Ski Town Investment Opportunity

Warning: This is a bit off topic for a ski blog, but please continue reading at your own leisure.

Have you ever wanted to have a killer music venue in a ski town where you could host your own private concerts for you and your friends? We all know there are few things better than live music after a great day on the slopes. Well, have I got just the thing for you! Located 5 minutes from some of the best lift access sidecountry in the lower 48 and in one of America’s last unexploited ski towns, my commercial property is for sale.

Professionally designed best-in-class music venue

The Opportunity

I am offering a turnkey income-producing commercial property in downtown June Lake. I spent over 5 years and lots of blood, sweat, and tears renovating, modernizing, and optimizing the 7,000+ square foot building. The historic property is the very first business you encounter while entering California’s last great ski town, with 110 feet of highway frontage spread over a half acre.

The building has been completely upgraded and modernized. The well-established tenants have a long-term lease in place and continue to increase their profits each year. The best-in-class 100-person music venue is available to host intimate concerts and events. The iconic property is not only a premium hard asset, but also nets over six digits annually and includes a type 47 liquor license, plus the future of June Lake is promising.

Click here for the Offering Memorandum

The Backstory (This is a blog, after all)

Before I relocated to the Alps and eased into my golden Aging Ski Bum years, I undertook and completed an ambitous project in California’s Eastern Sierra. It began in 2018 when I purchased the historic Sierra Inn located at the entrance to the funky village of June Lake.

I grew up skiing Mammoth Mountain (Dave McCoy is one of my heroes) and then while growing my ski stripes in Tahoe, I frequented the region for many a backcountry ski trip and always cherished my travels south on the 395. It was during that time that I grew a special love for the Eastside. Then while serving as CEO of Mountain Rider’s Alliance in 2012, I was summoned to June Lake by a local group of residents to help save the then shuttered June Mountain ski area that was being held ransom by its owner. (It has since reopened and is now part of the Ikon Pass. I could do a whole separate blog post on that debacle, but I digress.) It was at that time getting to know June Lake more intimately that I realized its unspoiled beauty and potential. My wife and I ultimately relocated there in 2016.

However, beyond June Lake’s unlimited recreational opportunities, I felt there was a void of quality night-time entertainment and felt a niche could be filled and some fun could be had. I lived over 20 years in North Lake Tahoe (during a truly golden era that makes me smile just thinking about it) and watched a music scene blossom. I felt June Lake was ripe for a killer concert venue. I researched and learned that many touring bands travel from Northern California/Reno to Southern California/Vega$, often times with a break between gigs. I could see it was totally possible that we could pick off some high-caliber talent.

I’m proud to say that we hosted over 300 events including a Grammy Award Winner, County Hall of Famer, Top 40 Recording Artist, comedy nights, as well as numerous community and fundraising events.

All the way from Kentucky, these Hip Hop legends provided a memorable night for all who attended

June Lake’s first and only Burlesque show!

About the Skiing (This is a ski blog after all!)

For those of you that don’t know about June Mountain, it is an under-the-radar ski area that offers some of the best sidecountry access in the entire Western United States. Within an hour skin from the top lift, you can be standing on top of legit big league high alpine terrain. The modest ski area has over 2,500 vertical feet and is mostly used as an overflow ski area when nearby Mammoth Mountain (also on Ikon Pass) reaches capacity, about 8-10 times per season. The rest of the season it is a sleeper spot that rarely gets crowded, especially midweek. Additionally, every now and again a big storm cycle kicks in and closes Highway 395 in both directions, aka InterLooped. Thankfully a sufficient number of June Mountain employees are housed locally and the ski area is able to operate. If you happen to be in on the right side of the 395 closure, you can ski untracked powder for days at a time. And once there is a base for the season, June’s lower faces offer up stellar protected tree skiing, something that is a rarity in the Eastern Sierra. During those times we refer to the ski area as our own private members’ country club and proclaimed that “The front nine is skiing well today!” Some of my most memorable powder days have been lapping J1 all day.

First Chair at the Country Club

Post script: Building Biography

The Historical Building from way back in the day

As the very first property you encounter when entering June Lake Village, 2588 CA 158 has been an integral part of the Loop for multiple generations. Originally constructed in 1973 (and later expanded), the building first operated as Bill’s Grill, then in the 80s changed ownership and operated as the Sierra Inn.

In late 2017, Jamie Schectman first saw the building and immediately identified the enormous potential. Having frequented the Eastern Sierra since the early 80s, Jamie always believed that June Lake is one of California (and the West’s) last great mountain towns, but was largely unknown despite being only 3 miles off highway 395, 20 minutes north of Mammoth and 30 minutes from the entrance to Yosemite.

In 2018, Jamie Schectman formed Sheckventures, LLC, and became the fourth owner of the 7,000+ square foot two-story property. The original mission was “To transform an outdated historic building into three distinct and complementary businesses, each filling a huge niche for the community and visitors alike.” Over the next 5 years, Sheckventures, LLC renovated and modernized the iconic property which now operates as 3 separate complementary businesses.

The catalyst for the project was creating a best in class concert music venue. After spending many years based out of Lake Tahoe and witnessing the rise of the local music scene, Schectman believed the same thing could be accomplished in the Eastern Sierra. In Oct 2018, the T-Bar Social Club opened, marking the first phase of the remodel. The intimate nightclub quickly established itself as the premier music venue in the region. During the next several years, T-Bar hosted almost 300 events including a top forty recording artist, country hall of famer, Grammy award winner, speaker series, movie premieres, numerous community fundraiser events, and even a burlesque show.

In March 2019, the second phase of the renovation, June Pie Pizza, was completed. To ensure the pizza was legit, members of the team attended the Goodfellas Pizza School in Staten Island, NY, to learn the art of making exceptional New York-style pizza. They purchased a two-ton rotating brick oven known as the “Cadillac of pizza ovens” and dialed in the crust at 7,400 feet. June Pie is widely considered the tastiest pizza in the Eastern Sierra.

In early 2021, as the world began to recover from COVID lockdowns, Griselda approached Sheckventures about leasing the 3rd and final phase of the building (the original Sierra Inn coffee shop). Her plan was to own and operate as a Mexican Restaurant, using authentic recipes passed on from past generations of her family. Griselda and her children have lived in June Lake for over 20 years and have always wanted to operate their own business. In October 2021, Balanced Rock Grill & Cantina had its grand opening, completing the transformation of the building.

In September 2023, Balanced Rock Grill, LLC purchased T-Bar and June Pie, completing the initial goal of having all 3 businesses operated by one company under the same roof. As part of the transaction, Schectman has stayed on serving as their office manager, events coordinator, and assisting with marketing.