By July, casual dining will expand from 90 seats to 190, including a porch. Seating in the formal dining room will shrink from 125 seats to 50, with service only three nights a week. Members' interests in wines fueled Omaha's wine-education program. McCall started printing wine lists in-house and added information cards on tables. Members never ask for the house wine anymore.
Economy is another aspect entirely.
Since clubs are nonprofit, increasing coffers is a challenge. Another source of revenue for the 2,500-member club is initiation fees. The club loses 50 members a year through relocation or death. New members add vigor and initiation fees strengthen the organization economically, he adds. Switching gears from restaurant to club mind-set means looking at the bottom line in different ways, according to Ruscigno of Olympia Fields Country Club.