Re: The REAL reason for Chama's decline . . .

While we were building our current home we moved up to Northern Wisconsin and lived at our family cabin in a small town of about 500 people. The tourist activities are mostly Summer Trail riding in UTV's/ATV's, Fishing, hiking, hunting & snowmobiling in the rare years there's enough snow. The town has seen its own struggles as logging & farming have declined in importance.

There are few restaurants but the most successful one in town in a bar called "The Bluegill" that serves great food. The owner started hosting the local Lions club to offer Bingo on Tuesday and it's become hugely popular. The Bar/Restaurant across the street has struggled, mostly due to management that doesn't seem interested in running a business. The third place in town is newer and its a Bar/Pizza place. I've been going there since before I was born and we've seen a lot of restaurants come & go. You have to have an interested owner who's engaged and will change the menu as necessary. Whether that's changing the menu for the season or just adapting to what people want vs. what you're used to cooking.

Food is important if you're catering to tourists and families. A decent Pizza Joint is almost a necessity these days, especially with kids. With Vera's long gone, who's filled the void on Mexican food? (There are a couple smaller places, but nobody comes close to Vera's) How about a place that's serving the usual American fare of Burgers, Fries, etc.? You might not want a chain but you do want someplace that serves a similar menu.