Article written by Amelia Painter for the consumer magazine "Bed & Breakfast America."

1. Spring 200626
ponopeningtheirhomeasabedand
breakfast in 1975, Mary and Jerry
Phillips transformed the original
two-room master suite, the guest room,
nursery and governess' quarters into four
guest rooms all sharing a central bath.
The idea of a bed and breakfast, although
tremendously popular in Europe, was
just gaining acceptance in the Midwest.
Thus, the Old Rittenhouse Inn was one
of Wisconsin's first Bed and Breakfasts.
I first met Jerry and his wife Mary last
spring at a conference for the Minnesota
Bed & Breakfast Association. Jerry and
I were the featured instructors for a
half-day session devoted to the topic of
marketing. I had often heard about the
dynamic innkeeping team of Mary and
Jerry Phillips, but this was to be my first
in-person association with them. I was
not disappointed! Within five minutes of
meeting them both, I felt welcomed into
their “extended innkeeping family.”
Jerry amazed me throughout the entire
seminar. One moment he had the inn-
keepers holding their sides from laughter,
and the next he was explaining how to
analyze Return-On-Investment (ROI)
to accurately measure the effectiveness of
their inn’s advertising campaigns. He was
a sensational speaker, and I felt honored
to be team-teaching with him; but it
was his sincere love of innkeeping that
impressed me the most.
Before the three-day conference came to
an end, it was clear why so many inn-
keepers, nationwide, seek out his
conferences and why so many guests re-
turn to the Phillips’ family-owned bed
I N T E R V I E W S W I T H I N N K E E P E R S A C R O S S A M E R I C A
INNterview by Amelia Painter
Interview with Jerry Phillips
Old Rittenhouse Inn
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Photography by Don Albrecht and Michael Snider
j Standing: Wendy & Mark Phillips
Seated: Jerry & Mary Phillips

2. Bed & Breakfast America 27
and breakfast, the Old Rittenhouse Inn,
year after year. Their 24 romantic guest
rooms are located in four historic Bayfield
homes ranging in décor from elegant to
luxurious. Featuring comfortable beds,
in-room whirlpools and fireplaces, not to
mention spectacular views of Lake Supe-
rior. However, it is the warm welcome and
inviting hospitality of the Phillips’ family
and their love of innkeeping that brings
vacationers back time and again. Each
time enjoying delicious regional cuisine
in their restaurant and special week-end
events at the inn.
Jerry is an industry patriarch. But since
some of you readers may not have heard
of Jerry Phillips, I am going to let him tell
you a little about himself in his own words
before we begin the official “Innterview.”
Jerry Phillips: My own “slant” for a topic
on our inn and on Mary and me might be
“Keeping up with the Jones…our guests!” In
30 years we have come to know that the
only constant is change, and the secret
is to embrace it, not deny it, not avoid
it, not tolerate it. One cannot simply
accept change; one must embrace it,
celebrate it and even create it. Then your
inn can and will rekindle itself and you.
Operating an inn in northern Wisconsin
with a four-month season forces one to
be creative. From our first newsletter
20 years ago to the development of our
special events, we work to create a reason
to visit Bayfield and our inn.
I know that our inn’s inclusion in the
book A Thousand Things To Do Before
You Die is testament to those on-going
efforts. When our town was chosen by
the Chicago Tribune as “The Best Little
Town In The Midwest,” we celebrated the
efforts of our community and staff on
public relations.
Amelia Painter: Jerry, you and your wife,
Mary, were music teachers back in 1973
when you bought the Old Rittenhouse
property. But where were you living at
that time?
JP:We were living in Madison, Wisconsin,
where we met while attending the

3. 28 Spring 2006
University of Wisconsin. I was teaching
high school music, performing and had
the ubiquitous church job. Mary had
her own piano studio, did professional
collaborative piano and had church music
jobs.
As you can see, this isn’t exactly a natural
handoff for a career in innkeeping.
However, I came from a family of 12 and
I had baked and cooked with my mother
for our large family since I was 8 or 9;
and Mary’s mom was a standout gardener
and cook.
I also put myself through the University
working at a small hotel in Madison,
including a stint behind the desk and
the bar. But perhaps it was my part-time
job as a counselor for disturbed kids at a
group home that was the best preparation
for innkeeping.
AP: What led you and Mary to decide to
become innkeepers?
JP: We bought the “Inn” in 1973 for our
summer cottage. The 5,000 square foot
summer home in Bayfield was in dire
need of resuscitation and was much less
expensive than any small cottage near
Madison.
Then, in 1974, came the oil embargo,
and just like now, gas and oil prices rose
dramatically, as did our heating bills, etc.
We began to organize our thoughts and
make a plan. So we started to rent rooms
that summer. You see, we were fortunate
enough to have purchased our house fully
furnished, right down to the china and
silver…with a bottle of Champagne in
the fridge. We hung a shingle and were
gifted by many wonderful folks in our $8,
$10 and $12 rooms!
After two such delightful summers,
we took a sabbatical from our Madison
jobs … and the rest is history. We moved
in 1976 and started the restaurant. Mary
was the chef and I did the baking and ran
the dining room.
AP: Did you train for this type of work, or
take classes?
JP: Other than the already-mentioned
experiences, we had also done a good deal
of entertaining and even some catering
while in Madison. You must understand,
of course, that there was no bed and
breakfast industry – not even the term.
AP: Today, you are a family owned
operation. What are the roles of the
family members?
JP: One of the wonderful things about
a bed and breakfast inn is that there are
so many different required duties with so
many different necessary skill sets, that
there is plenty to go around. Mary and
I quickly gravitated to those areas of our
strength and then fought over the ones
neither liked. As we grew, so did the
ability to hire people with skills we need-
ed. We feel strongly that our staff is simply
an extension of ourselves, and we consider
all of them to be part of our family.
Tonightweheldadinnerpartytocelebrate
an employee’s 20 year mark with the Inn.
And we also feted another employee who
has been tobacco-free for one year. We
presented her with a $1000 check for her
personal triumph over her long-standing
addiction.
As for our biological family, my sister,
Julie, has been a key player at the Inn for
24 years and is now our sommelier and
manager of the dining room. Our son,
Mark,anddaughter-in-law,Wendy,joined
us last year (along with Kyra June, our
granddaughter) and are developing their
own spaces and responsibilities from web
site work and new software introduction
to staff training and supervision. This is
an exciting new chapter at the Inn.
Because of serious health problems, Mary
is no longer behind the stove at the inn, but
j Jerry serving the figi pudding j The Rittenhouse Choir entertains the guests

4. 29Bed & Breakfast America
she remains very involved in the business
and is always by my side at conferences.
Right now she is collaborating with the
inn’s new chef de Cuisine, David Miller,
on a cookbook planned for release in the
spring of 2007.
AP: I know you contribute on a regular
basis to the education of aspiring
innkeepers nationwide. Why is this act of
sharing knowledge so important to you?
JP: Mary and I have always believed in
service – in giving of the gifts you were
fortunate to have – and teaching is one
of our natural gifts and loves. We had
committed every mistake one can think
of, so it was natural to hope we could
spare someone else the pain.
AP: Jerry, you are often referred to as
the patriarch of the bed and breakfast
community. Can you give me some
background information on yourself that
prompted your peers to accord you this
respectful title?
JP: I suppose some of this is due to our
years in harness; for there aren’t many
32 year vets out there still trying to be
successful. We have also been quite
visible, having been fortunate to get some
good press. We were early members of
Country Inns and Back Roads (now Se-
lect Registry) with 400 of the best inns
in North America. I served three terms as
President at a critical time for our fledg-
ling industry, and then moved to Santa
Barbara to head PAII, the Professional
Association of Innkeepers International. I
do a good deal of public speaking to many
state associations and started a consulting
and speaking business.
AP: Your inn features 24 guest rooms
in two Queen Anne mansions, a guest-
house and a cottage: all appear to be
decorated with highly-prized antiques
and collectibles. The rooms have
a clean, homey, yet elegant feel to
them – simplified traditional designs.
Can you give our readers a few guidelines
on how to achieve this type of consistent
design?
JP: We owned an antique business for 12
years and were fortunate to find some
beautiful things to use in our inn. Mary
has a highly refined color sense, and I love
to decorate.
Some advice might be to always try to be
yourself, but decorate and operate your
inn with style, flair and class. While your
property should reflect your interests and
tastes, it cannot be amateurish. Today’s
guest is sophisticated, so your property
must be and look “professional.” Hire
professionals and use the very best you
can afford.
AP: What is the most important advice
you would give to an aspiring innkeeper?
JP: Do your homework, know yourself
(selves), enlist all the help you can, and
visit many properties with a questioning
posture.
AP: Jerry, as always, it has been a great
pleasure. Thank you for sharing with our
readers.
JP: Thank you.
Old Rittenhouse Inn
Lodging & Dining
301 Rittenhouse Avenue
Bayfield, WI 54814
Information: 715-779-5111
Reservations: 800-779-2129
Fax: 715-779-5887
www.rittenhouseinn.com
AREA ATTRACTIONS
Old Rittenhouse Inn is close to many
great outdoor activities as well as down
town attractions. Outdoor activities
include sea kayaking, sport fishing,
sailing, and much more. Below are just
a few of the most popular visitor
destinations.
• Squaw Bay Sea Caves
• Big Bay State Park
• Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
• Apple Hill Orchard
• Mt. Ashwabay Ski Hill
• Big Top Chautauqua
• Isle Vista Casino
• Eckels Pottery
• Bayfield Maritime Museum
• Madeline Island Historical Museum
• South Shore Brewery
SPRING PACKAGE
Stay Wednesday night and get
Thursday night’s stay for FREE.
Valid from April 5 through June 15.
Simply mention Wed-Thurs Free
Promotion when making your
reservation.