Kosher Bed and Breakfast

amother

Sun, Mar 10 2013, 4:12 am

Does anyone know anything about opening or running a kosher bed and breakfast.

A reasonably priced 11 bedroom home has gone on the market in our neighborhood. My husband and I are toying around with the idea of buying it and turning it into a B&B.

We live in a midsized Jewish community that has no hotel within the eruv. Our city is a big tourist destination so if we ran it well it could be a great opportunity.

My husband and I have no experience running any business and would be interested in any advise anyone could give.

Sun, Mar 10 2013, 9:01 am

If you do open a bed and breakfast, I would love to stay there!

I haven't direct experience in this business, but I do know that you will be on-call and working all the time. Hospitality is a very customer-service-intensive business. Do you and/or your husband have other jobs? Would you be able to work around your other committments? Do you work well together?

rvbubby

Sun, Mar 10 2013, 10:03 pm

I don't know what area you are in, but having a kosher bed and breakfast to go to is an incentive to come visit. I would get in touch with other B& B's and ask them. For example, Sharon Woods Inn in Sharon Mass. We stayed there once and it was very nice. Google "kosher bed and breakfast" and you'll get a few places. I am sure those in the business would be glad to give you tips. (As long as you aren't in direct competition to them. And even then some would help you anyway.) Good luck.

TwinsMommy

Sun, Mar 10 2013, 10:22 pm

can you afford to be at half or quarter occupancy month after month? full occupancy for 11 bedrooms might not be realistic.

After you get the biz license you'll need to check on zoning, and if you're talking about the current neighborhood where you live my guess is your neighborhood isn't zoned for a bed and breakfast, you'll have to apply for a variance or a conditional use permit. I hope that wouldn't be a ridiculous legal battle. would you be the first bed and breakfast in your area?

helpful advice from mr google---- I was curious about parking and signage since you're planning on being in a residential neighborhood.

Most cities stipulate that businesses allow adequate off-street parking for a set number of cars, typically one space for each guest room. So in applying for the use permit you might need to build a parking lot or make a deal with a public lot, but again, you're in a residential so I'm not sure how that works.

As for signage, you may not be allowed to post any sign at all if you're in a residential area. Which is fine if you'll go the homestay route and/or don't want any walk-in traffic. But if you're planning an inn0sized operation that will attract passersby, you'll have a hard time making your presence known.

If you can get past all of this, and you have a TOOOON of money to put down, and you can find the right staff who are willing, at the beginning to market, AND clean rooms, AND take reservations, AND carry suitcases, it's all good!

We stayed at a kosher bed and breakfast in the Boston area. It was so nice! Good luck!

amother

Mon, Mar 11 2013, 12:06 am

TwinsMommy wrote:

As a lawyer I helped a couple of B&Bs get approved. It is not so hard. One got an easy variance in a historic town. There was no place for cars to turn around.

I am concerned that there is enough of a demand for kosher breakfast. This is the one meal which is easy. Would you offer other meals and Shabbos accommodations which would make you more than a B&B?

Hatzloucha.

proudmama1

Mon, Mar 11 2013, 1:19 am

Its a real tough job running a bed n breakfast but if u r ready for a challenge, go right ahead!!
My husband and I were planning to open a bed n breakfast in sea gate (before hurricane sandy hit) we were looking for people that can help us...searched around a bit. There's a nice bed n breakfast in boro park run by Mr. & Mrs. Frenkel, we reached out to them, they were a tremendous help!! They went out of their way to help us down to the very smallest detail. I would recommend calling people that are already in the line. The phone # for lxure suites and villas is 7185013911 . Ask for Mr or mrs, they r wonderful people

Dolly Welsh

Wed, Apr 17 2013, 12:31 pm

Could be a mixed thing, partly accomodations, partly a school, partly a center for homeschoolers, partly a place one rents to have meetings. That is assuming you have a nice large livingroom. Partly a place one rents room to have pop-up retailing, such as a one day sale, or an art show, or a cooking class, or even a tiny wedding with rooms for the guests, the couple. A shtiebel perhaps, in one room. A daycare center.

The idea is to have flexibility in case pure B&B demand doesn't fill it. To have a broader offering of merchandise.

Get very friendly with a LOCAL lawyer, cleaning service, accountant, marketer, landscaper for the grass, handyman. Must, must be locals. You are going to need the blessing of the local rabbis. Also the local civic administrators or council people.

You are going to need insurance, specialized insurance.

You may well want a complete system of closed circuit or baby monitor cameras, for safety of children. It must be childproofed.

You will need an engineering report paid for by yourselves, with attention to any basement wetness and the roof, and the old wiring, plumbing, gutters.

Ask a lawyer what handicapped accomodation you must have by law.

What will it cost to heat? Can different rooms be different temperatures? Airconditioning?

What will the electric bill be?

Trash disposal cost?

Sewage cost?