By Kevin Greer
Lakeside Communications Manager
Since Nancy Bundy first came to Lakeside in 1989, the list of ways she has been involved in the community is anything but short.
She and her husband, Todd, are cottage owners. She is also a former business owner, current member of the Lakeside Chautauqua Foundation Board and a Rhein Center instructor. Even with a busy schedule and many years of service to Lakeside, the community and spending time here with family remain top priorities.
“I love spending time with my family and friends in Lakeside,” Bundy said. “I could spend my whole life just sitting on my porch, but I like the involvement.”
A Second Chance at Lakeside
Bundy first learned about Lakeside through her aunt and uncle. Her aunt’s grandfather was one Lakeside’s founding ministers and visited the community for decades.
Although her parents and cousins visited often, Bundy didn’t join them until after she was married.
At the time of her first visit, she had a newborn and an 18-month-old, and her sister had four children. She remembers her first time in Lakeside with her family, but not very fondly.
“The place we rented wasn’t that great,” Bundy said. “It was hot, there was no air conditioning or screens, and bugs were everywhere.”
The following year, Bundy’s parents, Charles and Suzanne Bond, planned to attend Lutheran Chautauqua Week and invited her family along. She initially declined but eventually agreed to join, along with her sister-in-law and kids. This time, they stayed along the lake and her opinion of Lakeside changed quickly.
“We were like, ‘Well, this is a whole different ball game now.’” Bundy said. “We went every year after. We fell in love.”
Starting Dockside
Bundy and her family are from North Canton, Ohio, and became Lakeside summer residents when they purchased a cottage in 2000. Her children grew up in Lakeside and taught at the Rhein Center during the Chautauqua season.
Six years later, while Bundy was launching her event business, a Lakeside representative approached her about operating a food business along the waterfront. The idea was discussed with Bundy and her sister-in-law, Jennifer Bond.
They decided it would be fun to run a summer business alongside everything else they were doing. Bundy’s parents were also financial partners and helped fix up the space. While Bundy had restaurant experience from waitressing, she had never owned a business.
“I waitressed in college, but I don’t think that really counts,” Bundy said. “When we took that on, I call that ‘the rush hour of your life,’ when you have kids, businesses and jobs, and you just keep doing more.”
Rather than figuring everything out on their own, Bundy consulted people with restaurant experience, including a food distributor who helped develop the menu. In 2006, Dockside opened in the space currently occupied by Bluebird. The menu featured hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork, hot pretzels, nachos and ice cream.
“We started simple and built on it each year based on what people wanted,” Bundy said.
Dockside was truly a family business. The staff included her children, nieces, nephews and local Lakeside teens, many of whom still stop Bundy to say, “Hey, I worked for you.”
Social media wasn’t prevalent when Dockside opened, so Bundy’s father found a creative way to attract customers. He roamed the Dock wearing a hot dog costume.
A few days after opening, the Dock was busy, but Dockside hadn’t drawn much attention. Bundy’s 7-year-old niece lingered behind the counter, so Bundy put an apron on her and handed her some menus. She walked the Dock asking people if they wanted to order and returned with several.
“What’s funny is we could send the 14- or 15-year-olds out and they didn’t get much business, but the 10-year-olds kicked butt,” Bundy said. “It always amazed me that people trusted these kids to take their money and bring back change.”
Business grew steadily during the first few years, then surged when the Splash Park opened nearby.
“That was a tremendous boost to our business,” Bundy said. “We had a great menu for kids.”
When Bundy’s last niece graduated, she decided to close Dockside after the 2017 season. She didn’t want to continue without family working alongside her. Over 11 summers, Bond’s daughters and many nieces and nephews worked at Dockside.
“I didn’t have any family left,” Bundy said. “My granddaughter, who’s now 14, has never forgiven me for getting rid of the place. Looking back, it was pretty gutsy to take that on, but it worked. People still talk to me about what it meant to have that down there. It wasn’t saving lives, but it was an enriching experience. It was a big deal.”
Active in Lakeside
Today, Bundy serves as the Nominating Chair on the Lakeside Foundation Board, a role that echoes her parents’ own fundraising involvement. They were part of a committee that raised money to build a memorial garden at their church.
After Bundy’s mother passed away, her father wanted to create a small memorial in Lakeside. When he approached Gretchen Colón, Lakeside’s V.P. of Advancement & Marketing, she shared that Lakeside was planning a Memorial Garden. He brought his notes from the church project and helped raise funds.
“It was my dad, Tom Mueller and Bob Brucken who were the initial major donors,” Bundy said. “My dad went door to door raising money.”
Bundy also serves on the Foundation Board’s New Owner Subcommittee, often referred to as the “Welcome Wagon.” The group connects with new cottage owners to learn about their interests and Lakeside stories.
“Owners range from brand new to sixth-generation Lakesiders,” Bundy said. “Everyone has a story as to why they bought, and we love hearing what brought them here.”
Bundy said being on the Board is both rewarding and challenging.
“Lakeside isn’t like the American Cancer Society or a church,” Bundy said. “It’s challenging to find what part of Lakeside people feel passionate about giving to. Everyone has a different reason as to why they want to see it continue for future generations. Lakeside really tries to enrich lives, and for the most part, it’s successful. That’s why being on the board matters so much to me.”
Bundy has also been a participant and instructor at the Rhein Center for several years. The past two summers, she taught fabric mache bowls with help from her grandchildren. She enjoys lectures, Hoover shows and time spent with family along the lake and Dock. She said Lakeside has a far different vibe than anywhere else.
“There’s just something that suits my soul when I’m there,” Bundy said. “You really can’t explain it. You either get Lakeside, or you don’t. When you walk down the street, there’s always somebody to talk to, and you don’t get that in most neighborhoods. I spend some time on my front porch because Second Street is the busiest street, so it’s like I see the world go by, and it’s fascinating.”
