Snowshoe Sam’s at Big White Ski Resort has a new owner
A popular pub at Big White Ski Resort has been purchased by the owners of Kelowna's BNA Brewing Co. & Eatery.
Snowshoe Sam’s sold to Kyle and Carolyn Nixon, the owners of Skinny Duke's Glorious Emporium and Bernie’s Supper Club and Cinema in Kelowna's downtown, according to a press release issued by the Nixon family.
Jim Nixon, Kyle's dad, and Ralf Rohrlack, Carolyn’s father, actually knew each other from their days working ski patrol back in Saskatchewan.
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Having each decided to move west and make Kelowna home, their paths would cross again at Big White, where Ralf was involved in designing and building many of the structures in the original village at the ski resort, including Snowshoe Sam’s, according to the press release.
He and his wife Carol enjoyed the mountain as it developed, and soon Jim and his wife Diana would arrive and open Whiskey Jacks and The Red Onion.
Jim bought Snowshoe Sam’s in 1982, before deciding to shift his energy into town, where he and his family owned and operated McCullough Station Pub and The Hotel Eldorado.
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“On top of the family nostalgia connected to this business for us, we’re just super excited for the opportunity to carry on with the fun this place has always been known for," Carolyn said.
Kyle and Carolyn Nixon opened BNA Brewing Co. & Eatery in June 2015, which marked the beginning of what would eventually become Nixon Hospitality. Along with the restaurants, they also own Del’s Super Cool Wine Spritzer, a fresh take on a classic using Okanagan-made fruit wine; and Public Liquor - a people-driven liquor store that supports both its staff and the local beer, wine, and spirit producers of the area.
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