River Hut opens for busy summer recreation season in Carlsbad's Pecos River beach area
Johnna Yeager worked in her dad’s restaurant throughout her childhood, preparing her for latest business venture running the River Hut in Carlsbad’s beach area.
Now 33, Yeager said her experience at local eatery Nazzbarr – owned by her father Jim Yeager for years at the current location of Starbucks – led her in May to seek the contract to run the snack stand and boat rental business owned by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.
Her grandfather also owned several Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises, and Yeager said both men inspired her with an entrepreneur’s spirit from a young age.
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“As a teenager, I was constantly working in the food industry,” she said. “I believe I got my work ethic from my dad."
She’d been back in her hometown for about 6 or 7 years when she started the business, after graduating from Lubbock Christian University with a major in social work.
She worked at her own private practice JetZen Counseling, mostly providing treatment to adults recovering from traumatic experiences.
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Yeager was recently honored in the 2022 Carlsbad 40 Under 40 class, also a member of the Chamber’s Age-Friendly Council, and volunteers with Relay for Life and Special Olympics.
She came back to Carlsbad to be closer to her family and friends, and to spend time with her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.
“I have my whole life to travel the world,” Yeager said. “Home is where your closest people are. With the private practice, it was just the perfect opportunity to do it here in Carlsbad. It feels like where I’m supposed to be.”
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Yeager said that passion drove her to take on the business and craft a unique offering for her town.
“Being from here, I have more passion for it,” she said of the Cavern City. “It’s home. I really like seeing Carlsbad thrive.”
She’ll continue to see clients during the week, but on weekends this summer Yeager said she gets to take a break from her mental health work to build River Hut into her vision as a hub of Carlsbad’s beach recreational scene.
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“It’s kind of a good little break from my mental health career. That can be pretty heavy,” she said. “There are just not enough (mental health) services in Carlsbad. I have a waitlist.”
She hopes to add a “tiki” theme to the business, hence the name “River Hut,” Yeager said, adding to the food options and perfecting the shaved ice, making it as “fluffy” as possible.
“You can’t get a fluffy snow cone in Carlsbad,” Yeager said. “I’m very picky about shaved ice.”
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The shop also rents out paddle boats and aqua cycles for $15 a half hour and plans to begin giving boat tours along the Pecos River next month, while adding kayaks and paddleboards for rent.
River Hut also rents out basketballs, volleyballs and pickleball equipment for use at the river area’s multiple recreational facilities.
Yeager suggested even hosting “movies on the river” seeing people floating on inner-tubes and taking in a movie projected onto a building along the banks.
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Father’s Day was the busiest since opening, she said, and the Fourth of July will be the businesses big “coming out” event.
For July Fourth, Yeager is planning to arrange for vendors, and activities like face painting to augment her shop as it attempts to serve the masses of local and visitors that pack the beach area every year for Carlsbad’s fireworks show over the river.
“You can’t really prepare for it until you do it,” she said of serving an event the magnitude of the Fourth of July. “I want to be able to serve people appropriately.”
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She also wants to add misters to the sitting area at the hut and move games and hammocks to craft a relaxing getaway for those visiting the beach area.
“The combination of all of it will work together,” she said of the beach area. “I think there’s a lot of people that don’t know about us. I really want to draw attention. I want it to be enjoyable to sit up there.”
The shop also fit in to the City of Carlsbad’s broader agenda of expanding recreation in the beach area, after recently adding a miniature golf course on the other side of the river, adding pickleball courts and installing a footbridge to connect the two sides of the river.
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway said he looked forward to the River Hut serving residents and visitors alike as they flock to the rare aquatic entertainment option in arid New Mexico.
“It seems like have a great setup, and we wish them nothing but continued success,” Janway said. “Development of recreational services along the beach add options for our residents, but they are also great for our tourism industry.”
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: River Hut open for summer recreation season in Carlsbad beach area
