Leonna Smith

Lady Falconburgh’s Barley Exchange

640 Main Avenue

Durango, CO 81301

Local Business BA 368

Fort Lewis College

1000 Rim Dr.

Durango, CO 81301

May 28th, 2012

Dear Leonna,

On behalf of the Local Business class here at Fort Lewis, Thank You for taking time out of your busy day in order to tell us about your business and to give us a tour of your restaurant. It can’t be easy to buy an existing business that is a local favorite and give it your own spin without detracting from what has made it successful and you have done an amazing job of doing exactly that.

It was very interesting to gain an insight into the unique challenges you have faced buying an established business especially when that business is underground and not immediately accessible from the street. All of the other businesses we have visited have been started from the scratch so this tour was particularly important in showing us future business people that there are other options out there.

It is no small feat that Lady Falconburgh’s has managed to stand the test of time in a small seasonal tourist town like Durango, which has so many bars and restaurants to choose from. Our visit to your restaurant helped us to understand some important tenets of operating a successful business in these circumstances. One of the most vital things that we took away with us is that a business must appeal to the locals since they will make or break you. Another one was to offer incentives for clientele to come in on slow business nights by having specials on beers, group games like the trivia night, and offering personalized bricks.

This is a great business to learn from and we are so grateful to have had to opportunity. Thank you once again! As a class we have come up with a few suggestions that we think might benefit your business.

Have a beer tasting tray –This way a customer can sample several beers in small amounts since you have so many and it is often hard to choose. This is a great way to help people find their favorite without having to commit to a whole pint of something they might not like.

Partner with other bars downtown to incentivize the use of Designated Drivers by offering food and beverage discounts to the DDs. This can be monitored by issuing wrist bands so that bartenders can ensure the sobriety of all those wearing wristbands.

Thank you again for your hospitality

Sincerely,

Local Business Class BA 368