Women Rocking The Boat - Kelly Landers - Tea Parties to Top-Notch Service
08/10/2012 09:26PM ● By Christina Freeman
Story by Gena Fischer/Photo by Corey Kopischke
Kelly Landers
Kelly Landers greets customers at her restaurant with a big smile and an outgoing personality. She and her husband, Jason, have owned Creekside Café since 2002.
Since then, she has made it her goal to treat every customer as a friend. “It’s been a mission of mine since we bought Creekside,” Landers says. “Customer relations are just as important as the food you serve. Both should be top notch.”
This combination of an appealing menu and a helpful attitude has contributed to Creekside’s success, and it has also allowed Landers to give back to the community. The café regularly sponsors events like the Town Challenge, Steamboat Youth Soccer, Firefighter’s Ball and Tour de Steamboat, among others.
Landers also serves on the board of the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, MainStreet Steamboat’s promotional committee and the city’s arts allocation committee. Plus she’s a member of Rotary International. “I’m pretty busy, but I like it that way,” she says.
Lander’s passion for restaurants and Steamboat both began at an early age. “When I was a little kid, I had this strange obsession with having tea parties,” says Landers. “I’m pretty sure I drove my mom crazy. I was born to be in this business.”
After a visit to Steamboat at age 12, Landers announced to her family that she would someday make it her home. “They acted surprised when I loaded up my car the day after I graduated from college to move here,” she laughs. “I figured I had given them plenty of warning.”
An avid mountain biker and tele skier and the mom of two kids, Caroline, 7, and Timmy, 5, Landers says she is always juggling, but tries to keep things balanced. “I love being involved in the community and in what I’m doing here at Creekside. It’s just a lot of fun.”