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Crowley Lake General Store is three businesses in one |
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Friday, 28 March 2008 |
By Stacey Powells
Mammoth Times Staff Writer
 Cleo and Dan Haakana love owning the Crowley Lake General Store.
“We really have three businesses in one,” said Dan Haakana, owner of the Crowley Lake General Store. Since 2003, he and his wife Cleo have been up to their elbows in baked goods, fishing tackle and fuel. “Cleo is great in the kitchen, so the deli part of our business was easy and since I came from a retail background, that was a piece of cake,” Haakana said, "but dealing with the gas station part of our business is an ongoing learning curve.”
The Haakanas have to deal with government regulations on both the state and federal levels and the paperwork that goes along with rules that have to be enforced by the various agencies can be overwhelming. “There are mandatory upgrades to the fuel system that require retrofitting all the equipment stage by stage to comply with vapor reduction,” said Dan. Of course, the Haakanas, like all service station owners, have to foot the bill when upgrades are required. “That's why gas is so expensive in California. We all have to be in compliance but at our own expense,” he explained.
When asked about the Quagga mussel issue and how that might affect his business, Dan said the news about the mussel hadn't quite yet made its way to the Crowley Lake General Store. When asked what would happen if Crowley Lake were closed to private boating in order to stop the possible invasion of the Quagga Mussel, Dan replied, “There's really nothing I can do if that happens up here. I hope it doesn't and even though the tourist industry is a major part of our business, we try to stay focused on the local population.”
“We really depend on the locals and we want the locals to depend on us,” said Cleo, who stopped by the store to chat on a break from home schooling her daughter, Elizabeth.
Both Cleo and Dan agree that one of the most challenging aspects of owning the store is balancing the business and family life. The other has been maintaining a quality employee base. “Right now we have the best crew we've had in a long time. They really are like family,” they said. The Haakanas say they have never failed to open on time or close until they were supposed to. “We've never had a night when we couldn't offer pizza or one of our chicken dinners,” Cleo said. “We are very conscious of the fact that if you offer a product, you have to have that product in stock.”
The building has been around since 1958 and before it was a general store it was an office for the trailer park as well as a place where the fishermen could come to do business. “Where the post office boxes are now used to be the entrance to an apartment,” Dan said. The upstairs used to be living quarters, as well, but is now used for storage. “We know people lived up there because there is still a sign above a doorway that says 'Bobby's Bedroom' or something like that," Dan added.
Fishing season is coming up and the Crowley Lake General Store is preparing for the onslaught. “It's just a matter of being organized and having enough of everything to meet the needs of the fishermen,” Dan said. “As long as we have beer, beer and more beer, we should be okay.”
“And good food,” added Cleo.
Not only does the store serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, they stock a complete line of tackle, worms and nightcrawlers, as well as boat batteries, life jackets and oars. “We've never sold an oar but we have them just in case,” Dan said. “We also have the largest selection of Crowley Lake fashion wear anywhere in the world.”
Dan brought his grocery retail expertise with him to Crowley and as a result, the store has a very extensive collection of wine. “We call it Trader Dan's wine,” Cleo said. Varieties of wine are available from $4 all the way up to $70.
Since they've taken over the store they have expanded their deli menu, including take-home microwaveable dinners, added a self-serve frozen yogurt dispenser, more seating both inside and out, and diesel fuel. They also have many retail items that can save residents a trip up the hill. “We have unusual things like eyeglass repair kits, tools and camping gear as well as baking products,” Cleo said. “If someone needs some basil we'll sell it to them from the kitchen, so they don't have to run up to town just for one thing.”
Before the Haakanas created their clan, which includes four children ranging in age from 11 to 26, there was just Dan and Cleo. Dan moved up from Hermosa Beach in 1974 and Cleo landed in high altitude in 1975. “She was waitressing at Schatz's and I liked the way she poured coffee.”
“So then he decided I could wait on him the rest of his life,” Cleo said with a laugh.
“It was love at first cup,” Dan said with a smile.
Whatever it was, it's still working some 28 years later.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 03 April 2008 )
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