On a typical afternoon at Sage Leaf, a warm and welcoming eatery on Tahoe Boulevard, chef and owner Shane Hammett is busy behind the counter, flipping burgers. Each toasted bun proudly bears the restaurant’s logo, a detail that speaks volumes about the establishment’s attention to detail.
Sage Leaf has become an essential part of the local dining scene over the past five years, thanks to the efforts of Shane and his wife Lara. Originally from Northern California, the couple had long envisioned settling in Tahoe and opening a restaurant.
Lara recalls, “We would talk about it and fantasize about opening a restaurant together, and we just were, I guess, scared to take that huge leap of faith in doing that, because it’s scary opening a business.”
Maria Palma
/
KUNR Public Radio
Their dream materialized in 2020 amid the global pandemic. Sage Leaf opened on June 4, coinciding with the reopening of restaurants in Nevada.
“We had a very solid plan in place. And then a few weeks later, we were in a pandemic. We were furloughed from our jobs, and we kind of didn’t know how we were going to go about it, but we adapted and rolled with the punches,” Shane explained.
Despite various challenges such as shutdowns and social distancing, Sage Leaf has flourished. Initially a five-day brunch location, it has evolved into a full-service restaurant cherished for its homemade dishes like the Tahoe Blue French Toast.
The Hammetts are now extending their reach to Midtown Reno, setting up in the former Laughing Planet space.
Businesses in Incline Village face significant challenges in sustaining even a single location, largely due to staffing difficulties and the reliance on commuters affected by weather conditions.
“If I post a line cook position, if I get 60 applicants, 58 of them are from Carson and Reno, we almost get nobody that’s up here locally in Lake Tahoe, and a lot of that is due to that housing market,” Hammett noted.
Justin Ozuna, the restaurant manager, commutes from Sparks to Incline Village.
“Employers are mostly understanding but it also requires planning, so if you know a storm is rolling in, you need to leave three hours early for work, because if you don’t, you’ll be four hours late to work,” Ozuna explained.
Maria Palma
/
KUNR Public Radio
Location is another challenge for businesses, as highlighted by Mike O’Neill from the Incline Village and Crystal Bay Business Association.
“We have no real discernible downtown area, and so people’s businesses can be scattered throughout all of the town and people driving through, or people just coming to the area, might have a hard time locating their businesses,” O’Neill explained.
He also pointed out the impact of the area’s seasonality on businesses.
“So, we deal with a significant decline in population, which obviously hurts the businesses,” he added.
Maria Palma
/
KUNR Public Radio
A recent report by JPMorganChase Institute examined the pandemic’s long-term impact on small businesses, revealing that around 32% had closed by 2024. This means nearly one in three small businesses that existed before COVID-19 in the U.S. did not endure.
While expansion beyond Incline Village presents its own set of challenges, some businesses have successfully navigated this transition.
Inclined Burgers and Brews, initially a walk-up venue near the lake, has expanded to a second location in Reno’s Moana district. Drink Coffee Do Stuff, starting as a roastery in Incline Village and Truckee, now operates two Reno cafes opened earlier this year.
Mike O’Neill noted that these businesses have become integral to the community, enabling them to expand to new markets like Reno.
Lara and Shane Hammett remain optimistic that the Reno community will embrace Sage Leaf as warmly as Incline Village has.
Their new Reno location will maintain the same name and handcrafted philosophy, offering a bit more space and potentially featuring live jazz on the patio.
