How does it change your thinking about food and beverage when you discover that 60 percent of your guests are still in elementary school? If you're Great Wolf Lodge, it changes everything - at "Great Wolf Speed."

"Our vendors say 'Great Wolf Speed' is faster than light speed. It’s thrilling,” bubbles Marion Edwards, corporate director of F&B experience and concept development for Great Wolf Lodge. Her long title reflects the high-concept vision for brand building she brings to her work.

“I’ve been with Great Wolf a little over a year—seven wolf years," says Edwards. “When I first looked at the brand online and talked to key leaders, I felt it was Disney or Starbucks in the early stages. What an amazing opportunity to come in and help build this brand. With my Disney heritage, which I’m very proud of, and my experience with the rocket ship that is Starbucks, I wanted to bring some of that learning to push forward.”

Great Wolf started in the Midwest and now has 12 properties from coast to coast. Average guest stay is two nights. The theme is indoor waterpark, and the focus is family fun, fun, fun.

THE “CHEF-OWNER”
The company’s family audience might make it sound like a culinary way station for chefs until something more exciting comes along, but the chefs leading the charge at Great Wolf defy all expectations. “I was executive chef at a fourstar, four-diamond resort in California,” says Chef André Natera at the Grapevine, Texas, location. “I was doing all fine dining, and it was getting very rigid, very stiff. I wasn’t in love with cooking anymore. My old boss called me and said: ‘They’re doing great things here. It’s all about the food; they’re cooking what people really eat. It’s a great opportunity to help develop a new company.’ Why not? I needed to fall in love with food all over again—and I have.”

Corporate Executive Chef Rob Underwood boasts a five-star, five-diamond background from the Greenbrier. “I went to the Culinary Institute of America, in their very first bachelor’s degree program. You can have a bit of a food ego ... you want the best ingredients ... five-star this and that. It takes a lot more effort to make a great meatloaf or hamburger, to make it better than grandma and get compliments on that. When someone says, ‘Your mashed potatoes are awesome,’ that means something—their mom makes mashed potatoes.”

Great Wolf culinary enthusiasm has spawned its own language with “Mama Wolf” Edwards clearly proud of her “pack.” The whole team talks about “lodge-made” and “chef-crafted” cuisine. “We have a ‘chef-owner’ at each lodge who really cares about the experience. We want the brand to be authentic, bringing in the talent and showcasing their style and uniqueness to the brand,” Edwards says.

REGIONAL FLAIR
Chef Underwood oversees corporate menu directives, but there is a lively group dynamic at work. According to Chef Natera, “Subtle nuances differ from lodge to lodge. Our Texas barbeque sauce is different from Kansas City’s for the pulled pork. Our slaw has Texas pecans—it’s presented with a regional flair. Several items are specific to our lodge, like the duck confit molé tamale.”

The pack gets together a couple of times a year to brainstorm and cook together. “There’s a lot of camaraderie,” says Chef Underwood. “Even back at home, there are a lot of back-and-forth emails. Once you get going with brainstorming, it’s fun times.” It’s an enthusiastic crew, and each chef-owner is clearly empowered to push their unique contributions to the forefront.

Given that Edwards and Underwood view their hotels individually, they are proud of the unique menus and service improvements at each location. Below are innovation examples at some Great Wolf locations:

GRAND MOUND: Karina Addari is director of F&B at the newest Great Wolf Lodge. She comes with 10 years of Disney experience, and the question guiding her personal mission is, How do you demonstrate a green vision in food and beverage? Edwards explains: “She’s pioneering a food waste program working with a local company. All food waste is separated in our trash area. The company comes and takes it to a farm where it’s broken down into biodegradable product for fertilizer. It’s a huge undertaking and a huge paradigm shift for the resort. In our new lodges, we’re looking at testing a composter in the kitchen. We’re looking to Green Seal certify the whole brand.”

WISCONSIN DELLS: “Our original lodge recently hired phenomenal new F&B Director John Williams,” says Edwards. “He’s looking at our Bear Claw Café in a whole new way. I love his handcrafted doughnuts. He makes them every morning. How can you not go crazy about that? We’re looking at making it a brand-wide customer interactive experience. Maybe we’ve got the base, but then we add a ganache and a variety of toppings. Some of our new lodges already have a dipping station with a chocolate wheel for an interactive experience. We want to build the café into a complete reconcept to roll out mid-summer.”

KANSAS CITY: Chef Brian White, along with new F&B Director Bill Patsis, found a unique answer to the question, How does our lodge tell the story of mac and cheese? “We have mac and cheese, the ultimate comfort food, at every lodge,” says Edwards. “Chef White says Kansas City is the heart of America. I don’t want one signature mac and cheese. I want a mac and cheese experience.” On his menu is a custom mac and cheese section, like a pizza topping bar. “It’s so much fun and completely interactive. Kids and adults love it.”

GRAPEVINE: Chef Natera does his own pickles. “They’re fantastic,” says Chef Underwood. “I’d like to make it across the corporate line— fresh-made pickles.”

“Coming from California, I bring a different perspective,” says Chef Natera. “When I first came here, I had never cooked kids’ food. I never had to. Now I cook with different ingredients. I’ve stolen ideas, and they use mine. One of the neat things we offer is our Spa-tini drink, which is fresh juice with a little herb, such as lemongrass apple juice for both kids and adults. They get a kick out of it.” The challenge of cooking for kids is inspiring. “Now I think in a whole new way. With the trends out of New York and Europe, I’m looking at molecular gastronomy. How can we play with those new textures with kids’ food? How about the sensation of pop rocks with food? It’s neat playing with new things.”

TRAVERSE CITY: “We just opened a conference center in Traverse City where I’m located,” says Chef Underwood. “There are a lot of action stations, a lot of excitement. And we’re using fresh ingredients. Hot chocolate stations with several different fresh chocolates let guests spoon in what they want. It’s fun for adults and kids. We do a saltimbocca station, grilling chicken breasts right in the banquet room. We always provide vegetarian, and not as an afterthought. We try to make it very nice and ready ahead.”

Food allergy is another area Chef Underwood is sensitive to. “We see dairy and gluten allergies a lot, especially with the number of kids we serve. As soon as a server hears a special dietary request, we send a chef out who gives the guest their card and says, ‘Feel free to contact me. I’ll be sure you get exactly what you want.’ We get a lot of great feedback and return business from that. I can think of a couple who always come back because we cater to an allergy and make sure they have a safe dining experience. We have a group with celiac disease that comes regularly. We get the business because we’re able to take care of their needs.”

FEEDING THE FAMILY
Great Wolf made a bold choice bringing together chefs without a family dining background. The pack is clearly energized to redefine the mission and raise the family experience. “It’s a different way of thinking,” explains Chef Underwood. “I had to go from foie gras and truffles to macaroni and meat loaf. We started with a traditional kids’ menu: chicken fingers, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, hot dog, hamburger. But now it’s kids’ menu first.”

“We’re trying to bring back those things we ate growing up,” says Chef Natera. “We take something as simple as roast prime rib and serve it with a traditional Yorkshire pudding and red wine gravy. People go nuts over it because they usually get it with canned bouillon and instant mashed potatoes. If it’s ‘chef crafted,’ it has more love, more flavor.”

Chef Underwood says, “We spend a lot of time, not trying to come up with the next big culinary wow, but using good ingredients in a clever presentation. Let’s take the basket of sliders (grilled onions, honey mustard sauce, burger, and a nice bun). They go out on a minigrocery cart with little wheels, pickles on top where a child would sit, and a little basket with a bottle of catsup on the rack underneath with fries. It’s fun visually. It’s not just a standard plate of burgers.”

The breakfast menu features kids’ pancake tacos with strawberry salsa and yogurt or sour cream. New properties have kid-height breakfast buffets with made-to-order omelets and “wolffles,” a waffle with a wolf design. “We’re focusing on new things for kids that are approachable,” Chef Underwood adds.

“Rob created a kids’ appetizer plate,” Edwards says, “with little toast points and peanut butter, a stack of banana slices, ants on a log (peanut butter on celery, topped with little raisins), strawberries, and a semi-sweet yogurt dip in a compartmentalized, cafeteria-style tray. We sell quite a few. Kids and parents love it.”

All agree kids are savvier than ever. Edwards brings a wealth of research and analysis on kids’ eating habits from her Disney days. “Kids, for the most part, like familiar food. But they like it in a new format. They are continually experimenting. Diversity is a much bigger part of the menu. A big ‘aha’ is that kids like sushi and Mexican food. Quesadillas are definitely becoming more mainstream. Do we bring in teriyaki chicken bowls? In Grand Mound, where there’s a large Asian community, we’re thinking about kids’ sushi,” Edwards says.

“It’s fascinating how many kids hit the salad bar. But you have to do vegetables in a way that is fun. Cut them in interesting shapes. Make the ranch dip purple or blue. If it’s kind of gross or weird, kids like it. Have things on sticks, stack them in towers, present everything in a fun way.”

“Kids can be underestimated,” says Chef Natera. “We had a pasta station, and I was trying to explain to a six-year-old girl what risotto was. She said, ‘Yeah, I know what risotto is, and I make it with crab and asparagus.’ It blew me away.”

From his new vantage point at Great Wolf, Chef Natera looks differently at family dining. “I think the industry has gone down an unfortunate road with families. I’ve worked with big chains that served families food out of a box. As a chef, we got into the business to cook. If it’s for the masses, let’s make it properly, make it somewhat healthy, and be proud of what we’re serving. I’m proud of Great Wolf Lodge because they’re all about putting the food in the chef’s hands. You won’t see foie gras, but we put up our comfort food against any other chain. I know for a fact most other places don’t take pride in that style because it’s not what chefs want to cook.”

STEALTH HEALTH
Great Wolf is making a commitment to healthy eating … quietly. “We call it ‘stealth health,’” says Chef Underwood. “You’re on vacation. You want to indulge. So how can our guests still have a great time, enjoy the food, and eat healthier? We make things fun with fresh flavors and lighter sauces and by watching the salt and fat content. Our frying oils, cooking oils, and sprays have been trans-fat-free for over a year now.” Chef Natera offers, “You can get a side of carrots, a side of applesauce, or fruit— not just fries. Give families the option. You can’t force it down their throats, but you can at least give them the option.”

Chef Underwood’s next target? The snack bar. “How can we offer more ‘stealth health’ at the snack bar? Hydration is important because you’re running around in a humid environment at a water park. We want to move beyond soft pretzels and put a Great Wolf twist on that this year.”

MEASURING SUCCESS
Edwards has clear goals for Great Wolf and for herself. “My personal goal is to build the best food and beverage program ever for this company that really ties in to families. How do we take this to best in class? We’re not white tablecloth cruise ship with seven courses. That’s not going to be us. But we are going to be all things to families: bar and grill, action-style buffets, celebrating kids.”

“We look weekly at the market metrics survey our guests take. We look at table touching, going to the table and talking to the guest. We’re tenacious about that detail. Check in week one, week two. If there’s a good trend, we roll it out to three or four properties. We saw an increase of 15 to 20 percent when we rolled out our new kids’ beverage program. Because the price point was $3.95, we were concerned about rejection. Instead, we heard ‘This is really cool. I can enjoy the experience, and I can take it home and re-create it,’ which ties into intent to return. I took the results to COO Kim Schaefer, and she said, ‘Roll it out immediately.’ Because we’re in an innovative environment, we test and roll out at light speed.” Maybe even “Great Wolf speed.”

John Paul Boukis is a frequent contributor to HOTEL F&B.