Donna Herrick is not the kind of person to act on impulse.
The staff at Divots and Norfolk Lodge & Suites would be among the first to tell you that when the woman behind the area’s most diverse hospitality enterprise gets an idea for a way to improve her business, it’s only the beginning of a (sometime) long process. But once a decision is made, Herrick doesn’t look back.
“The staff here knows I don’t make any fast decisions,” Herrick said. “Some people may think we’re impulsive, but that’s not true. We think about things. I try to get as much feedback as I can from the staff because they know the property better than anybody. I try to get feedback from the public because they know what they’re looking for.”
Her latest endeavor — The Brewery at Divots — is no exception.
The seed of the idea was planted almost three years ago, when she was interviewing Bill Wilkinson for the open executive chef position at the facility. At the time, Wilkinson — who was living in Fort Collins, Colorado — mentioned he dabbled in brewing craft beers and thought Divots would make a great place to open a microbrewery.
“She didn’t forget about that,” said Wilkinson, who was hired for the position and now also serves as brewmaster at the business.