JANUARY 1, 2002
Smoke Signals 5
qUGST SERVICES DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF 'REINVENTING THE CHICKEN'
Tribal member Randy Dugger lists his job responsibilities as many, diverse.
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RANDYDUGGR
Given the amount of fo
cus on money, one un
doubtedly wonders, cor
rectly so, that there is much more to a
casino. Granted, money may be the
prime element. There are also the gam
ing aspects, hiring practices, advertis
ing, and that one component that de
fines Spirit Mountain Casino, the heart
and soul, the character, the life force,
the customer service.
It's no joke. Huff wasn't just popping
off. Make people like you and they keep
coming back. And probably few people
, other than Tribal member Randy Dugger,
Guest Services Director, could explain
that theory with more clarity.
As the Guest Services Director, there
are not very many aspects of the casino
- environrTTew'Un which he doesn't have a
stake. Food 8TBevera.ge Department,
legends Restaurant, -Spirit Mountain
"Lodge, even the Waste Water Treatment
Plant all fall under Dugger's banner.
Sounds like a lot to have on one's plate.
"I try to keep everyone informed of a
certain strategic direction," he told me,
in his office overlooking the buffet. "A
lot of people come here to have fun.
And a lot of people come here frequently,
so there needs to be change.
"Over the last five years, we've been
growing tremendously, not just slot
machines, but we've been adding more
creature comforts," he said. "Mike
Moore calls me 'the guy who's in charge
of re-inventing chicken'."
That's no mistake. And no easy task
either. Yet given Dugger's background,
finding a man more qualified to occupy
the Guest Services Director position
might be even more challenging.
Born and raised in 1950's Tacoma,
Dugger proudly calls himself a Wash
ington State Alumnus, having graduated
from that school in the early 1970's with
a Bachelor's degree in Political Science.
1971 saw him get drafted for Vietnam,
an experience thwarted by a flunked
physical. Briefly, very briefly, he enter
tained thoughts of law school.
An interest in the culinary arts won
the battle and took him to Oakland, Cali
fornia, site of Laney College, where he
enrolled in their two-year cooking and
baking program, and did an apprentice
ship with Langendorf Bakeries. An old
friend from back east made Dugger an
offer he couldn't refuse: to work in
Dartmouth, Vermont's first privately
owned restaurant Peter Christian's.
Baker, bartender, lunch server, manager
there may not have been any aspect
of the restaurant business Dugger didn't
learn. Needless to say, the success fu
eled the founding and opening of an
other Peter Christian's in London, New
Hampshire, with Dugger as manager.
A devout interest in furthering his ca
reer lead Dugger to enroll in a manage
ment program at Cornell University, af
ter which he settled in Burlington, Ver
mont for a year. But in 1978 the appeal
of the east wore out and he decided the
time had come to return home. Gig Har
bor, Washington would be the location
where Dugger paid the proverbial dues
and tested his mettle by opening a res
taurant. WB Scotts, a title taken from
his middle name and the initials of a
close friend, was Dugger's vocation and
avocation for nearly 20 years. Their spe
cialty was steak and seafood, the res
taurant beginning with a mere 50 seats.
Those humble origins would later on
metamorphose into a bar, lounge and
catering service.
"We were very successful financially,"
he reflected. "We won awards. We
had newspaper articles and we had great
employees."
Fortunately, Dugger has no problem
being candid and from a journalistic
point of view, that's pure gold.
"The restaurant was really a process of
trial and error," he continued. "As a res
taurant owner, you're the single
source of everything. I learned mar
keting, public relations, budgeting."
Plus, he added, there are also
the joys and terrors of self-employment
and the ups and downs
of a fickle business.
"There is this feeling you get
called 'entrepreneurial terror" he
said. "That's when it's 2 am on a
Thursday morning. It's been
snowing and raining. People
aren't going out to eat and payroll
is due the next day. You don't
know what you're going to do, but
some how it all works out."
He paused, and chuckled.
"I don't think there's a small
business person anywhere who
hasn't had that experience," he
said.
Somehow Dugger managed to
find the free time to run a restau
rant, raise a family, and be an ac
tive community citizen. He also
participated in Gig Harbor commu
nity events, such as service on an
advisory council for DECA (Dis
tributive Education Clubs of
America) and even periodically
serving as a public relations liai
son, giving tours of the town to
visiting politicians, on one occasion the
governor of Washington even.
Readers will probably wonder why
Dugger chose to give all that up. Once
again, the 'change' thing.
"Every business gets to a point where
you have to grow or do something else,"
he said. "For me the only growth was
going to be to purchase the whole build
ing we were in."
Building co-tenants wouldn't sell, leav
ing the restaurant unable to expand. Co
incidentally, one of his employees be
longed to an Indian Tribe in Oregon,
rumored to be building a rather large
casino, and needed a Food & Beverage
Departmental Manager.
"I decided to go someplace else, to
do something more challenging," he
said.
WB Scotts was sold to new owners,
and in 1995 the Dugger family gave Spirit
Mountain Casino, and Oregon, a shot.
They settled in McMinnville. Kathy, his
wife, works as a teacher at McMinnville
High School. Their two daughters have
left the nest, one for Oregon State Uni
versity, the other for the University of
San Diego.
Old habits obviously die hard, as
Dugger has already become a prolific
resident of the town, where he serves
on an education board. But then again,
he also understands the importance of
community relations.
The "challenge" Dugger craved has
come in droves. In the Northwest's most
successful casino, he has to figure out
how to get more people in the door.
Hence, Mike Moore's "chicken" comment.
"We're always brainstorming," Dugger
said. "We've got to look for more ways
to create excitement."
Promotions for Mardi Gras, St.
Patrick's Day and even Oktoberfest have
helped. But Dugger, ever the perfec
tionist, still maintains that much, much
more can be done. And will be done.
"There is so much competition out
there for entertainment dollars, you've
always got to look for ways to improve,"
he said. "I personally think we're doing
that well, but we can't take that for
granted. We've a responsibility to the
stakeholders to make this place work."
And maintaining the creature comforts,
and good customer service are on the
right path. But expansion, especially in
the availability of options, food options
mainly, are what Dugger is most eager
to do.
"With food, our mainstays have re
mained the same steak, potatoes and
chicken that s what most of the people
who come here like," he said. "But we've
expanded to have more Mexican, Asian
and vegetarian choices."
Other ideas being tossed about cur
rently are expanding the lodge, food-to-order
and a 24-hour coffee shop.
"I don't think you can ever really be
satisfied," he said. "In the restaurant
business if you ever get satisfied, you're
in trouble. If you sit back and think
'That's it', by the time you realize you
were wrong, it's too late. l
"We're always reading trade maga
zines," he said. "We evaluate every
thing that comes out and wonder how
that might work here. Is there a mar
ket for condensed soup? Chicken1
wraps? We've tried some stuff at Leg
ends with mixed results and that's ok,ay
because that's part of the business.'
Business. Business. Business. One
wonders what the man does in his spare
time?
"I used to collect wine," heaid. "And
my golf game's not great, but I enjoy
the mental side."
Oh yeah, and Dugger also built his own
house, acting as contractor. Not alone,
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workers, obviously. But he did all the
finish work, the doors, siding, etc. ("I
like to build stuff").
Like Huff, like Realander, Dugger plans
on staying a long time. Spirit Mountain
is the near-perfect fit for him right now,
for all its ups and downs.
"I guess if there's one last thing I'd
like to add, it's about this misconception
the Execs here aren't connected to other
employees," he said. "Not everybody
knows the depth of experience some of
these people have."
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Looking Down at the Top The Tribe's Spirit Mountain Casino is the most
successful Indian casino in the Northwest. It offers the largest selection of games in
the region and features four restaurants, live entertainment, a children's play center,
banquet and meeting facilities and a classy, well appointed lodge located 65 miles from
Portland. The casino opened in 1995.