KITCHENS



 


 
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).

Return to AWD's B and B Page