SHERBURNE – The Sherburne Inn has been a feature of the village landscape since 1917. While the business has been non-operational for many years, eight months ago, a business moved into the facility and prepared to breathe new life into the 109-year-old structure.

The Sherburne Inn is owned by a non-profit company called the Save the Sherburne Inn Restoration Project (SSIRP).

Last year, Gina Gardiner heard the SSIRP was looking for someone with a vision for operating a restaurant and inn in the facility. After thinking about the project for over a month, she contacted the organization on New Year’s Eve.

“I was drawn to all the different facets of the business. It’s a good way to explore my creativity,” Gardiner said.

The SSIRP accepted Gardiner’s proposal, which started with pop-up dinners supporting the local agricultural community. “We saw this as a way to not just allow the public to support our business but also the local farmers.” On Saturdays, Gardiner began offering communal dinners. “We brought in farmers who produced the local products and invited them to be part of these family-style meals,” Gardiner said.

The weekly communal dinners continued through the growing season. “Since we are dedicated to farm to table dining, we are only doing the communal dinners in the spring and summer,” Gardiner said.

In April, Gardiner opened The Sherburne Inn Coffee Shop, which is open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Back in the day, the restaurant and hotel was a formal space. We wanted to make this more informal,” Gardiner said. Like the communal dinners, the coffee shop still supports local farmers and producers by using a variety of locally sourced products. “Everything is made from scratch,” she said. The coffee shop is offering a full breakfast and lunch menu.

Gardiner plans to open for dinners before the end of the year. The business is working on securing their liquor license. They will be serving dinner on Valentine’s Day with a prefixed menu and have secured a temporary liquor license for the occasion.

“The public has been so encouraging and supportive our growth,” Gardiner said. Over the next year, work will continue to be done at the Inn to restore the guest rooms. Eventually the Inn will be a fully operation hotel with 8 guest rooms on the second floor and 8 guest rooms on the third floor. The second-floor rooms are being restored over the coming year.

The Sherburne Inn is located at 2 West State Street, Sherburne.