Photo by ADAM URQUHART Bedford Village Inn owner Jack Carnevale sits on the steps of the Great Hall, which hosts many weddings each year.

BEDFORD – Since the Bedford Village Inn underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation and expansion project, the establishment has seen an increase in business, including those who may seek political office.

The inn opened in 1986, and Jack and his wife, Andrea Carnevale, took over in 1989 after moving south from their old home in Waterville Valley where they owned a few seasonal businesses.

“I’ve been here about 30 years, and within that time, we started out with about maybe 20 employees and now, we’ve got about 230,” Mr. Carnevale said.

The couple decided they wanted to open up a year-round business. They purchased the vintage 1890 property, which Jack said requires a lot of “TLC and bucks.” However, during the course of the summer, the inn’s restaurant and tavern was closed so the project could unfold. Now that it is complete, Jack said they are getting a lot of people working in the political industry ahead of the 2020 presidential primary. Fox News has already rented out their whole property for their 2020 arrangements. He said former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stayed at the inn Monday night.

“We decided to do this work pretty much the first of last year,” Jack said. “We just came to the conclusion that this kitchen is not working for us. It’s too small; it’s not good for our employees to work in such a cramped space. Dealing with equipment that wasn’t up to par and didn’t service the volume we were doing right now. So, we made a commitment to change everything.”

Now, a year after making that commitment, the kitchen is expanded to twice its original size, and now features brand new equipment, including a pizza oven, combination oven and a Viking stove and refrigeration system. This pairs well with a new design to accommodate the increased level of business since the addition of 50 new guest rooms being built in 2016 at the Grand at the Bedford Village Inn. The inn has 64 total rooms, 37 of which have a natural gas fireplace, which is a tremendous hit among those staying the night. Carnevale said with the addition of those guest rooms came more business and more overnight stays, meetings and corporate gatherings.

During this project, they also put in an Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant bathroom and a ramp to the tavern. In doing the expansion of the kitchen, they ended up chewing into part of the tavern, which led them to building an addition on, creating the new tavern with vaulted ceilings. Although seating has not increased during the expansion, Carnevale said the ambiance in the space has definitely been enhanced.

“The changes were a dream come true. We are all beside ourselves at times, trying to remember the way it was,” Executive Chef Tina Verville said. “We made it happen for so long – and I applaud the crew we have for enduring this changeover during July.”

While construction was underway during the summer, Carnevale said everything was opened back up the first week in September.

“It was quite a process and I’m glad it’s over and done with,” Carnevale said. “It’s probably kind of a once-in-a-lifetime situation for us that we did that kind of improvement.”

In addition, during the improvements, they were able to provide a new air handling system, A/C heating system and sprinkler system in the restaurant, which in turn provides a more comfortable environment for their guests. Officials from Cobb Hill Construction from Bow were the construction managers of the project and TMS Architects provided architectural services.

Carnevale said he runs a very busy property, with something always going on, whether that be a weddings or private dinners. He said in their Great Hall, they see about 150 weddings each year. They also offer smaller weddings on the property as well. Nevertheless, he said there could be 400 to 500 people on the property at any given night, especially on weekends.

Carnevale said the inn has a lot to offer, including the dining rooms, Corks wine bar, the Tavern and The Lobby Bar. Additional amenities include an exercise room, outdoor pool, spa and patio.

Carnevale said decorating and designing is he and his wife’s specialty. He never stops because there is always something. He said officials prefer to take a proactive approach to maintenance in keeping up with the times in both culinary and aesthetics. He said they do not want to lose the historical quality of the property.

“We have nothing on the drawing board now, but we have some ideas,” Carnevale said. “We have eight acres of land left to develop, so who knows what’s going to happen next.”

More information on the inn can be found on their website at, https://www.bedfordvillageinn.com/.