Wolcott Yacht Club is open this summer after seven years of silence

This summer’s weekends-only run for the Wolcott Yacht Club has been a labor of love for owner Jan Jouflas.

The Yacht Club property, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 6 and State Highway 131, has been around in some form since cattle drives from Routt County brought animals to the rail siding at Wolcott. The place for years was the community’s post office, and there was a gas station for some time. More recently, the Yacht Club was a well-known restaurant and bar, but the march of time and changing rules have been a challenge over the past several years.

The last straw came in 2016, when state rules mandated that businesses that had their own well water had to chlorinate that water if there were more than 18 customers per day. At that time, 18 people would be a slow lunch hour.

“We resisted, and fought it for a while,” Jouflas said. The restaurant closed that year and was put up for sale.

Some potential buyers expressed interest, but wanted Jouflas to put in the water system required by the state. No deal got done, although the owners of Eat! Drink! in Edwards came close.

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When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it became impossible to get parts for just about anything, so the doors stayed locked.

Jouflas, who owns a business on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, said she pondered opening the Yacht Club in 2022, but that year’s labor shortage short-circuited that idea.

At its peak, the Yacht Club required about 60 employees. This summer, there’s a bare-bones crew of six, including Jouflas, her daughter Miranda, two nieces and a sister-in-law. The small group serves sandwiches and other basics including pork green chili as well as homemade ice cream, and the almost-full bar keeps the cold drinks coming. Local baker Jess Anderson provides fresh buns and other delights, and you can get homemade ice cream if that’s your desire.

The business is also licensed for to-go liquor sales, so people can grab some beer and ice before heading to the river, Jouflas added.

While the business is only open three days a week, Jouflas said the crew works another couple of days a week to keep things running.

“I’m cooking for the first time in 12 years,” Jouflas said.

Jouflas added that running the Wolcott Yacht Club this summer has been “a joy.”