Now this is a very cool story… About three months ago, the owner of a historic inn in Maine – one valued at nearly $1 million – decided to sell it in a very unusual way. The owner decided to give it away to someone who could write in 200 words or less how and why they could best run the New England bed and breakfast. Well guess who was able to do that best – one of our great island families. 🙂
Chance are, you probably know Rose and Prince Adams. They own Sweet Plantains over in Coral Bay, but beginning tomorrow, they will officially be the new owners of Center Lovell Inn in Lovell, Maine.
Here’s what they told the Bangor Daily News about their new venture:
“The whole prospect of owning is appealing,” Prince, 45, said. “We saw this as an opportunity to own something that we couldn’t afford [to do] on our own.”
Prince plans to arrive at the inn Tuesday and assess his prize. The couple would like to re-open the bed-and-breakfast by July 10. Will they give this 1805 inn with a wrap-around porch and chef’s kitchen a Caribbean twist?
“It’s a treasure trove for a chef,” said Rose, whose culinary experience includes stints at high-end St. John resorts such as Caneel Bay and Cinnamon Bay. She ran a catering business in New York for years. They plan to retool their spicy menu to local tastes.
“Maine has artisan producers and farmers, and we want to work with them,” Prince said.
Will moving to Maine, a state they have never set foot in, present a challenge?
“We have to experience it and see. We haven’t seen the snow in over 10 years. Our son has only experienced snow once,” Rose, 45, said.
“We don’t have relationship with Maine, but a lot of our customer base is from that area, and they have been telling us we have to open there,” Prince said.
Kudos to you both, Rose and Prince! So very cool!
awesome! The question is, “is it haunted?” Amazing it was “given” away, but then again, we tend to forget there are generous people out in the world:)
ahhh, I didn’t realize she had about 7500 essays @ $125 a pop. That’s close enough to her $million value;) smart woman
That’s how she originally acquired the inn!
Forgive what may be a stupid question, but is the economics of running a business in the VI bad enough that business people relocate? Is it the climate? The community? Or am I having a “grass is greener” type of mentality?
I would think that a climate and setting like St. J would attract life-long residents. However, many leave the island that they call home for so long.
Just wondering……
Perfect, actually. Hurricane/slow season on St. John is the perfect time to be here in Maine! Best of both worlds!
Whatever Rose and Prince own and run and, of course, create the cuisine will be superb. Maine, albeit extremely cold in winter, is a gorgeous place. So is St. John, always warm or hot. Each place has its own special enticement. Rose and Prince are people who will flourish anywhere. All good wishes to them and their son.
They should strike up a relationship with Stone Mountain Arts center to promote the Inn. A small, incredible, unique music venue nearby that puts on some top acts. Keb Mo is playing there on the 23rd, just down the road from Center Lovell. It IS out in the willy wags, near the NH border (Conway area). Gonna be a tough row to hoe.
Now, git ready for winter, folks. This past one was a beast, and I missed feeding the no-see-ums at Skinny’s more than you can imagine. My trophy still in the case?
Congratulations to Rose & Prince…. Life is an adventure ! We will miss your wonderful restaurant on St. John but wish you much success in the north!
Flip & Jane