ALWAYS LOOKING 
FOR WOW
Kristina always chooses to sit at the bar in a restaurant, 
unless she has her kids or granddaughter with her. We ask 
her what secrets for a great hospitality experience she’s 
learned at bar counter height.
She begins talking about extending the boundaries of 
a cocktail to give a member something special and we 
understand that, metaphorically, she wants an experience 
that’s full of flavor ... from greeting, she says, to how a 
member is taken to the table, what and how well the specials 
on the cocktail and dining menus are shared with them, and 
how they’re served.
“Part of the member experience is spiking the member’s 
interest. The entire bar team is trained on looking for the 
ooh.” Everything they do behind the scenes, Jarrett explains, 
from innovating to making, tweaking and tasting to bring a 
cocktail to the forefront, is designed to arrive at the moment 
when the entire team believes in the cocktail they’re selling.
The team’s custom old-fashioned and custom martini menus, 
without fail, eight times out of 10, get the wow. There’s The 
[famous] Cardroom old-fashioned, with its popcorn-flavored 
syrup to give it a real butter note, black walnut bitters and 
pinch of salt. And the super-popular Filthy Martini with a few 
ounces of the team’s homemade brine of pickle juice, olive 
juice, pepperoncini juice and jalapeno combined with gin 
or vodka, topped with a few drops of olive oil and a twist of 
fresh-cracked pepper. Kristina says you get your electrolytes 
while you’re drinking but concedes you must like pickles. 
And there are the names: Sweater Weather. The Heat Wave. 
Sandy Dunes Margarita. Sunset Dunes Margarita. For the 
team, many of whom had never bartended before they 
arrived at Prairie Dunes, Jarrett creates a potent mix of 
fun, discovery, enfranchisement and the bright spot of dual 
server-bartender on their developing resumes. She loves 
teaching the next generation, including the younger staff 
persons serving tables. She tells us the best bar experience 
she ever had was at the eastside Wichita Fuzzy’s Taco Shop a 
few years back on her husband’s birthday. “It was absolutely, 
100 percent great hospitality from the bar staff.” She admits to 
always wanting to poach that kind of talent.
CLEAN SHOT TO 
THE GREEN
For members who are investing in clean and healthy living, 
Jarrett’s team has the Juniors, which is to say they’ll remove 
alcohol from a cocktail but not the social, not the fun. And 
they’re not just for kids, although Juniors give the 1930s-era 
Shirley Temple a run for her money. “In the past few years,” 
Kristina elaborates, “our mocktail menu has become super 
popular. A lot of people want alcohol-free cocktails, based 
off seasonal favorites. Everything can be ordered as a Junior. 
We’ll mix a Mango Junior or a Passion Fruit Paloma. Our 
Honeysuckle Junior still has the housemade lavender honey 
syrup, lemon juice, lemonade, sparkling water and fresh basil. 
It’s just minus the gin. We’re pouring Michelob ULTRA NA in 
glasses today along with NA Athletic IPA and Fre wines.”
We believe Jake would say, if it looks like a cocktail, smells like 
a cocktail, and pours like a cocktail, it’s a cocktail.
NA or double, slushy or on the rocks, for the member at 
Prairie Dunes served by the F&B hospitality team, it’s all 
cheers going down.
19

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.