Stick + Feather | Meet Lydia Hawley
Hi Lydia! Can you tell us your story leading up to being one of the owners of Stick + Feather?
Hi! My name is Lydia Nassetta Hawley and I am the Bar and Events Manager at Stick & Feather. I have an eclectic professional background that includes a plethora of hospitality and events experience, among other things. I had left my job at a tech startup company called Galvanize to pursue a career in Nutrition, when pregnancy and a global pandemic interrupted my plans.
Due to these circumstances, I didn’t work for about 2 years leading up to the start of Stick & Feather. When my husband and his close friends began to dream of the perfect golf simulator lounge and bar, they found that while they had an abundance of golf knowledge, professional skills, and impeccable style, they were in need of someone on the team with more hospitality industry experience. That’s where I came in. Stir-crazy and antsy from Covid and early motherhood, I jumped on the chance to join the team on this exciting new venture with my hospitality know-how and passion for events.
Stick + Feather
Photo Credit: Kate Ivy Photography (All Photos in Article)
Can you tell us what Stick + Feather offers? What types of events can be hosted here?
Stick & Feather offers top of the line golf simulators in a swanky and stylish atmosphere. Our team has been adamant from the beginning about providing the best of the best when it comes to the golf and the vibes. We have hosted a myriad of events including birthday parties, pre-wedding parties, laid back wedding receptions, graduation parties, baby showers, company parties, seminars, and workshops, college alumni events, football watching parties and more. One great thing about the simulators is that they can be used for more than just golf. We offer a virtual reality headset in one of the bays that projects what the person is seeing onto the large screen for others to watch. We also have had the screens used for business presentations, memory videos and slideshows, movies, and sports.
Where are you located? Why did you choose this neighborhood for your business?
We are located in the York Street Yards complex in the Clayton neighborhood of Denver. When looking for spaces to bring Stick & Feather to life, we considered many things, and York Street Yards ticked all of the boxes. Central location, among other cool businesses, plenty of parking, a neighborhood and community we felt supported by and excited to join, and the industrial exposed brick vibe that we were envisioning.
Can you tell us about your Memberships, Packages and Leagues you have?
We offer packages with great savings starting at 6 hours and going up to 48 hours. The more hours you bundle in a package, the more savings you will benefit from. A 48 hour package can save you up to $1,130.00 compared to one off bookings.
We have recently decided to forgo memberships and focus on packages instead. This is largely due to the fact that the indoor golf side of the business flourishes in the colder months and has way less traffic in the warmer months. Packages seem to be a better fit for this flow of business.
We LOVE our leagues! Leagues have been our, and our customer’s favorite part of the business. We consistently run a men’s and a women’s league throughout the winter and occasionally throw in a coed social league as well. These have been so much fun as they create community, camaraderie, and healthy competition.
Are you from Colorado? Which neighborhood did you eventually choose to call home?
I am from Colorado and proud of it! I was born in Denver, raised mostly in Aurora, and went to Fort Collins for college. Since moving back to Denver after college, I have lived in several neighborhoods, but I currently reside in the City Park West neighborhood. My husband and I found a beautiful old Victorian house that we fell in love with, and we love being walking distance from city park and several great restaurants. It’s also conveniently 7 minutes away from Stick & Feather.
What challenges have you experienced along your journey?
The biggest challenge we have experienced as a business thus far is with acquiring a liquor license. While the entertainment liquor license has eluded us, we are now in hopeful pursuit of a restaurant liquor license with the addition of a shipping container kitchen addition. While this has been a significant hurdle, we haven’t let it get us down. While opening a restaurant was not a part of the original plan, we are optimistic that it will make Stick & Feather an even better destination for years to come. In the meantime, we do offer byob and alcohol catering for private events.
How would you describe the Personality or “Vibe” of Denver?
Denver has, in my biased native opinion, the best vibes. As a city, it is laid back and cool, chill, but full of hustlers, friendly, but not fake, brimmed with nature and adventure lovers and people that care about each other and their communities, and has a killer music scene to boot.
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