| The kitchen of a bed and breakfast
is one of an inn's most important rooms as well as one in which an innkeeper
spends endless hours. Outstanding breakfasts have become a trademark of
the B and B industry, and breakfast served at most B and Bs these days
consists of much more than a scrambled egg flanked with a strip of bacon
and a slice of toast. Rather, breakfasts now served at B and Bs tend to
be mini-feasts often including two to three courses--beginning with a fruit
dish and, perhaps, ending with a breakfast dessert.
Many B and Bs offer a "bottomless"
cookie jar or other homemade goodies for guests to enjoy during their stay
and which remain available 24/7 in a designated location. Afternoon tea
and/or evening dessert are sometimes featured at B and Bs as well. Some
inns offer special meal services for guests-- picnic baskets, dinner for
two, or chocolate covered strawberries served with champagne. There are
other inns which cater to special events (luncheons, business meetings,
conferences, wedding receptions) which demand an efficiently designed,
functional, and highly organized kitchen for preparing large amounts of
food with room for more than just one pair of elbows.
Even during slow periods, when inns
are lacking heads in beds, revenue can continue being generated by an inn
with a kitchen capable of being utilized in ways other than daily
breakfast preparation. There are numerous cookbooks available for sale
by innkeepers who have compiled often requested recipes into an inn cookbook
to sell at an inn-house gift shop or on the B and B's Website. One of the
most popular B and B packages now being promoted revolves around cooking
classes at an inn (click
here to view an example of an ideal custom-designed kitchen
for cooking classes) for guests and/or locals. Once again, it takes a well-
designed, serviceable kitchen for
such activities as these to be scheduled, enjoyed, and profitable.
It is also important to consider
the high impact an inn's kitchen has when the property is being sold. A
well-designed, operative kitchen adds considerable value to the overall
cost of a bed and breakfast inn and can be the determining factor as to
how quickly an inn sells when placed on the market. As any veteran innkeeper
will attest, having an attractive and functional kitchen plays an
integral part in making the hours spent in a B and B kitchen more pleasurable.
As a result, preparing food for guests becomes more enjoyable for
the innkeeper and the kitchen becomes a place to look forward to
spending time in while preparing culinary delights for which B and Bs are
famous.
And, of course, for every well-designed
kitchen, there needs to be an equally well-designed pantry providing maximum
storage where food items are organized and easily accessible.
Note: The
above kitchen was designed by Joan
Dare, Inc. and built by AWD.
Custom -designed Pantry
Click photograph for
more information
AWD was commissioned by Interior Designer to
build cabinetry
for a Kitchen that won First Place in
a national competition.
(click image of magazine to see
photographs and read article).
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