Final flight for restaurant at Lake Tahoe Airport; Charles Barkley and Tom Cruise among famous customers

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The community showed up in force at the Flightdeck Sports Bar and Grill at the Lake Tahoe Airport this past week after learning it was going to close. Owner Sheila Benson put the word out on social media about its pending closure and hopes that someone interested in being a partner or investor would come along.

After two years in business, Benson said she couldn't keep the doors open any longer due to multiple reasons - labor, taxes, insurance, cost of goods, delivery fees, and more. Those costs kept rising but revenue was dropping.

"I hung on to it longer than I should have out of love and passion," Benson said of the Flightdeck. "I have no regrets and the sudden support from the community is AMAZING!! Very heartwarming."

One of its most famous customers is Charles Barkley who is known to step behind the bar each year when he arrives for the American Century Championship. Not only does he serve drinks and hang out, but he also picks up everyone's tab. Benson hoped he might hear about her situation and want to join forces and "swoop in" to save the day.

Tom Cruise and others ate at the Flightdeck when they were filming Top Gun: Maverick (before Benson's time), and the military using the airport always stopped in for meals while training.

Business has been slow this fall and winter.

"We are tucked away in the airport so tourism does not help us at all and honestly, many people simply can’t go out to dinner every day," said Benson.

She has been adding nightly dinner specials and music, but they weren't enough to keep the doors open. They also had Santa arrive by helicopter for the past two Christmases, giving toys to every child along with a photo opportunity.

The City of Lake Tahoe, the restaurant's landlord, let Benson out of her lease with three years still left to go.

"We plan to release an RFP (request for proposal) for the space soon, in which we hope for responses from interested parties to take over the space," said City Manager Joe Irvin.

Benson said she wasn't able to advertise outside the airport on US50, and Irvin said that is due to a Tahoe Regional Planning Agency code (Chapter 30). In that code, the restaurant is an accessory use to the airport and may not be separately advertised.

Benson said she couldn't resist the charm of the airport, aviation, the mountains, and all else the restaurant provided. She enjoyed the ambiance and all the community and airport supplied since her 2022 opening.

With her family in Lincoln, Calif. and Reno, Nev., Benson had never intended to be an onsite owner, but the job had other plans. Her next career move is with a law firm.