Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackson Higdon.
Hi Jackson, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have dedicated my life to the restaurant and hospitality industry because I am passionate about making people happy through food. I am a serious culinary professional who has helped create multiple successful restaurant startups. I am on a mission to bring back my grandparent’s legacy, “Luckey’s Woodsman” through my admiration of the outdoors and the culinary arts.
Luckey’s Woodsman was named after my Grandpa Curt Luckey’s commitment to serving the lumber industry in Springfield, Oregon. Luckey’s Woodsman opened their doors in 1956 on Main Street as a “Char-Glo Broiled Foods” restaurant. It grew into a popular go-to destination for the community it served for over 15 years. I never had a chance to learn from my grandparents about the industry before they passed. Regardless, I have always wanted to continue their tale by combining it with my passion for the culinary arts.
In March 2020, I found myself entering a cross-roads in my career because of the challenges related to the pandemic. The local food operation I was a part of had to close. Like many others in the restaurant industry, I lost my job.
Starting Luckey’s Woodsman has always a dream of mine. Being unemployed, I found myself with the time I needed to act on the business plan and strategy for starting up Luckey’s Woodsman Off-Grid Provisions.
In October 2020, I was able to start this dream and am proud to tell you that for the last 3 years Luckey’s Woodman has served Central Oregon’s culinary scene and outdoor community by providing convenient, nutritious, fresh & wild meals through multiple off-grid services. Our customer base includes outdoor enthusiasts as well as recreational and wildlife professionals. We aim to pave new pathways to bridge the divide between outdoor recreation and professional food service.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No not at all. As a career professional, I have spent the last decade running operations in to hope that I would be ready for this jump into ownership. Although I would say that I soared over challenges some first-time operators would deal with. I found myself handling other challenges instead.
From high turnover to equipment breaking, etc. I dealt with it. I can tell you that in the last 3 years of my business, I have relocated 7 times. twice for the Mount Bachelor ski seasons, 2 major operation pivots to new locations due to partnerships going south and putting my business at risk. 1 move for transition and the last I can proudly say was to my brick-and-mortar location in Sisters Oregon just a couple of months ago.
For the off-grid adventure catering, I can tell you I have scaled mountains in the middle of the night for a bonfire buffet in the dead of winter. I have pulled off 80ppl 4 coarse dinners in the middle of the woods with no resources. Taco bars are at the base of your favorite mountain bike run. Neapolitan pizza under the thick cedar canopy in the Mount Hood area. Fought through blizzards, hail, rain, and smoke to provide memorable moments in nature for my guests.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are on a mission to bring back my grandparent’s legacy through our own passions of bridging the divide between outdoor recreation and professional food service. We firmly believe that we can heal the toxicity of the hospitality industry by implementing the outdoors into our day-to-day operations. In doing so, we believe this will provide more sustainability for our team, possibly inspire a new era of chef and outdoor enthusiasts and in doing so provide convenience/elevate your next adventure. We want you to adventure more, dream bigger, and eat better.
We have a food truck operation and a brick-and-mortar operation that serves fast casual food that has a fun outdoorsy vibe. We also are working on launching (and do already do it on a small scale) our camper kit services where you will be able to plan your meals up to a year in advance for your next adventure. These meals consist of hot kits – family family-style dinners that can be heated up over a campfire, stove top, grill, or oven. Cold boxes – soggy-free, packable, tactical cold lunches that last 8 hours in a backpack, 3 days in an ice chest, and 5 days in a refrigerator. We also offer off-grid adventure catering where we range from 2ppl – 200ppl events, from buffets to fine dining.
I believe our passion and grit set us apart from other competitors. Our key competitive capability is a unique and intriguing concept that has yet to be done in the hospitality and tourism industry. Our experiences managing three successful start-up restaurants, and an in-depth knowledge of today’s market and current trends give us the ability to execute the concept. We are committed to having a higher-than-average quality of product/service. We believe we will build a loyal following that will appreciate these extra touches.
We are most proud of the fact our brand comes from the heart and brings back history. The pursuit of finishing something my grandparents started and at the same time making a better work environment for my team and filling a need that is missing in the outdoor mecca we live in.
I would like your readers to know that dreams come true when you work for them. Those dreams also need support to continue. To know that there is someone just as crazy as they are when it comes to elevating their next adventure.
That the outdoors/adventure is something we should say yes to more often and that food and the act of planning meals can sometimes be the small thing that prevents them from experiencing more and getting the most out of life.
That there is someone dedicated to fixing this so everyone can adventure more, dream bigger, and eat better.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I have learned along this journey is to keep putting one foot in front of the other. That pressure only makes diamonds. Success only comes if you don’t give up.
Contact Info:
- Website: luckeyswoodsman.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/luckeyswoodsman
- Facebook: facebook.com/luckeyswoodsman
