Starting as a small tavern in 1967, the Golden Mast has turned into a premier dining and events location on Okauchee Lake.
"This is our ramping up season right now. We go from Easter and Mother's Day where we serve over a thousand people. And our weddings take off, we do two or three weddings every weekend up to 350 people. Now it's just a whole new feeling," says Lisa Marks, general manager of Golden Mast.
It's an empty feeling, for Lisa, as COVID-19 keeps customers at home. For a large venue like the Golden Mast, that meant shutting its doors most of the week.
"We just had to stick to our bigger days. Which are Friday and Saturday," says Lisa.
Thanks to the support from the community, those two days have been enough.
"Wisconsin fish fry at the Golden Mast during Lent is just not going to go away. They came out and they supported us and it was amazing," says Lisa.
Now starting this week, Golden Mast will be extending its hours.
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"We will be going from Thursday to Sunday. We also get a lot of boat traffic so we have started our dockside pickup as well," says Lisa.
For now, it's light at the end of the tunnel. Though Lisa and her family are preparing for the day they can welcome guests back inside.
"We've added french doors and wooden partitions in between some of our dining rooms to create separation, to make customers feel more comfortable. We took our big banquet room which usually seats 300 people and made it into a dining room with small tables and six-foot separations in between each," says Lisa.
It may take some getting used to, but it's not about just reopening, it's about never having to close again.
"We know they [the community] still want to be here and support us. So, we very much are looking forward to opening the doors, but in a safe manner as we are a large facility. We want to be safe for the public and our staff," says Lisa.