November 13, 2006
Rooms with a view | A chat with Tim Langlois, founder of Armand's Orchard Side Inn
By Kerry Elson
Founded: July 2005
Employees: One
Startup costs: $68,000
Revenue, year one: $86,000
Projected revenue, year two: $90,000
Contact: 221-6361
16 Pinewoods Rd., Lewiston 04240
www.armandsorchardsideinn.com
Tell me a little bit about your inn.
My inn is in a rural part of Lewiston, and I actually grew up just up the road on a farm, so this area is very near to my heart. After I went away to culinary school in Providence, R.I., at Johnson & Wales University, I worked at hotels in Europe and in Boston, but I really wanted to come back to Maine and work as a chef.
I was looking at the Lewiston area, and there was nothing available at the time except for this house that was down the road from where I grew up. When it became for sale, I talked with a local investor, Gene Geiger from Geiger Bros., who backed me, and I decided to open a bed and breakfast.
And you also run a catering business on the side?
Correct. I wanted to have a catering service because of my culinary background. I have a few clients, mainly corporations and a couple families. I basically go to their business or they come here for retreats or dinners. It works well because the inn is such a big setting, and we have the amenities like the high-speed Internet and the big-screen TV for the corporations to do their presentations and things like that.
How many rooms do you have?
We have four rooms, starting with our large suite, [which has] a king-sized bed, natural tile walk-in shower, Jacuzzi tub room and private balcony. That's on the top floor.
Our next room is called the View Room ˆ it overlooks the front side of the property and the apple orchard, so a lot of times you can see wildlife such as deer, turkey, ospreys.
Downstairs, there's two more rooms that have queen-sized beds, private bathrooms and a little office.
How do you manage everything, being by yourself?
I have a lot of support from Geiger Bros. I've known [Gene Geiger] all my life ˆ my mom works for the company and I went to school with his children. So he actually bought the building and is renting it out to me, but I'd like to buy it in five years.
Other than that, my grandmother and my girlfriend help out, but most of the operation is run through me. It's nothing different from when I was at the Marriott or at a country club; it's just being organized and being able to plan your year.
What was it like when you first started?
Well, I had a flow of guests lined up from Geiger and a couple other local companies. They did a site visit and agreed to send people my way. I also worked with Bates College to get some Bates parents staying here for the weekends that are sold out [elsewhere] in Lewiston. Word of mouth has grown quite tremendously over the first year.
We sell out quite frequently during the Bates graduation weekend and a couple other weekends. And there's a lot of business travel in Lewiston right now because [the city is] growing tremendously. There are sales reps and pharmaceutical reps always coming into town.
What are your plans for the business?
Five or 10 years down the road, I'd like to have a semi-organic farm here and tie it into the inn. I'd also like to keep in touch with Johnson & Wales and have some interns come work for me. They could live on site and learn a little bit about how to run a business, because I wish I had known more about actually starting a business.
Was it intimidating to go out on your own?
Not really. I've always been in big pressure spots, in the kitchen and in the hospitality industry. And also, the owners of the Ware Street Inn and the Munroe Inn [in Lewiston] have been very supportive.
We tend to stick together in this area. That really makes me feel at ease, [and think], "Wow, if I fail, it's not going to be because of competition, it's not going to be because there's not any travelers, it's going to be because I didn't try hard enough."
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to kelson@mainebiz.biz.
Employees: One
Startup costs: $68,000
Revenue, year one: $86,000
Projected revenue, year two: $90,000
Contact: 221-6361
16 Pinewoods Rd., Lewiston 04240
www.armandsorchardsideinn.com
Tell me a little bit about your inn.
My inn is in a rural part of Lewiston, and I actually grew up just up the road on a farm, so this area is very near to my heart. After I went away to culinary school in Providence, R.I., at Johnson & Wales University, I worked at hotels in Europe and in Boston, but I really wanted to come back to Maine and work as a chef.
I was looking at the Lewiston area, and there was nothing available at the time except for this house that was down the road from where I grew up. When it became for sale, I talked with a local investor, Gene Geiger from Geiger Bros., who backed me, and I decided to open a bed and breakfast.
And you also run a catering business on the side?
Correct. I wanted to have a catering service because of my culinary background. I have a few clients, mainly corporations and a couple families. I basically go to their business or they come here for retreats or dinners. It works well because the inn is such a big setting, and we have the amenities like the high-speed Internet and the big-screen TV for the corporations to do their presentations and things like that.
How many rooms do you have?
We have four rooms, starting with our large suite, [which has] a king-sized bed, natural tile walk-in shower, Jacuzzi tub room and private balcony. That's on the top floor.
Our next room is called the View Room ˆ it overlooks the front side of the property and the apple orchard, so a lot of times you can see wildlife such as deer, turkey, ospreys.
Downstairs, there's two more rooms that have queen-sized beds, private bathrooms and a little office.
How do you manage everything, being by yourself?
I have a lot of support from Geiger Bros. I've known [Gene Geiger] all my life ˆ my mom works for the company and I went to school with his children. So he actually bought the building and is renting it out to me, but I'd like to buy it in five years.
Other than that, my grandmother and my girlfriend help out, but most of the operation is run through me. It's nothing different from when I was at the Marriott or at a country club; it's just being organized and being able to plan your year.
What was it like when you first started?
Well, I had a flow of guests lined up from Geiger and a couple other local companies. They did a site visit and agreed to send people my way. I also worked with Bates College to get some Bates parents staying here for the weekends that are sold out [elsewhere] in Lewiston. Word of mouth has grown quite tremendously over the first year.
We sell out quite frequently during the Bates graduation weekend and a couple other weekends. And there's a lot of business travel in Lewiston right now because [the city is] growing tremendously. There are sales reps and pharmaceutical reps always coming into town.
What are your plans for the business?
Five or 10 years down the road, I'd like to have a semi-organic farm here and tie it into the inn. I'd also like to keep in touch with Johnson & Wales and have some interns come work for me. They could live on site and learn a little bit about how to run a business, because I wish I had known more about actually starting a business.
Was it intimidating to go out on your own?
Not really. I've always been in big pressure spots, in the kitchen and in the hospitality industry. And also, the owners of the Ware Street Inn and the Munroe Inn [in Lewiston] have been very supportive.
We tend to stick together in this area. That really makes me feel at ease, [and think], "Wow, if I fail, it's not going to be because of competition, it's not going to be because there's not any travelers, it's going to be because I didn't try hard enough."
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to kelson@mainebiz.biz.
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