Walking through the doors of the Mohawk Golf Club patrons get a sense of having “arrived.”

No detail is too small for a staff working tirelessly to ensure that the experience at the 120-year-old private club in Schenectady, N.Y. is like no other.

And in the center of the Tudor style clubhouse is a restaurant managed to a tee by seasoned hospitality manager Mr. Tracy Nichols, a 30-year veteran of the restaurant business who has worked in 26 states and two countries honing his craft.

“I took over the club management about a year ago,” says Nichols. “And, my goal was to gear everything about the club to give you a feeling of having arrived. From our menu to our menu covers, from our service, to our experience, we strive to be better than everyone else.”

In this week’s Q&A with Recipe for Success @ Boxerbrand, Nichols discusses the intricate menu and the goal to attract millennials to the world-class facility.

Q: What makes the Mohawk Club restaurant menu special?

We have a higher-end menu that’s fairly intricate. Everything is made from scratch in our kitchen, and the quality and experience is something that can’t be found in the downtown restaurants.

Our most popular appetizer is an avocado caprese salad, which is halved avocados stuffed with tomato and mozzarella with a balsamic reduction. It’s great, especially in the summer. And for dinner, our most popular item is a twin filet topped with scallops and shrimp in a brandy cream sauce.

Q: Please tell me about the experience of your restaurant.

Our experience is what brought me to Boxerbrand for menu covers in the first place. We wanted our guests to feel like they’d arrived when they sat down for dinner. And before we bought new covers, we were handing them these 30-year-old, flimsy, screen-printed menu covers. This is the first thing our customers see, and, like the old adage about restaurants and clean bathrooms, I felt this was an important first impression to get right.

So when I took over management last January, one of the first things we changed was the menu cover. We created two sizes, one for dinner and lunch menus, and a smaller one for events. Once I put these covers (Italian Ultra in Merlot) in place, everyone was shocked at how great they looked, and how they changed up the feel and experience.

Q: How do you stay competitive?

One of our biggest challenges right now is attracting millennials. It all goes to perceived value, and making sure all our amenities, from our pool, golf, and dining, are up to the highest standards. We’ve also adopted a never-say-no attitude in order to cater to all of our members. We promote events within the club and always challenge ourselves to keep things fresh and avoid becoming stagnant. — The Mohawk Golf Club, founded 120 years ago, uses Boxerbrand’s Italian Ultra in its table presentation. Thank you!