December 30, 2011

Marcel Flukiger answers Asking a lot

Debra Orecchio, Correspondent

Marcel Flukiger of Shawnee owns Aspen Peak Cellars at Clifton House Inn in Conifer. He and his wife, Julie Flukiger, opened the winery, bistro and bed and breakfast in 2009. The two owned a catering company for four years, from 2001 to 2005, then had an opportunity in real estate that didn't work out, which brought them back to their roots in the restaurant business. Flukiger, a native of Switzerland, came to the U.S. in 1993 as part of an 18- month exchange program. He worked at the Brown Palace in Denver as a chef, where he met his wife, who grew up in Pennsylvania and who was also working there as a chef. Julie Flukiger then worked in Switzerland in an exchange program for a year; then they returned to Colorado in 1996, moving to Evergreen, where they both worked in various restaurants. They made the move to Park County in 2008.A new wine production and tasting room will be opening in Bailey in 2012.They have one daughter, Chantel, 12. Marcel Flukiger has been serving as the president of the Platte Canyon Area Chamber of Commerce this year.

DO: Where were you trained as chef?

Flukiger: In Switzerland.

DO: At a school?

Flukiger: Over there it's different. I just went to elementary school for six years, and then high school for three years. Then I went to do a trade, like an apprenticeship program, a three-year apprenticeship program; it's usually at a restaurant with weekly classes. I worked several winters in the ski resort. [And I was in ] the Swiss army, all Swiss have to go to the army at age 20.

DO: For how long do you have to do that?

Flukiger: The minimum was 17 weeks, and then semi-annual renewal services for three weeks every year. Then I became a corporal, so I had to go back.

DO: What are some other differences between Switzerland and the U.S.?

Flukiger: I think getting people into the work force much earlier I think is definitely big, is one that sticks out to me the most. Going to school for nine years instead of 12, and go out and learn a trade or go to college at that point. There's options there, but the base school is only nine years, six years elementary, three years high school is your basic education.

DO: Do you think that they do it in a shorter time because they go for a longer day or what?

Flukiger: I think the days are a bit longer, but then they get lunch break that's quite long, so people do go home.The summer's not as long, I think added up maybe 13 or 14 weeks out of the year they're off. I think getting people out in the work force I think helps. People always say here that you can't know what you want to be at age 15.But I made up my mind when I was 13. We do a trade week where everybody was able to go do a trade week in whatever trade they want to check out. I'd like to do a restaurant; I like good food every day, so I said I want to be a chef.

DO: When do they do that trade week?

Flukiger: I think it was in the first year in high school, so I'd be in seventh or eighth grade.

DO: That's a good idea.

Flukiger: Yeah, I really liked it.You're actually there on the job for a week and you really see what the job is all about. Then most trades are an apprenticeship program over there. And I think the biggest group of people coming out of school go into a trade school to learn a profession versus going to a university. And I think then you're also sticking with your profession much longer than here. I think over here there's a lot of changing over, a lot more opportunities here. I think over there if you are certified in a job, or as a profession, that's how you get paid. But you're not going to get paid if you go two weeks as a chef and then two weeks as an auto mechanic; you never get paid as an auto mechanic unless you have the full trade and being certified. So I think that makes a big difference, more professionals working in the profession.

DO: How did you two come up with this idea for Aspen Peak Cellars?

Flukiger: Yeah, definitely a business plan was something that I'd been working on really hard. We changed our business plan probably about five times from location to location; it changed differently until we finally came up with this place. And originally we were looking for a winery and lunch bistro place. Also we were interested in a free-standing building, and there weren't very many opportunities at that point. Then when we found that there was a chance we could lease this, that's when the B&B came about; that was never part of the original plan. We thought that the setting and the combination of the three businesses really would make a great combination.

DO: Is this the first time you've ever owned the business?

Flukiger: The catering company was ours. We've been in the restaurant business all of our lives [so] we knew that the restaurant business could make the wine flow more likely than just having a winery with a tasting room.We started winemaking as a hobby about seven years ago when I got [Julie] a kit for Christmas to make wine. Then we made our first batch of wine and couldn't stop. Then after a lot of research and trade shows and things, that's how we came up with this concept of the winery and lunch bistro.

DO: So that's how you learned to make wine.

Flukiger: Yeah, all self-taught.

DO: Are there classes in winemaking?

Flukiger: Yeah, there are university classes from UC [University of California] Davis that [teach] winemaking. There's quite a bit to it because a lot of chemical things. I would say we've probably [got] a little bit simplified production here, with the way we get the juices. But we're working into learning all that on the job, I guess.

DO: So you buy the juice?

Flukiger: Yeah, it's different varietals of juice.We have a broker in California. But moving to Bailey into a bigger space, that brings up the next adventure. We'll be able [to] incorporate some fresh grapes in the fall. And hopefully also some Colorado grapes.

DO: What are you going to do with that space in Bailey?

Flukiger: That's going to be our new wine production and the tasting room. And a few snack items, probably; we'll have to look into all that. We're not going to have a kitchen where we'll serve meals down there, but possibly some catered events could be held at the winery and then also some picnics down by the river; we're going to put some picnic tables there. And have a tasting room. And we're going to do some tours of the winery.

DO: Will you be able to grow grapes there?

Flukiger: No, not growing grapes. We're way too high in altitude up here. We leave that up to the experts; it's a completely different business really, growing grapes versus winemaking. Even though they seem like they go together, but they're two different animals. We know we can get a consistent product from California; that's why we started with that. I'll be looking forward to getting fresh grapes and also Colorado product because we really want to incorporate it in our wine.

DO: When do you think you will open that?

Flukiger: Probably about Jan. 1 we should be open with the wine production. And the tasting room should open shortly thereafter, I think.I'm not sure how quickly I can get the tasting room ready to open; definitely by spring we will have the tasting room, hopefully sooner.

DO: What do you really like about this business?

Flukiger: I think the diversity, meeting a lot of fun people.

DO: Is it a lot of hours?

Flukiger: Yeah, it is; it's full time and a half. I like the opportunity that things are spread out a bit; there's a lot of different avenues in this business, having the three different businesses built into one fun place. A lot of times in the restaurant business you get into a rut where you can't get out, and it's daily the same thing, and a lot of people get burned out in the restaurant business - where this brings a lot more fun to it, the winemaking and more challenges. It's just more rewarding, too, when you see that it's successful in the different areas together.

DO: You talked about full time and a half; is that something you would say you don't like so much?

Flukiger: No, I don't mind. I think it really takes that in this type of economy to make any business work, especially if you just start off. We're the type of people that do whatever it takes.

DO: Is there something that you don't like?

Flukiger: No, I don't think really. I think it really is going kind of like we planned, as we were hoping. You can write a business plan in many different ways to make the numbers work, but I think we are kind of on track of what we were hoping to do. I think family time would probably be something I would be regretting, to have more family time.

DO: Does Chantel come in and help?

Flukiger: Oh yeah, quite a bit. Sometimes she's smart enough to make arrangements to go for a sleepover. [laughs] But she's a good helper and she's doing great at school, so we're pretty excited about that, and that's what allows us to really put full energy in this business. Hopefully, someday we'll be rewarded by having the extra family time that we wouldn't have if we just had a job somewheres.

DO: You opened in a down economy. Do you think that's affected your business?

Flukiger: We really didn't know what a good economy looks like for us in this business. So starting off at the lowest point of the way the economy was, we knew this is the way we have to build it. If that's the way it is in a slow economy, we're pretty excited about if there is a turn. But we also understand that we have to constantly improve and keep working. Success doesn't come from sitting back and seeing what happens in the stock market.

DO: What is your favorite place to visit?

Flukiger: I think a combination of Italy and the family in Switzerland. When we go to visit the family, then make a side trip in Europe.

DO: Do you get to do that often?

Flukiger: No, not often enough. Hopefully someday

DO: When were you the happiest?

Flukiger:When I met my wife.

DO: What's been your greatest joy?

Flukiger: To see success. I think if you can work on something and then see results, success due to direct results of the hard work.

DO: What languages do you speak?

Flukiger: I grew up Swiss German; we write German, but we speak Swiss German and then I was pretty fluent in French but not anymore; [I] lost most of that when I started speaking English. I didn't know any English when I came here.

DO: What do you hate?

Flukiger: That's a strong word. I think the ability to work together in politics.

DO: What's your greatest fear?

Flukiger: I'm not a very fearful person; I'm not thinking about that.

DO: What person do you most admire?

Flukiger: I like my dad, Werner Flukiger. He's retired now; he was a town accountant.

DO: Do you read at all?

Flukiger: Not at all. Chantel reads more in one day than I've read in my lifetime. I just never got into it.

DO: What about TV; do you watch much TV, do you have a favorite?

Flukiger: Sports. I'm a football junkie, pro football fan. I go home and watch the Sunday night game. Some news, that's about it.

DO: Do you have a favorite movie?

Flukiger: I'm very bad at movies too. I've only been in a theater twice in my life. I probably like "Forrest Gump" of the few I've seen.

DO: Do you have a favorite type of music?

Flukiger: Whatever is on.

DO: Do you have any pets?

Flukiger: We have a dog, a golden mix, named Kyra, a tabby cat, named Belak, and guinea pig named Aspen.

DO: What is your greatest regret?

Flukiger: That's' really hard. I really don't have anything specific because I don't regret something very long.

DO: Is there a talent you would like to have?

Flukiger: I should read your column more often. I guess if you don't know what you're missing, it's hard to figure out the talent that would, if you've never had it, how do you know you would like that.

DO: In what instance would you lie?

Flukiger: If I had to protect family in a very difficult situation to where it would be direct impacting life of anybody; I think if you'd be in a situation where you could help save a life.

DO: What's your greatest achievement?

Flukiger: [Moving] over here and build a family and a business and creating a lifestyle for my family.

DO: What's your most treasured possession?

Flukiger: The family.

DO: What do you drive?

Flukiger: Ford F-150.

DO: What's your favorite thing to do?

Flukiger: Enjoy the outdoors, way not enough time for that.

DO: What do you think is your most remarkable characteristic?

Flukiger: Wearing shorts year-round; there might be a handful of days where I don't.

DO: What don't you like about yourself?

Flukiger: I don't know. I like the way I am.

DO: What is your philosophy of life?

Flukiger: I think building or growing up as a family and passing on some information to children and hope that it carries on in the same or better way.

DO: If money were no object and you could travel anywhere you want to go, where would that be?

Flukiger: World travel, see a lot of different places.

DO: What's your current state of mind?

Flukiger: I'm feeling pretty good; it's almost five o'clock.I'm feeling good, and I'm looking forward to more opportunities and challenges to overcome.

DO: Is there a word or phrase that you overuse?

Flukiger: Always busy not always productive.

DO: Do you have a favorite food?

Flukiger: I like wings.

DO: Do you have a favorite place to eat?

Flukiger: Binkley's in Arizona.

DO: What's your favorite food to make?

Flukiger: Having the knowledge of making of all the different cuisines, from Italian to French to the Southwestern influence and some Asian as well, and that's what's the most fun.