Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Schmidt.
Hi Adam, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Our journey to owning the Village Bar & Grill was not a traditional one. Before entering the restaurant industry, we spent more than 20 years working together at an oil and gas company we started in the late 90’s. When we sold the company in 2018, we began thinking seriously about what we wanted the next chapter of our lives to look like.
We knew we wanted to remain in Oregon, work together, eliminate the extensive travel that had been part of our previous careers and become more connected to a community. We also knew we did not want to return to corporate America. What we did not know was exactly what kind of business we wanted to own.
We eventually narrowed our search to two very different opportunities: an HVAC and electrical company, which was closer to the industry we already understood, and the Village Bar & Grill in Sunriver. The HVAC company felt like the safer and more practical choice, but the restaurant was where our hearts were.
On Christmas Eve in 2021, we presented both opportunities to Adam’s father, Richard. He has a Ph.D. in engineering and is extremely intelligent and practical, so we were convinced he would recommend the HVAC company. Instead, he asked us what our hearts were telling us and what we were truly passionate about. He reminded us that we could learn an industry, but passion would be what carried us through the difficult parts of owning a business. That conversation gave us the confidence to choose the restaurant.
We were already longtime customers of the Village Bar & Grill. It was the place we enjoyed visiting after skiing, snowmobiling, kayaking or paddleboarding, and we understood why it was such a beloved Sunriver institution. We officially became its owners in June 2022, purchasing it from people who had operated it successfully for 18 years.
From the beginning, our goal was not to reinvent the Village. We wanted to preserve what longtime customers loved while gradually putting our own stamp on it. We have worked to create the comfortable, welcoming atmosphere of a Central Oregon gathering place while continuing to improve the menu, operations and overall guest experience.
Our different strengths have made us good partners. Christy is the numbers person and oversees the financial and administrative side of the business, while Adam has an engineering mindset and is skilled at solving operational and mechanical problems. We make the larger decisions together, and after working alongside one another for most of our lives, we understand how to balance each other.
The learning curve was significant, and restaurant ownership continues to challenge us in new ways nearly every day. It is an industry built around people—our employees, our guests, our vendors and the larger community—and that is also what makes it so rewarding. Our daughters have worked in restaurants as well, including at the Village, so this chapter has truly become part of our family’s story.
Today, we are proud that the Village Bar & Grill remains a place where longtime locals, seasonal residents and first-time visitors can all feel welcome. We took a risk by following our passion into an unfamiliar industry, but it brought us exactly what we were looking for: the opportunity to work together, build relationships and become a meaningful part of the Sunriver community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has definitely not been a completely smooth road. We purchased the restaurant in June 2022, at a time when the restaurant industry was still dealing with the effects of the pandemic, including staffing shortages, supply-chain disruptions and rapidly increasing food and labor costs. We were also entering an industry that was largely new to us, so there was an enormous learning curve.
One of our biggest challenges has been learning how to manage the seasonality of a restaurant in a resort community. During Sunriver’s busiest periods, our business can change almost overnight. We go from a smaller off-season staff to approximately 70 employees during the summer, while also serving a much higher volume of guests. Hiring, training and preparing everyone to deliver a consistent experience can be difficult, particularly when many employees are seasonal.
The financial side has also become increasingly challenging. The costs of food, wages, insurance, utilities and nearly every other operating expense have risen considerably. At the same time, we know our guests are also feeling the effects of higher prices, so we constantly work to balance affordability with the need to pay our employees fairly, maintain quality and operate a sustainable business.
On a personal level, one of the hardest lessons has been accepting that restaurant ownership does not come with an “off” switch. Problems can arise at any hour, and the issues are rarely the same from one day to the next. We have had to learn how to make decisions quickly, remain calm under pressure and avoid taking every setback personally.
There have certainly been moments when we wondered whether choosing the more familiar business opportunity would have been easier. However, the difficult experiences have helped us become stronger owners and better leaders. We have learned to listen to our employees, adapt when something is not working and trust the people around us. The road has not always been smooth, but overcoming those challenges has made the successes much more meaningful.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Village Bar & Grill is an independently owned, full-service restaurant located in the heart of the Village at Sunriver. The restaurant has been part of the community for more than 40 years, and we are proud to carry on that history while continuing to evolve.
Our menu features approachable American food with enough variety to offer something for almost everyone. We are known for our burgers, fresh salads, house-roasted meats and classic sandwiches, along with seasonally updated entrées and specials. Our bar offers handcrafted cocktails featuring regional spirits, locally brewed beers and a selection of Northwest wines. We are also very family-friendly and offer an extensive children’s menu, which is important in a destination like Sunriver where multiple generations often vacation together.
What sets the Village apart is that we are not trying to be only one thing. Guests can stop in for a casual lunch after skiing or biking, bring the entire family for dinner, meet friends for cocktails, watch a game or relax on our patio during the summer. We serve longtime locals and homeowners alongside visitors experiencing Sunriver for the first time, and we work hard to make everyone feel equally welcome.
We believe our greatest strength is the sense of familiarity and community people experience when they walk through our doors. Some guests have been coming to the Village for decades and have made it part of their family traditions. We also have employees who have built meaningful relationships with our regulars and returning visitors. In a resort community where businesses can sometimes feel temporary or seasonal, the Village has remained a familiar gathering place.
Brand-wise, we are most proud of preserving that identity while still making the restaurant our own. When we purchased the business, we understood that we were taking responsibility for something people already cared deeply about. We did not want to change it simply for the sake of change. Instead, we have focused on improving the restaurant thoughtfully—updating the atmosphere, expanding and refining our offerings, creating seasonal specials and strengthening our systems behind the scenes—without losing the comfortable and unpretentious character that made the Village successful.
We want readers to know that the Village Bar & Grill is more than a restaurant located in a vacation destination. It is a locally owned business supported by a hardworking team and deeply connected to the Sunriver community. Whether someone visits us every week or only once during an annual family vacation, our goal is for them to enjoy good food, feel genuinely welcome and leave looking forward to coming back.
What’s next?
Our plans for the future are centered on thoughtful growth rather than dramatic change. The Village Bar & Grill has been part of Sunriver for more than 40 years, and we never want to lose the familiar, welcoming character that has made it special. At the same time, we believe a successful business must continue evolving.
We plan to keep refining our menu through seasonal offerings, new specials and updated food and beverage options while preserving the longtime favorites our guests expect. We are also continuing to invest in the restaurant itself, including improvements to our kitchen, workspaces and guest areas. Some of the most important upgrades are not always visible to customers, but they help our team work more efficiently and allow us to provide a more consistent experience.
Developing and retaining a strong team is another major priority. We want the Village to be a place where employees feel valued, have opportunities to grow and can build lasting careers. The restaurant industry is often associated with high turnover, so we are especially proud when employees take on leadership roles and continue growing with us. Strengthening that culture will remain an important part of our future.
We would also like to continue finding ways to serve the local community throughout the year. Sunriver is a busy vacation destination, but it is also home to a close-knit community of residents, homeowners and employees. We want the Village to remain a gathering place for all of them—not just during the busiest tourism seasons.
We do not have plans to turn the Village into something completely different or expand simply for the sake of expansion. Our goal is to build a restaurant that is sustainable, continues improving and remains a place people can count on for many years. What we look forward to most is continuing to strengthen the business while preserving the traditions and relationships that make it meaningful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sunrivervbag.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/villagebarandgrillsr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100063487572789
