Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel McLaws.
Hi Rachel, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Gourmand Tours started over a decade ago when my mom, Chris McLaws, came home from a family vacation where we took a food tour and knew we could make one happen on Main Street. There are so many incredible restaurants on Main Street and it was simple to start making connections and providing guests with tastes and bites in several places.
The business has grown and grown over the years and now it’s booming! Chris, the founder, decided to spend more time on her job as a therapist and a grandma, so she handed over Gourmand to me officially last year and I have been running it solo for the past 7 months. It has been so fun, exciting, and immersive.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a smooth road. There are hiccups, but Chris and I have very positive and loving spirits. We don’t get discouraged easily. We have both always known that this business brings more joy to the city and to the guests that join us, so we know that good energy is on our side and helps us succeed.
Some struggles have been tied up in some restaurants not wanting to participate in our business, but it hasn’t been a hindrance because there are so many award-winning restaurants up here that there is always an abundance for us.
We’ve been impressed with Gourmand Tours, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Gourmand Tours is a food touring company on Main Street in Park City. On this walking food tour, you walk up and down old town Main Street to see the historical sites of this rich town and also EAT at several incredible restaurants and eating spots. We are known for providing unforgettable cultural experiences for small, intimate groups and also large corporate groups!
We are set apart because you get a lot of bang for your buck on this tour. You will eat and be FULL by the end of this tour. Also, you will get to know the lay of the land and little-known facts about Park City from long-time locals. We are a family-owned, women-owned small business and we are a brand that has always offered excellence and positivity. I am so proud of our brand for consistently providing quality tours where tour guests and tour guides form relationships on the tour. You will leave this tour having a forever local friend in Park City.
If you purchase a ticket online with a group of individuals, ticket prices are $85/per person. If you arrange a private tour with your own preferred dates and group size, tickets are $99/person.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Covid was a really difficult time for us, however, our brand was very established before Covid hit.
Now that we are swinging back from Covid, our luck is going great. We have an abundance mindset, and that kind of thinking magnetizes luck to you everywhere you go.
Pricing:
- Group Tour- 85/person
- Private Tour- just food 99/person
- Private Tour with alcohol drink pairing- $159/person
Contact Info:
- Website: gourmandtours.com
- Email: gourmandfoodtours@gmail.com
- Instagram: @gourmandtours
- Facebook: Gourmand Tours
- Trip Advisor: Gourmand Tours
