Great Wolf Lodge Revamps Culinary Program

A little less North Woods, a little more sophisticated. That’s how Great Wolf Resorts is defining a new era for Great Wolf Lodge as it prepares to open two more properties in Illinois and Georgia this year, plus one in Arizona in 2019.

The family-focused, Wisconsin-based company opened its first resort in Wisconsin Dells in 1997. Over the next two decades, it slowly expanded with more properties around the Midwest, moving into the Northeast, South, West and Canada. Among the hallmarks of all Great Wolf Lodge properties: giant waterparks, family-friendly food, woodsy décor, Disney-esque characters and nightly “pajama parties” involving storytelling and snacks for kids.

Yet in 2018, channeling the “change or die” mentality without losing its family roots, Great Wolf Lodge is evolving. In March, the company hired a new CEO, Murray Hennessey, previously with Avis Europe and the U.K.’s Trainline. It’s also started rolling out a new farm-to-table approach to F&B that stems from John Suley, vice president of F&B, who was hired last summer.

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“We want to keep it as local as possible and have the servers tell the story of what local products we use. It’s also great to offer local influence in the recipes and cocktails to help create a memorable experience,” says Suley, who spent years in similar roles with Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises and was nominated for James Beard awards in 2007 and 2010.

Barnwood, Great Wolf Lodge’s farm-to-fork dining concept that was first implemented in the brand’s Colorado Springs property, is attracting hotel guests along with local traffic for lunch and dinner—a first for the brand. Some of the menu highlights: mini fried chicken biscuits with pepper jam and house pickles; Andouille sausage with roasted jalapeno cream and aged cheddar; and barbeque-glazed beef short ribs. All ingredients are sourced from a 50-mile radius of the hotel wherever possible.

The concept will be rolled out in new properties this year and beyond, and existing properties may also be retrofitted in coming months. While each location will have standards and consistent recipes, Suley says he’ll empower executive chefs and their teams to be creative and make offerings as local as they can. That idea also extends to Barnwood’s beverage menu.

“We’re being mindful of having things for adults, including more than just Bud and Miller Light,” says Emilio Fabico, general manager of the soon-to-open Great Wolf Lodge Illinois, opening in Gurnee this summer. A new cocktail program is also part of Barnwood, including Suley’s favorite, a mescal drink called Smoke and Mirrors.

In the coming year, guests of Great Wolf Lodge can expect continual menu refreshes, more healthy options and reinvented beverages, including mocktails. “We are listening to what our guests are telling us we could improve upon or add to our menus and offerings,” notes Suley.

It’s a wise move, considering the significant growth expected in the family travel segment, and with it, increased competition. A 2016 study of key travel industry players by Family Travel Association reported 87 percent of respondents predicted the family travel market to grow robustly or moderately in the next three to five years. A more sophisticated culinary program will certainly help Great Wolf Lodge, but that alone may not be enough to lure families away from its close competitor, Kalahari, or continue to capture family business as more new luxury waterpark properties, such as Baha Mar, cater to parents and children.

“I don't think the farm-to-table dining concept will matter much to travel agents or guests,” says Darcy Allen, owner of Travel by Darcy LLC, who has booked groups at New England’s Great Wolf Lodge and also visits with her three small boys. “[Since these are] all-suite properties, families often will bring their own food and beverage to help save on costs and to give their kids as much water park time as possible. That said, I think fresher dining options in the restaurants and quick-service venues would be appreciated by the guests.”

Rainer Jenss, president and founder of Family Travel Association, agrees that the improvements will be welcome, but notes culinary alone isn’t enough to give the brand a competitive edge.

“Great Wolf Lodge was a pioneer in the indoor amusement park market, but with an emergence of new players, changing consumer preferences and technology raising the bar, [it] needs to step up its game,” says Jenss, who also took his kids to Great Wolf Lodge when they were young. “I believe bringing on industry veterans, overhauling some of its products and rebranding itself to the travel agent community...will go a long way in bringing the brand back into favor among parents starved for weekend getaways they will enjoy as much as their kids.”