Not sure about Juanna's, I spent a few months mapping and planning the Lamoille River paddlers trail. Thats why I am so familiar with the deli in town, it's right next to the canoe put-in, I ate there quite a bit those couple of months.
Vail didn't fail to do their DD, they knew exactly what they were doing, buying the crown jewel ski resort of Vermont. Stowe as a town and resort have their issues, but it has one asset that no other place in Vermont can claim, the highest peak in the state of Vermont. In a place as ubiquitous to skiing as Vermont, that claim means something, even though Stowe can't claim highest lift access in the state.
The cost of Stowe before Vails purchase was what kept things in control in terms of traffic and crowding on and off hill and even then, right before the purchase it was beginning to get out of hand. The terrain above tree line and side country access that can be had via the gondola also wasn't a secret to locals, thats why they could justify ponying up the extra cash for a season pass, once Epic came around that privilege was accessible to the masses.