MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: John and Mary Kendzierski and The Inn at Ellis River

THE DREAM OF OWNING AN INN IS REALIZED FOR A COUPLE WHO LEFT THE CORPORATE LIFE

The sign says it all. They weren’t born in Jackson, NH, but they did get there as fast as they could. And, since their move to the scenic North Country town seven years ago, they’ve very much enjoyed their new life as Jackson residents and as proprietors of the Inn at Ellis River.

The photo of John and Mary Kendzierski was taken as they were celebrating the signing of the papers to buy the inn in 2014. It was the culmination of a dream they’d had for years, one inspired by their frequent visits to inns in the Jackson area, including the inn they bought. “Every time we left,” John says, “we always said, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat to be an innkeeper?’”

A major factor in their decision to finally realize their dream was the stress of their work life in Massachusetts. Living in Plymouth at the time, they both worked for the same company but at different locations. Mary had a four-hour commute. “That is four hours of precious time,” she says. “I know a lot of people do that, but I just didn’t want to do it anymore.”

Making the situation worse, the couple worked different shifts to accommodate the care of their daughter Stephanie, then a toddler. Mary worked the day shift, John, the night shift. “I was getting home at 5:30 in the morning,” John says. “I walked in the door as she was walking out.” The commute, the shift work, and the lack of time together was stressful. “I felt like I was 95 years old every day,” Mary says. “We both decided that was it. We needed more quality of life.” Now Mary’s commute is about 50 feet, just a quick walk across the inn’s parking lot, with a river view as an added bonus. The couple is now together most of the time, and there’s lots of opportunity for time with their daughter, who’s now 14.

The turning point had come in the spring of 2014, when John attended a seminar on inn ownership. As part of the seminar, he was asked to create a model for ownership of an existing inn. Having been a guest at the Inn at Ellis River, he used it for the model. After the seminar leaders pondered the model, he was told that it would work and, coincidentally, the inn was about to come onto the market.

Six months later, the Kendzierskis signed the papers for the 20-room inn. The inn’s beautiful setting alongside a river, the history of the circa-1890 structure, and the inviting accommodations make the inn an appealing choice, especially during foliage season.

“September and October of this past year were the best we’ve ever had,” Mary says. “And we were booked solid for the Christmas vacation week.” And that was without the usual visitors from Europe, who were absent because of COVID. What more than made up for that is people who lived closer by and didn’t want to travel, also because of COVID. “Instead of doing their dream trips that they had to cancel, people would head to New Hampshire where they can go hiking, where you can be outdoors.”

Though 2021 was a good year for the inn, 2020 was not. “That year, we were closed for 3½ months,” John says. “From mid-March to the beginning of July.” They had to lay off staff, which consisted of two housekeepers and an assistant innkeeper. There was little money coming in. Fortunately, most of their regular guests didn’t cancel their reservations, didn’t ask to get their deposits back — they just moved their visits to a later date. One person sent them money for “a future date.” John says, “We had the minimum we needed in our bank account to get through June.”

The real lifesaver was a three-month deferral of mortgage payments by Service CU, a deferral that the Kendzierskis didn’t even have to ask for. Lori Cote, a Service CU Business Development Officer in the Gorham branch, simply called just as the pandemic hit to tell them the payments had been deferred. They also got funds from the federal Paycheck Protection Program through Service CU as well as funds from the state’s Main Street Relief Fund. “That took a huge pressure off of us,” says John. “We never hit negative in our bank account.” Another reason why the account never hit negative — the couple was saving $1,800 a month after moving their mortgage loan to Service CU just before the pandemic hit.

By August of 2020, the staff was back and the guests returning, beginning the upswing that built a successful 2021. The biggest COVID-related challenge now, says John, is getting needed services like a land survey (“the surveyor is booked and not taking new business”) and needed products (“we ordered two new beds six months ago, and they still haven’t come”).

They worry, too, about whether they’ll be able to replace employees if they leave, especially the housekeepers. “Housekeeping is not a fun job,” Mary says. “We’re lucky to have the people we have. We do have fun here, but we know if we lose anyone it’s going to be hard to find a replacement.”

Their plans for the future? Because they’re not able to expand the number of rooms the inn has, John and Mary are looking for other ways to increase revenue — for starters, combining two bedrooms into a suite and creating a tearoom, which Mary is certain will draw people in. In the meantime, they’re looking forward to another busy season, with skiers starting to arrive.

While being busy is good, Mary and John are planning to take time off in the months ahead. “COVID has changed how we want to live,” John says. “This year, we’ve scheduled more time off than we ever have. It’s important. It makes us better at what we do.” n