Lyndon – The Orchard is almost ready to open its doors as the new bed and breakfast in the Northeast Kingdom. Offering a Vermont seasonal experience and with a focus on hospitality, owners Janie Oliver and Wendy Harsha also want their cooking to be a big part of the experience.

The two started looking for opportunities when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. At the time, Oliver lived in Los Angeles and had spent 35 years in the broadcasting industry, but saw the pandemic as an opportunity to leave the West Coast and start her own business, bringing Harsha with her. Wendy worked as a bookkeeper and had 15 years of experience in the corporate vacation rental industry. They chose Lyndon over many other locations in the state.

"Everybody is very welcoming; it's a great place to have a business. Folks come through here as we are just right off Main Street," Oliver said.

"When people meet you, they genuinely care; they want to see you succeed here. And that's very different for us coming from California," Replied Hersha.

The property they purchased is 16 acres of land with views of the river and an overview of the mountains. They loved it as soon as they saw it. The two are looking to make future expansions for the Bed and Breakfast, but for now, they are sticking to their plan. The Orchard will offer 5 Bedrooms, such as a movie room, for customers.  The owners said renovations for the rooms are almost done and will be listed on their website to be booked. Jaine and Wendy really want guests to have that "never wanting to leave " feeling. The way the two are trying to make guests have the feeling is the culinary experience.

"I want them to leave here like that was fantastic, and I want to tell my friends and go back again." Wendy went on to say, "I want the experience to be something they will never forget."

One thing the two want to do in the near future is host big events on the property.

"We offer cooking classes at the local farmers' market and sell some of our bakery items. We also want to do weddings, catering events, and eventually open the bar for people to use as well," Oliver said.

The house was completely gutted, and the two wanted to fix it all on their own. They said, "It was worth it."

"I think anyone who walks in through those doors is going to feel everything from the attention to detail in each room, to the food, and the service they will receive," Harsha said

Wendy added, "We handpicked everything; it's somewhere we would want to stay."

The two look forward to opening up The Orchard to the public soon and are ready to kick off the spring and summer season right.