NORTH BRANCH, NY — It all started in 1868, when what is now the North Branch Inn opened its door to travelers making their way through the pristine Western Catskill Mountains, just three short years after the end of the War Between the States.

Over the decades, the old guest house and bar saw many changes, including a time when it featured outdoor baths fed by a local waterway with little streamside cabanas in back, a restaurant, an indoor bowling alley, a barber shop and later on, a magnificent bar imported from the 1939 World’s Fair.

It remained dormant for many years, until nationally recognized designer Victoria Lesser took on the task of totally renovating the historic building into a cozily quaint restaurant with a few tastefully decorated rooms to let. She had “restored it top to bottom, gutted it to the studs,” she said.

The former long-time resident of Florida’s Conch Republic, who grew up in the county, recalled, “I bought it to escape summers in Key West… it really stretched my boundaries.”

During her stewardship of the once-rundown 19th-century hotel, the renewed bed and breakfast became the “inn-place” for the likes of Mark Ruffalo, who at times used the vintage bowling alley as a screening room. 

The Old North Branch Inn then changed hands to the folks who operate Foster Supply Hospitality, who recently sold it to a pair of young married couples, Andrew Pelkey and Meng Ai, and Jake and Caroline Eberle. They are all proud to be equal partners in the new venture of “an owner-operated boutique hotel-and-restaurant… where authentic charm, thoughtful touches, and culinary delights are at the heart of your stay.”

“We found ourselves really good at it, the hospitality part of it,” said Pelkey. He and Ai operated nearby Airbnbs for a few years, before taking the leap to fulfill their dreams of running a boutique hotel and restaurant.

The goal was to expand from the Airbnb model. “We wanted to do it better on a larger scale,” he said, but soon the partners decided against buying a hotel somewhere, and instead bought the post-Civil War hostelry and watering hole.

“It was the perfect size, cozy, a good location. The locals love it and it has large windows facing Main Street,” added Pelkey, who noted that at present most of their hotel guests are from out of town, but a lot of local residents like to sign up for a quick getaway.

“They pop over for one night to experience a night in a small hotel that is independently owned and operated… We have a high number of returning guests who liked it enough to come back, because we give them warmth and attention, checking all the boxes, and the hospitality is great,” he declared.

Ai said that before taking over the inn and opening it on November 1, 2023, the new venture was in essence an extension of their Airbnb experience. “We really just like practicing hospitality. It’s not just about the place being stylish and cute, but that there’s a soul behind it; there’s a person doing something for you.

“We want a thriving local business, to have a place that the community is proud of,” he added.

Caroline Eberle serves as managing director of the North Branch Inn, and in this role heads up weddings and events.

“It’s always been my dream to be in hospitality,” she said, noting that after college, she had a career in media and advertising before helping to launch their new enterprise.

“Thirty years later, here I am and living the dream of providing a hospitality experience to guests that at the end of every visit or event leaves them excited to plan the next one.” 

According to Caroline Eberle, the goal for the weddings-and-events part of the venture is to provide a “curated experience for clients/guests that leaves a lasting impression that would make them want to come back to a special place for years to come on their own.”

On the kitchen side of the restaurant, head chef Jake Eberle joined the North Branch Inn team, after closing Le Fond, his intimate Michelin-recommended French bistro in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in the wake of a successful nine-year run. The snug eatery was named one of Conde Nast Travelers’ Best New Restaurants in 2014.

Before opening Le Fond, the Cordon Bleu alumnus earned his chef’s chops in the kitchen of La Roche Le Roi in Tours, France, perfecting his French technique. 

He described his method as “French in the composition of the plate, and the thing that I want to promote is changing the menu often, and taking advantage of the best-sourced ingredients, working with a lot of Hudson Valley farmers.”

Adding to the local flavor, Pelkey and Ai grow a lot of their own produce at home, on a plot of land a mere three-minute jaunt from the inn. “From the first tender shoots of white asparagus and wild nettles… to rich harvests of gooseberries and currents… to the earthy treasures of fingerling potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes,” as it says on the North Branch Inn website.

“This is the only thing I’ve ever done… it’s my passion, I enjoy pleasing people. I get a lot of satisfaction out of cooking, making sure that the customers have variety and consistency, and keeping everybody in the kitchen challenged and proud of their work,” said Chef Eberle. He pointed out that he began his career washing dishes at the age of 16 at Joe’s Boathouse in South Portland, ME.

Chef Eberle is poised to enter the literary field, as his forthcoming book, titled “Le Fond: Lessons from a Neighborhood Restaurant,” will be published by TBSN Press.

All four partners in the North Branch Inn are totally on the same page when it comes to defining their philosophy. 

“We see hospitality as more than just a business—it’s a calling,” as they describe it online. “We are deeply committed to providing heartfelt care and comfort within a beautiful setting, viewing it as an honorable and passionate endeavor.”