By Mike Harris – Special to the Alpine Mountaineer

Crestline has a history of a Swiss theme, dating back to when the Switzerland monuments along Lake Drive were first built in the 1940s to welcome visitors to Club San Moritz and Lake Gregory. The rebuilt Goodwin’s Market would love to embrace some of that history.

That’s why the new façade of a rebuilt Goodwin’s Market, severely damaged in the March “Snomageddon” storms, will carry a modern, Swiss-themed feel to it.

“That’s something my uncle, Martin Goodwin, wanted us to include in the redesign and rebuilding of Goodwin’s Market,” Mike Johnstone, VP and general manager of Goodwin’s Market, told the Alpine Mountaineer.

It’s a theme that the town has carried for more than 70 years. That Swiss theme will also reach into some of the new items offered at the market and in the new deli area.

“We will include more Swiss items in the store, including some Swiss specialty items, specialty coffees and Swiss themes,” Johnstone added.

There will be other changes, such as expanding the prepared and fresh food items in the deli.

“And we are planning to offer pizzas,” he said.

The deli area will no longer have tables and chairs for customers. That’s because there will be an expanded sitting area at the entrance.

“The design will include a raised area at the front of the entrance where folks can sit, have coffee and pastries, or items from the deli, and enjoy a clear view of Lake Gregory,” Johnstone explained.

Part of the area will be enclosed for tables and chairs so, during the summer, it can be air conditioned or heated in winter, and an area for outside seating during fair weather.

“We’ll have more themed days in the deli service, and continue offering fresh and healthy foods,” he added.

Johnstone said Goodwin’s is very close to announcing a winning bid for constructing the new roof for Goodwin’s Market.

“There were a couple of things remaining to work through, but we’re almost there,” he said.

In about three weeks, Johnstone expects that Goodwin’s Market will be submitting a building permit application to the county for the interior of the store.

“We wanted to focus first on the new roof, because we wanted to have construction completed by December,” he said, “We want a new roof finished before winter weather hits us.”