At the historic Bear Mountain Inn, newly appointed Food & Beverage Manager John Sharp is leading a culinary reinvigoration that honors the lodge’s deep roots while charting a bold, intentional path for its future. By channeling the raw energy of the Hudson River and the surrounding peaks, John and his team are transforming dining from a mere amenity into a core destination of the park experience.

Translating the Spirit of the Land

For John, the inspiration for this new chapter begins the moment a guest steps onto the property. “Even the walk from your car to the building has a power to it,” John reflects. “I’m excited to channel that feeling into every dish we serve and every experience we create.” This “adventure” of hospitality is about more than just food; it is about capturing the majesty of the park and translating that spirit onto the plate.

A New Identity through Culinary Exploration

The team is currently rebuilding the Bear Mountain brand with a clear, distinct identity centered on intentionality. This includes the launch of new à-la-carte brunch concepts and immersive holiday experiences, alongside a highly anticipated core dinner menu. From community-driven “Wine Wednesdays” featuring chef-special shared plates to a spirited Mardi Gras celebration, the focus remains on purpose.

“We’re striving for a Michelin-level mindset: exceptional food, thoughtful service, and attention to detail that feels natural,” says John. “The goal is that when someone is asked why they visited Bear Mountain Inn, the answer is simple, they came for the food.”

Serving Every Guest, Every Moment

While the restaurant serves as a focal point for this refined vision, John emphasizes that the spirit of stewardship extends across the entire operation. From the sales team and catering managers who make “dreams come true” for wedding guests, to the fast-casual approachable quality of the Hiker’s Café and Stand 10, every touchpoint matters.

One standout highlight for the upcoming season is the “Fridays @ 5” series at Stand 10—a summer-long celebration of live music and rotating culinary themes. Drawing on his Alabama roots, John is particularly eager to introduce Southern BBQ and seasonal favorites like apple cider doughnuts to the mix. “Catering is a huge part of what makes this place so special,” John notes, “and concessions are just as important… they deliver offerings that are approachable but never diminished in quality.”

As Bear Mountain Inn enters this exciting new era, the focus remains clear: to create a dining experience that is deeply historical, warm, and, above all, epic.

As Guest Services, Inc. reflects on our legacy of service during the America250 era, we look to leaders like Jayme Waters, General Manager of Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures, to understand how “honoring the mission” translates into operational success. Recently awarded the Q Award for an excellent 97.15% Quality Assurance score, Jayme’s team demonstrates that elite performance is not a performance for an audience, but a daily rhythm rooted in pride and partnership.

A Culture of Collective Success

At the heart of this achievement is a rejection of the “silo” mentality. On Jayme’s team, every individual understands how their role carries the guest journey forward. “From check-in to launch to the stories shared on the water, each person adds to the current that helps shape the experience,” Jayme explains. “When we move together, the day feels seamless.”

This seamlessness is bolstered by a team that acts as each other’s “hype team,” celebrating smooth water and learning from the current together. As Jayme notes, “That balance of preparation, accountability, and pride is what keeps our quality strong and our team moving in rhythm.”

Building Readiness Through the “Why”

For Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures, QA readiness isn’t a switch to be flipped when a visit is scheduled, it is a year-round state of being. This is particularly vital when training seasonal staff, where the focus is on the “why” just as much as the “how.” “Teaching the ‘what’ is easy; explaining the ‘why’ is what connects the role to a purpose,” says Jayme. “When people understand the impact of their role and how it ties to the guest experience, pride follows. It is also not hard to take pride when your office view includes sweeping canyon walls and the magnificence of Hoover Dam!”

This cultural alignment was put to the ultimate test during the most recent evaluation. “During this last QA visit, I was the only one who knew it was happening,” Jayme shares. “The team operated exactly as they always do. Steady, prepared, and aligned. That level of consistency comes from ownership and pride, not pressure.”

Moving from Standard to Superior

To bridge the gap between a “good” score in the low 90s and an “elite” score of 95% or higher, Jayme emphasizes that it isn’t about a major overhaul, but about tightening the small gaps. For her team, the biggest shift came from making expectations visible and repeatable through clear checklists and defined ownership.

“My advice to other GMs is to focus on routine over intensity,” Jayme concludes. “Build ownership instead of anxiety. When your team understands the standards, sees leadership reinforcing them consistently, and feels part of continuous improvement, the higher scores follow naturally.”

Celebrating Our Standard of Excellence

While we congratulate Jayme and the Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures team on this achievement, we also want to recognize the Q Award runners-up and every team across the country striving for these high-water marks.

Achieving a high QA score is a testament to the daily, often unsung work of maintaining our nation’s most precious spaces. To everyone who shows up with the discipline to “tighten the gaps” and the heart to serve our guests: thank you. Your commitment to quality is what makes the Guest Services legacy possible.

Growth and Impact in 2025

In 2025, the Culinary Forum strengthened its role as a driver of collaboration and operational excellence across Guest Services. The program operates as a two-part platform by engaging monthly conference calls supported by a growing resource-rich digital hub.

Monthly conference calls continued to see steady growth in attendance, reinforcing their value to chefs in the field. Each session delivers actionable insight through unit spotlights, food safety updates, cost management strategies, Healthy Balance initiatives, limited-time offers, sales-driving promotions, and guest chef presentations. The objective is clear: provide practical tools that enhance performance, spark innovation, and drive revenue.

Engagement on the Culinary Forum website also expanded. Chefs actively contribute recipes, food cost strategies, promotion results, menus, and catering highlights, creating a shared knowledge base across properties. The migration of food safety resources from the former intranet, along with expanded chef and food cost tools, has strengthened operational support. New plant-based content and enhancements to the catering gallery further broaden available resources.

Strategic Expansion and Healthy Balance in 2026

Looking ahead, the Culinary Forum will build on this momentum. Conference calls will continue expanding their reach, while the platform integrates more closely with GSI’s Food Safety Program, Building and Sustaining a Strong Food Safety Culture, creating a centralized destination for innovation and compliance.

Healthy Balance initiatives will evolve into structured monthly promotions focused on nutritious foods and informed menu choices. Reinforcing the philosophy that Food Is Power, campaigns will highlight lean proteins, cruciferous vegetables, beans, mushrooms, berries, and root vegetables. Business units will receive supporting materials including signage, logos, and educational handouts to strengthen messaging and encourage healthier guest decisions.

Together, these initiatives position the Forum as a strategic resource and a catalyst for continued culinary advancement in 2026.