As many of you know by now, I was forced to close my business (High Roller Tiki Lounge) after a 20-year run as a small business in a tough small town.

Solvang is a town dependent on visitation and tourism and is probably, in my estimation, about 90% tourist traffic and 10% local.

With gas at an astronomical price, war continuing, and uncertain times happening, we just couldn’t survive it all.

In addition to all of that, the building we were in was sold last year, and the current landlord was not interested in working with us. I did all I could for my staff to continue on as long as possible.

I am now in a situation where I need to get a job and figure out a new way of going about my professional life, and I need a little assistance getting to the next phase of my life.

If you were a customer or friend who enjoyed free live music, reasonably priced cocktails, and exceptional entertainment at Sort This Out Cellars/High Roller Tiki Lounge over the years, consider a small donation to help me stabilize and figure things out.

I spent years putting my employees and customers first, and now I need help getting to my next thing.

I was reminded by my friend and original business partner of a quote from the movie Apollo 13. When faced with a seemingly insurmountable issue, a gentleman states, “This could be the worst disaster ever experienced.” The NASA director responds, “With all due respect, I think this is going to be our finest hour.” I’m going with that. With a little help from my friends and extended family, I am going to be okay.

For those who don’t know me well, I worked for Disney for almost 20 years, leaving to pursue a better life for my daughters and raising them in wine country while helping run a popular winery for a few years, then leaving to make my own wine. I opened Sort This Out Cellars, which was an out-of-the-box thinking project with unique labels and a fun and interesting concept. Later, I built a tiki bar in our backroom, which quickly took off, and we moved to a larger location during the pandemic. After 7 years there, and a total of 20 in town, we have now shuttered our doors.

No matter what, I know I have made some incredible connections, had some memorable experiences, and met some wonderful people who I know I will see out in the wild. Onward and upward!