Patty Petropoulos and Gary Samarjian spent the last two years looking for the right combination of an inn to purchase and new place to call home.
And they found it with the Little River Bed & Breakfast in Peterborough.
The Massachusetts natives officially took over ownership two weeks ago of the four-room Union Street B&B and are slowly adjusting to their new lives as innkeepers. Petropoulos is running the day-to-day operations, while Samarjian has kept his full-time job in construction management in Massachusetts, working nights and weekends to learn the intricacies of the business.
“We’re still trying to figure it out,” Petropoulos said.
The idea of owning an inn began back in 2007 when the married couple went on their first vacation together to Prince Edward Island. Since then, they always thought it would be a great way to spend their days as empty nesters. Every time they went away, they’d stay at a bed and breakfast, asking questions of the innkeepers and taking notes on what they liked, what worked and what they’d want out of a future property.
Petropoulos and Samarjian looked from Florida to Maine for the right spot. They found some properties that would work, but the location wasn’t quite right and vice versa. They had never been to Peterborough before but were immediately intrigued by Little River.
“We looked in Florida first, but that didn’t work out, so we decided to stay in New England,” Petropoulos said.
The inn was completely renovated by the previous owners, Rob and Paula Fox, and the idea of a property that needed very little from the get go was very appealing.
“I wanted a place that was turnkey,” Samarjian said.
Despite the modern upgrades, Petropoulos still believes it has that “quaint, country inn feel.”
Once they got to look at Little River – and the town of Peterborough – Petropoulos and Samarjian realized it checked a lot of the boxes.
“For me, it was when I saw this place as a whole; the setting, the condition, the innkeepers quarters, it had the whole package,” Samarjian said.
There is one room downstairs and three upstairs, common areas on both levels, and a kitchen/eating area that is open and inviting. Behind the building is the Nubanusit River. There’s a small deck off the dining space for guests to relax, as well as Adirondack chairs to enjoy the soothing sounds of the Contoocook River tributary.
“The river is right outside your door. You can’t do better than that,” Petropoulos said.
The Fox’s added a separate carriage house for living quarters, which gives the innkeepers the opportunity for some privacy. Right now, the third floor is unused, but Petropoulos and Samarjian have an idea to add a suite to accommodate a larger guest grouping.
Once they got serious about pursuing a purchase, the couple attended an innkeeper seminar, and it was their instructor from that course that acted as their realtor for Little River.
“What we learned is that rule No. 1, you’ve got to be happy where you live,” Petropoulos said.
Petropoulos and Samarjian said that the Fox’s have been very helpful with the transition, even staying on for an amount of time to help ease into their new roles.
“It was a nice transition we set up,” Samarjian said.
As of now, they are keeping the same operation schedule, honoring all existing reservations, but will be using the upcoming months to determine how they want the inn to work.
“It was a gut reaction,” Petropoulos said. “We took a big leap and it had to be right.”
“We knew it was going to be a huge step,” Samarjian said.
They’re still getting to know Peterborough and the surrounding area, but from everything they’ve seen and done, it’s a place they have no doubt will be an enjoyable place to live. They want to build off the reputation that the Fox’s built and maintain the high level of service for guests.
“They put so much into the place,” Petropoulos said.
For more, visit littleriverbedandbreakfast.com.