DNYUZ
  • Home
  • News
    • U.S.
    • World
    • Politics
    • Opinion
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Culture
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Television
    • Theater
    • Gaming
    • Sports
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Autos
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel
No Result
View All Result
DNYUZ
No Result
View All Result
Home News

I run a coffee shop in Sun Valley. An exclusive conference hosts big executives each year but it’s been bad for my business.

July 10, 2025
in News
I run a coffee shop in Sun Valley. An exclusive conference hosts big executives each year but it’s been bad for my business.
493
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Jacob and Tara Frehling of Maude's Coffee and Clothes
Jacob and Tara Frehling run Maude’s Coffee and Clothes in Ketchum, Idaho.

Jacob Frehling

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jacob Frehling, the co-owner of Maude’s Coffee and Clothes in Ketchum, Idaho, about a six-minute drive from the Sun Valley Lodge. It’s been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has seen sales data from last year that indicate Maude’s saw a drop in transactions during Sun Valley week compared to the week immediately after in July. Representatives for the Allen & Company Sun Valley conference did not respond to a request for comment from BI.

I’ve lived in Sun Valley, Idaho, practically my entire life. My family has been pretty dug into the community for a long time — my mom owns a clothing store, my cousins have a restaurant, and my dad used to run a restaurant, too. About eight years ago, my wife and I opened our own business: Maude’s Coffee and Clothes, a café and vintage shop.

Allen & Company’s Sun Valley Conference has been around since I was a kid. When I was a teenager, I remember some of my friends getting hired as nannies or to develop photos, and I was jealous of their opportunity to make an easy chunk of money. Now, though, my perspective on the whole thing is a little different.

We have an incredible local following at Maude’s, but this whole area is a visitor’s economy. Practically everyone in the retail and service industries relies on tourists. When the billionaires fly into the area every July, they go straight to the Sun Valley Lodge just outside the heart of Ketchum to have a catered experience. Most of their dollars don’t flow back into town, unless they’re booking out a restaurant.

Jacob and Maude Frehling
The Frehlings ran a food truck before opening Maude’s. Jacob Frehling said employees for the Allen & Company conference took a picture moments after they were engaged.

Jacob Frehling

This is usually the busiest time of year for my business. But when the conference comes, guests rent out tons of rooms and book all the fishing guides, outdoor adventures, and restaurants. Other tourists can’t really visit the area that week. The Sun Valley Lodge is big; that’s hundreds of people who aren’t there and aren’t circulating their dollars in local stores.

It’s not a zero-sum game, but my number of sales drops at least a bit every year. The billionaires at the conference throw a weird wrench in the cog of the summer economy, stepping on the brakes for regular people during what should be a very, very, very busy time.

That’s not to say it’s all bad. I’m sure the conference is great if you’re directly involved, but many locals I know aren’t. I’ve gotten to know some members of the billionaire entourage, like dancers and bodyguards, who come each year. They’re great, and I actually always look forward to seeing them.

Overall, though, I wish I could leave town during Allen & Co. week, but someone has to run Maude’s. I’m born and raised here, and I’ve never met a single person who is from this place that’s happy when the jets touch down.

The post I run a coffee shop in Sun Valley. An exclusive conference hosts big executives each year but it’s been bad for my business. appeared first on Business Insider.

Share197Tweet123Share
Do VTubers Face ‘Income Inequality’ From Fans? One Study Tackles the ‘Wealth Gap’ in VTubing
News

Do VTubers Face ‘Income Inequality’ From Fans? One Study Tackles the ‘Wealth Gap’ in VTubing

by VICE
July 10, 2025

Ever feel like VTubing is a little top-heavy? That is, major agencies get all the money, while indie VTubers tend ...

Read more
News

Latin American migrants give up on Trump’s United States

July 10, 2025
News

Lily Collins Wore a Pair of Chic Summer Flats That Are the Perfect Anti-Sandals

July 10, 2025
News

Senators seek to protect rural stations amid push to claw back public media funds

July 10, 2025
News

Should You Shower in the Morning or at Night?

July 10, 2025
Washington Post Columnist Quits—and Rips Jeff Bezos on His Way Out

Washington Post Columnist Quits—and Rips Jeff Bezos on His Way Out

July 10, 2025
Starmer and Macron seal limited migration deal

Starmer and Macron seal limited migration deal

July 10, 2025
North Carolina Braces for More Heavy Rain and a Continued Risk of Flooding

North Carolina Braces for More Heavy Rain and a Continued Risk of Flooding

July 10, 2025

Copyright © 2025.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • U.S.
    • World
    • Politics
    • Opinion
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Science
  • Entertainment
    • Culture
    • Gaming
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Sports
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Autos
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Lifestyle
    • Arts
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Travel

Copyright © 2025.