroad.

Q: I appreciate the excellent service from staff & want to thank you all for your kindness especially with delivery service.  I would like to see continue comfort foods on menu (ex. Pot roast, Turkey dinner, chicken dinner, roast pork dinner)

A: Our Delivery Service took off this past year, at the peak of season for us (mid-March-April) we were average 20-30 deliveries on a slow night and upwards of 50 plus on a Friday night.  This definitely helped us out, as well as gave us more inspiration to advertise our specials each and every day.  If you did not feel comfortable coming up to the Clubhouse, we definitely made an attempt to give you value, and the ability to order from us 7 days a week for pick up or delivery.  We will definitely continue having comfort foods on our menus, as they do pretty well here.  We appreciate your kind words and thank you for your support!

By: Josh Petrosky

The F&B Department would like to sincerely thank all those that took part in the End of Year Survey. We actually do look forward to seeing the comments and results each year, as we use them as a baseline for improvements. Constructive criticism is important. If you don’t have a positive experience, we need to know about it. Please feel free to reach out and let us know how we are doing from time to time. I am always available at fb@springrun.com

As a team we each took five comments and formulated responses. We want you to know that we do hear you, and are taking measures that will help us to become a better Club going forward. We want you to be proud of what we do, especially with your guests. We pride ourselves on being a big family in this department, and want you to be a part of that as well.

We will be sending out a survey asking you what you would like to see on future menus. Please be candid and let us know what you are looking for, whether it is a specific dish or specific style of dining. We are looking for everything from the décor, service, drinks, all the way up to the food. We take what we do very seriously, and want to make sure that you all are receiving nothing short of an exceptional experience.

I know everyone is ready to get back to normal, and we look forward to doing so with you. Thank you for your support and for helping us to strive to become the best dining establishment around!

Josh Petrosky
Clubhouse Manager

Part 2

Q: From talking to numerous Owners, I would say the consensus is that Food Quality has gone down since hiring Kris. Personally, we like Kris, but think he tries to be a little too creative with the end result not be what many Owners expect.

A: As a chef, I have always prided myself on being able to bring innovative, compelling offerings to your table. As with any new position, it takes a while to acclimate oneself to the needs and preferences of their new clientele. To that end, I have tried bringing in some new product and worked at presenting it in an attractive way. Clearly, it has not been received as I had hoped. I will do my best to dial it back and present this membership with the food presentations it is comfortable with at the quality level it deserves.

Q: We really enjoyed receiving the weekly dinner menus and we hope you will continue to offer the take-out service.

A: When the pandemic hit, we were scrambling to make sure we were still able to cater to our members in the most efficient way possible while still providing the dishes you loved. We already had an established delivery service and take-out offerings, we just needed to ramp them up a bit. We increased the marketing visibility of our offerings and dovetailed the delivery and takeout options with them, enabling you as members to still enjoy your club’s food & Beverage offerings while quarantined. These dining options will continue to be available for the foreseeable future.

Q: Not sure why a second kitchen and more kitchen staff is necessary for outdoor dining planned in the rehab. When we dine outside now the food is merely carried out from the existing kitchen. And aside from relatively few busy periods, our observation has been that the dining facilities are usually under-utilized with few tables used on many dinner nights.

A: We will be adding over 100 new seats to the outdoor dining areas, including full pool service. With our current facilities, there is no way we would be able to service those seats and turn them over more than once without additional kitchen space and staff. We have also noticed that, during the last year, outdoor seating was at a premium. Understanding that we were experiencing a pandemic that discouraged people from gathering indoors, there is a strong trend towards this style of dining, even after we come out of COVID restrictions.

However, the main reason for adding this kitchen addition is that it is not possible from a logistical standpoint to efficiently run food from the current kitchen to the outdoors, given the configuration of the back of the clubhouse. While we have serviced the temporary pool/outside dining going through the dining room, that is not a long-term solution when all the different rooms are being utilized at once, and food running traffic will create disruption and potential accidents.

Q: I think some of the special event dinners are too expensive.

A: Me too! That’s why we’re always working with our vendors and distributors to source new products that are properly priced and of outstanding quality, so we can pass that savings on to you while still giving you the dining experiences you crave as a membership. We have been using a purchasing program that allows us to compare similar products and shop for the best values available. We also have started buying local Florida produce to offset the rising freight costs the food supply chain is currently experiencing. We have experienced great success using these tools to mitigate our event costs to the membership and will continue to look for ways to return additional value to your membership.

Q: The club did the best they could during this pandemic they should be applauded. I would like to see a bit more variety of things , It is a bit repetitive and by the end of the season I find we are really sick of the choices. Nothing new. This might because of Covid but in years prior this was our feeling as well.

A: We have been open for dinner more this past year than in previous years. For this reason, we have offered many of the same dishes on menus. It would be easy to blame this on COVID, but that’s only part of it. The other part is the staffing issues in the kitchen. Customarily, we have 12-15 staff members in the kitchen. This past year, we had 8. With the current manpower shortage, a great volume of production this past year was dependent upon the culinary management team’s involvement. This allowed us less opportunity to be proactive about implementing new menus. Going forward, we will be proactive in writing and planning new menus for the membership, while working hard to get staffing levels to required levels. As of this writing, we are planning our menus for the next year and devising a timeline for their implementation as well as recruiting new team members. We do this with your preferences and requests in mind, while still maintaining the contemporary and innovative offerings you look for and the menu item quality you expect.

By Chef Kris

The F&B Department would like to sincerely thank all those that took part in the End of Year Survey.  We actually do look forward to seeing the comments and results each year, as we use them as a baseline for improvements.  Constructive criticism is important. If you don’t have a positive experience, we need to know about it. Please feel free to reach out and let us know how we are doing from time to time. I am always available at fb@springrun.com

As a team we each took five comments and formulated responses.  We want you to know that we do hear you, and are taking measures that will help us to become a better Club going forward.  We want you to be proud of what we do, especially with your guests. We pride ourselves on being a big family in this department, and want you to be a part of that as well.

We will be sending out a survey asking you what you would like to see on future menus.  Please be candid and let us know what you are looking for, whether it is a specific dish or specific style of dining.  We are looking for everything from the décor, service, drinks, all the way up to the food.  We take what we do very seriously, and want to make sure that you all are receiving nothing short of an exceptional experience.

I know everyone is ready to get back to normal, and we look forward to doing so with you.  Thank you for your support and for helping us to strive to become the best dining establishment around!

Josh Petrosky
Clubhouse Manager

Part 1

Q: We need more options for plant-based diets — meaning Vegan diets. Perhaps something with beans and rice and whole wheat options too for bread, tortillas, etc. It would be nice to see buckwheat pancakes for the brunch option too.

A: We will work on implementing changes like these as soon as possible. Additionally, you can make any nutritional special requests, with a 24 hour advanced notice, and we will prepare your request or some variation of it for you to enjoy either up at the Club or delivered to your home.

Q: Need more waitstaff, also bartender needs to be more consistent. Too many seafood specials! Need more chicken, pork and vegetarian options. More comfort food options, menu items that are geared more towards home cooking, fewer fancy ingredients.

A: During this past season we were understaffed for both kitchen and service, and even though this is not an excuse, it was a reality. But rest assured we are working now to resolve these understaffing issues by implementing early hiring of staff for season. We will take these food requests under consideration when updating our menus.

Q: I have not really eaten at the club a lot due to the pandemic so my comments are very limited. The food service had done a wonderful job on providing delicious food to the residence during the pandemic. I am very satisfied of what they have done.

A: Everyone here is very grateful for your feedback, and we did not let Covid-19 stop us. We are sincerely grateful for the opportunity to do what we love. We are happy to hear that you enjoy and continue to enjoy all that Spring Run has to offer.

Q: The food this year has been subpar. Food taste has been very bad. Rolls hard as a rock. Truthfully the food this year has been the worst it ever been. We want to support the food Dept more but just can’t due to quality of food. Sadly, this is how several of our friends and neighbors feel as well. Chef Mitch does absolutely wonderful food classes. How about incorporating those recipes or techniques into the menu? Servers, Josh and Briana are wonderful!!! Just need to get to the chefs motivated to improve.

A: We will definitely work hard to improve and enhance the food that we produce here at Spring Run.  It is really praiseworthy for us that you enjoy Chef Mich’s classes.  We will definitely follow your advice to include recipes, and methods to help elevate both the taste and presentation of what we put forth.

Q: I have enjoyed special event dining and value. I never have been impressed with dinner food and the quality is only fair and unreliable. Never would think to bring guests and prefer to go elsewhere. Needs great improvement and would need some big discounts to get me to try again. Expanding the club house will not improve the food.

A: These sincere comments motivate us to do our job better. We know we cannot change any unpleasant dining experiences that you have had in the past, but we would like to focus on creating new, and better ones going forward if you allow us the opportunity. One thing we are sure of is that we are working harder than ever before to improve everything we do here at Spring Run. During the pandemic, we were working hard to accommodate the members’ needs, and we will continue to be here to improve of offerings as we go forward. We promise to enhance our offerings, so as to not have a repeat of this past year.

Dear Spring Run Members,
I would like to clarify what services will be provided during Summer Hours in Spring Run, as there has been some confusion.
In recent years, we have provided happy hour pricing each afternoon from 3:30 – 6 PM, except on Wednesdays when the Clubhouse is closed. This will continue throughout the summer, unless we determine there is not enough support to justify continuing it.
In the Board Meeting May 28, I was asked if delivery was going away now that the Clubhouse is partially reopened. I replied that the delivery concept was not going away, but some took that to mean it would continue with the same previously available schedule. I had mentioned we were in Summer Hours, but did not spell out what that meant in my answer. Delivery will be available during lunch every day but Wednesdays, but dinners only on Friday nights when we are open for regular dinner. Given the lack of business we have seen to date in the Clubhouse, we feel it is more responsible to reopen according to summer demand instead of opening up everything and increasing labor for services not utilized.
Please feel free to reply back with your thoughts on what you would like to see this summer. If we have sufficient requests, we will accommodate them. Keep in mind we will continue to plan the outdoor tailgate type parties in the clubhouse parking lot and under the porte cochere with great food, cold drinks, excellent entertainment, and Spring Run hospitality and camaraderie.
Happy Summer!

Mike

” Spring Run,

It is with a heavy heart that I write this, as many of you know, and for those that do not, I will be leaving Spring Run as of December 31, 2016.  I have been the Executive Sous Chef for the past five years while being there for six.  I have come to love and adore the membership as if they were my family, in reality, they were, as I have left mine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to move to Naples six years ago.  I never imagined I would have stayed so long as I had a personal rule never to stay longer than three years at any particular job, not because I didn’t want too, but because I was always in search of new enlightening experiences to help me succeed in my career and life.  Somehow that rule was thrown out the window here as Spring Run has a charm and eloquence that I believe makes this place home for all who stumble upon our little secret sliver in paradise.
I leave knowing that this place is in good hands.  I am proud to say that I was part of building such an amazing team that we currently have, and know that things will only get better as time gives them the experience needed to grow.  Chef Steve has been a wonderful mentor and father like figure, an unforgettable master of his craft, and someone that I will always pay homage too in any future endeavors.   We have the best front of house staff I have ever worked with and many of this I give credit to Josh for his dedication and love of his job. The leadership provided by Mike Zigler I will carry with me as I pursue my career in business and marketing.  He has been a model of what I would like to strive to become and will someday.
I have been a part of some wonderful events at Spring Run.   I would like to thank my wine dinner enthusiasts who helped create such an extraordinary atmosphere.  The cooking classes that helped me become comfortable with speaking in public, and the charitable dinners that made me feel like I was part of something bigger as I will continue to help others when needed.
The past three years I have been attending Florida Gulf Coast University while majoring in marketing, and I have finally reached my final semester.   I will be graduating in the spring of 2017.  I want to thank Spring Run for all it done for me.   It really has been a wonderful journey and I couldn’t leave without letting you know.  It will be hard not seeing all the faces that I have accustomed to seeing over the years but I hope the impression I leave is as good as the one Spring Run has left on me.

Sincerely,

Executive Sous Chef
Jorge Villagomez”

 

The Food and Beverage staff would like to try something new and fun…something that brings you more variety and value.  For last several years we have come out with a smaller ala carte dining menu for the summer months.  These menus cover all the bases of beef, poultry, fish, pasta, as well as incorporating a few specials.  But what we want to do from here on out is create a new “Fresh” style menu for you to choose from that changes each week throughout the summer.

Our talented culinary team want to show you what they are made of, and provide you with entrees that you will not want to miss out on.  The menu each week will consist of 8 items (2 Beef, 2 Poultry, 2 Fish, and 2 specialty entrees).  The goal is to incorporate locally grown and sourced meats and vegetables, creating new and exciting meals that will captivate your taste buds and entice you to come back for more.  The introduction of this variety each week allows us to bring you even more creativity and freshness.

Some of the changes you may also see are reducing salt and replacing it with more healthy spices and fresh herbs; reducing sugar-added sweets and desserts; using healthier oils, organic fruits, and vegetables grown without GMOs; and antibiotic-free pasture-raised animal proteins; which are just some of the new things that you can look forward to coming out of the kitchen.

Once a month, in place of our rotating dinner menus and Thirsty Thursday’s, we will also have a table d’hôte special called “Two can Dine with a bottle of Wine for $39”.  It will consist of a 5 item menu with a starter, main course and bottle of red or white wine for 2 people for $39++!  This event will act as our ala carte menu for that evening and will give you a chance to taste an abundance of different flavors that you can pair with a nice bottle of wine.

We hope you will enjoy these new concepts. Give us your opinions. We are listening and we want to make sure that each time you visit that you enjoy our service, quality, and value!

To the Spring Run Community,

Some of you may already be aware, but for those who are not, Chef Steve underwent a quadruple bypass surgery last evening. The surgery is complete and he is recovering well, but he has a road to recovery. He is at NCH downtown, but his daughter asks that we please be patient when it comes to calling or visiting in the next few days, as he needs his rest. She also says “thank you for all the concern, love, and support you have given so far, and continue to show in the weeks ahead.” Despite his condition, we expect him to recover and rejoin the team in the next month. We miss his puckish personality and culinary wisdom, and look forward to welcoming him back soon.

In the interim, we are reinforcing our ranks to make sure that the large number of April events we now have scheduled are well taken care of.

Until Steve is moved to his new room, please send cards etc to the Admin Office, and we will deliver them to him personally. Thank you.

Mike