Picture a beautiful pristine Inn, beautiful surroundings with comfortable first class lodging then…add a dining component to this picture and what do you get? What we call in our industry, a full service Inn. Urban or country, food and lodging have always gone hand in hand. After indulging in a meal featuring locally sourced food that reflects the culture of the Inn’s location what could be more inviting than to retreat to a cozy guest room just steps away. Today’s traveler is often seeking a culinary experience along with their lodging. It completes the package.

The culinary travel trend is exploding. Full service Inns need to capitalize on this explosion, big time.

Take the example of The Inn at Weatherfield in Vermont. This property had a flourishing and successful restaurant and Inn business thanks to the former owners Jane and Dave Sandelman and Chef Jason Tostrup. The B&B Team recently transferred the Inn to new owners Richard and Marilee Spanjian. They have taken an already successful Inn to another level and the view looks great! I had the privilege to interview Marilee and ask what’s new and cookin’ at the Inn.

Question: “New England’s Premier Culinary Inn” is your new brand modifier. This is a very gutsy goal, has this been your goal from the beginning?

Answer: We didn’t just want to say ‘Culinary Inn ’and our goal is for Weathersfield to be New England’s Premier Culinary Inn, so why not go for it.

Question: Your new specials are very cleaver. Especially ‘The Guinea Pig Club’, Chef’s Choice-$8 plates keep coming until you say ‘Uncle’. How has the response been?

Answer: The name is intriguing and it is really starting to catch on. Chef Jason and the kitchen staff really love it too. They can be creative, it really thumps their energy. We chose Thursdays for this special because we found the diners on that day tend to be really adventuresome.

Question: I also was intrigued by your ‘Vitality Fix’, tell me more about this concept.

Answer: Chef Jason came up with the idea. This menu option covers all the bases. It is vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free! More people are commenting how they like the fresh way of cooking and the way it makes them feel after their meal.

Question: What are some of your future plans?

Answer: Our new cooking school will be called ‘Hidden Kitchen’. This is named in memory of my late mother’s restaurant in California. They will not be your typical cooking classes. Chef Jason will teach about sustainability, eating fresh, how to prepare the fresh food and create your own dish and not rely on a recipe. We also will have a two day hands on cooking adventure package that includes visiting our local farms with Chef Jason. An outdoor kitchen set right by our vegetable and herb gardens is also in our plans.

Thank you Marilee. She sounded so excited and energized while I was talking with her. Love the enthusiasm.

 

The Pilgrim’s Inn in Deer Isle Maine is a true country Inn with true local flavor. Culinary travelers like to know where they are as well as where the food is coming from. With the Whale’s Rib Tavern’s rustic historic post and beam dining room and a very warm inviting pub, you know where you are, the coast of Maine! Deer Isle, on the eastern edge of Penobscot Bay. Lobster is caught just off the rocky coastline as well as clams, mussels and oysters, oh my! And, the folks that bring in the catch may be sitting in the pub next to you enjoying one of the Tavern’s popular house ground burgers! True local flavor.

Owners Tina and Tony have just posted a blog about their ‘Farm to Table’ approach and the challenges it presents. Take a moment to read this blog, great information on the area and farming community. And what a great coastal community it is, natural beauty with countless coves and inlets with lots of privacy, a great place to own a business and call home. The B&B Team is privileged to offer this true and spectacular country Inn for Sale.

The B&B Team believes a successful full service Inn should focus their business on both the lodging and food equally. Neither business should take the back seat. Both of the full service country Inns featured in this post have spectacular guest rooms and top notch amenities. It completes the package. Stayed tuned for my next blog where I reveal the author of this quote.

Thanks for Listening,

Janet Wolf