A new beginning
Iconic building in heart of town is open again
General Manager Tara Sweder was as excited as anyone for the Springville Inn Hotel to reopen Monday.
As the big day drew closer and closer it became very clear to Sweder this would be no ordinary business opening — literally or figuratively. It was as if the Springville Inn Hotel and its sit-down restaurant, Frank’s at the Springville Inn, was a long-lost relative being reunited with family.
“We see that community is everything to people here,” Sweder says.
This was again driven home to Sweder days before they were expecting to open and their Chef Jennings “James” Johnson, who is a native to Southern Tulare County, was rushed to a hospital in San Francisco clinging to life. Suffering from diabetes that had gone undiagnosed until then, he’d fallen into a coma.
Sweder, who has been chronicling the Springville Inn Hotel’s progress on social media, was blown away by the outpouring of support from the community for Johnson.
Hundreds of people posted get-well wishes, sent prayers and shared the posts.
“I knew if we reached out to the community we would find the support we needed to get him back on track,” Sweder says. “We were very scared to lose someone who quickly became like family to us, and I am certain it was the chain of prayers that saved his life.”
Since the incident, Johnson is on the road to recovery. Although he is eager to get back to the Frank’s kitchen and his team, he will continue his healing process in Porterville and return when appropriate.
The buzz surrounding the iconic building in the heart of the small foothill town is as high as its ever been and people could not wait for the doors to officially swing open again Monday.
“Chef James may not be there in the flesh, but we will be using all of his recipes and the team he trained to execute a successful launch.” Sweder says. “The people just love this little hotel and I get it. A lot of people are emotionally attached to the Inn and have been telling us stories of past times they had. Some of the best memories are from when people were kids.”
They also recall stories of coming to the old Springville Inn and restaurant to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, dinner-dates or dance the night away to live music in the upstairs bar and lounge.
“We quickly understood what it meant to the people of the town,” Sweder says.
Sweder, who has 20 years of experience working in the hospitality industry, including on cruise ships and in highend international restaurants, was brought on by ownership to put her stamp on the boutique inn and restaurant.
Basically, she had a blank canvas to work with.
“It was completely empty inside,” Sweder says. “We had to replace everything.”
Everything included carpet, tables, chairs, tableware and commercial kitchen appliances, just to name a few. Inside and out received a fresh coat of paint. The interior retains it’s familiar dark-wood exposed beams and to help offset the rustic charm, bursts of color in the form of American-pop art hang on walls both upstairs and down.
The Springville Inn Hotel, which has been booking stays for the past two months, features 12 rooms that range from $149 to $189 per night. They also offer a Room and Ride option that includes a room, one day Harley Davidson rental and breakfast for two.
“All of the rooms have been redone,” Sweder says of the refined, modern country decorated rooms that give it a light and airy feel. “We spent a lot on the bedding alone. One of our guests, who has been around the world, said the bed was the best he’s ever slept on.”
Guests and visitors have access to the lounge and full bar down stairs where they can have breakfast, lunch or dinner at Frank’s. A wine cellar also was added.
“We love wine. We hired a Sommelier, who built our Wine List, for our guests and will be there to help our guests with pairings,” Sweder says, adding to expect exclusive wine tastings in the future. A special brunch menu will be served on Saturdays and Sundays with specialty items like the “Lobster Eggs Benedict” and Chef James’ famous “Biscuits and Gravy.”
Upstairs is an even more spacious lounge and bar with a stage and dance floor.
“Live entertainment will be a staple at the inn, with our ‘Saturday Night Live’ events commencing on Aug. 5 with the headliner band Branded Heart kicking it off,” Sweder says.
Chef Johnson is returning to his roots to lead Frank’s, which was named after an important family figure. Johnson is a seasoned chef, who owned and managed restaurants in Orange County during his career.
“It was important for our chef to know the locals and what they like to eat,” Sweder says.
The menu which was made public just last week is “very American” and will be “really fresh.” It’s not overwhelming in size, featuring appetizers, burgers, soups, salads, pastas, fire-grilled steaks and chicken dishes, and items for children.
A couple of signature selections on the lunch and dinner menu are the American-style Kobe Beef Meatballs simmered slowly in red sauce served as an appetizer or with spaghetti as a pasta dish; and a Baked Brie appetizer.
But what will probably receive the most attention is the Poutine, a nod to Sweder’s Canadian roots. The classic dish is a bowl of crispy home cut French fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy. Ingredients which have been imported from Canada. Variations include the Philly; pulled pork; and Farmers Pick with chicken, bacon and tomatoes.
“People are going to come here just for Poutine. It’s addictive,” Sweder says.
Being the new place in town is only going to take the Springville Inn and Hotel so far, which is why Sweder has been spending hours training staff.
“Amazing customer experience is really what this place is going to be all about,” Sweder says. “From service to food, the most important focus for our team is consistency and guest service.”
Springville has been around since 1849 and the inn, which was originally constructed in 1911 as the Wilkinson Hotel, has seen many owners over the last 100-plus years. In the ’70s the addition that holds all of the rooms of the hotel was built.
Most recently, it was known as the Springville Inn and Stagecoach Bar and Grill. The doors closed and all of its contents were auctioned off in July of 2014, while the building and property were put up for sale.
Earlier this year it was bought by owners wishing to remain nameless for the time being. Sweder says community is important to them and they are not taking this venture lightly.
“They came here and were amazed that this little structure just sitting here had no life in it and asked, ‘why?’” Sweder says. “We feel a responsibility to bring it back to life, we know the community will be proud.”
Springville Inn Hotel is located at 35634 Highway 190 in Springville. For more information, call 483-9525 or visit www.springvilleinnhotel.com