Franklin House Bed & Beer

The Franklin House Bed & Beer is an inn that specializes in alcoholic beverages and can be found in Boise, Idaho. The property has a total of five rooms available to the public. Additionally, it is located in a neighborhood of a quiet and tight-knit community. One unique thing about the Franklin House Bed & Beer is that the inn also has an outdoor bar called The Backyard that is open to the public in the evenings. Many interesting places, like Boise Zoo and the Boise River, are within driving distance due to the location of the property. Franklin House Bed & Beer has been known for hosting significant events in the past. Guests are able to look into having their events, such as weddings, birthdays, and the like, hosted at the inn and The Backyard.

About

The Franklin House Bed & Beer is a two-story building that has five available rooms. The owner mentions that the most popular room that they have is called Carmine and says that she likes that room in particular because of all of the windows and how they are placed. Each room comes equipped with a queen bed, two nightstands, and either a couple of chairs or a couch for seating—depending on which space is rented out. The Franklin House Bed & Beer will also have a welcome drink available when guests arrive or credit for them to use at their bar, The Backyard. Most of the rooms come with a private bathroom and shower, though the ones that don't have a private bathroom have access to a shared bathroom that is down the hall from their doors.

The owner explains that they try to serve breakfast often, but they are inconsistent. On days when breakfast is available, they tend to do dishes like eggs, avocado toast, roasted tomatoes, and several vegan dishes. Regardless of if they have breakfast available or not, coffee is accessible every day for the guests to enjoy.

The property owns a bar that is established in the backyard of the house that serves both the public as well as those staying at Franklin House Bed & Beer. The bar is called The Backyard, appropriate as a name due to the location that the bar is found in reference to the house. The Backyard is open from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM and is available Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The bar serves a wide variety of beers and alcoholic beverages in the evenings, provided the weather isn't unreasonably disruptive. Tables, chairs, and hammocks litter the lawn, allowing for guests to enjoy their drinks outside. Trees and canopies above the lawn help keep the heat of the sun to a minimum while guests socialize and enjoy their time on the lawn. The Backyard will also, on occasion, have drink specials on their beers and wines, which the owners make and serve themselves. The Franklin House Bed & Breakfast is also able to host events. In the past, guests have rented The Backyard and the inn for celebrations like weddings, bridal showers, birthdays, and corporate events.

The Franklin House Bed & Breakfast is found in a quieter neighborhood that is also close to the other businesses of Boise. There are a number of restaurants and potentially entertaining locations in the vicinity that visitors may find intriguing, and most of them aren't that far of a drive away. The zoo, called Zoo Boise, is only about a five-minute drive from The Franklin House Bed & Beer and offers guests the chance to see some exotic animals. Boise River flows right near the zoo and is a good place for guests to fish or bring paddleboards and canoes.

Culture

The goal of The Franklin House Bed & Beer is to create an atmosphere that is welcoming for guests. The owners, whose names are Jen and Gavin, seek to be inviting to everyone and offer their visitors "a chill and relaxed environment." Jen describes their efforts to be as exceptional as they can as being "more personable than a hotel and with a higher service level than a hotel."

There are several policies that the innkeepers ask guests to abide consider when planning their stay. The first, and the most important one for the company, is that all visitors have to be 21 years old or older in order to stay on the property, whether that is renting out a room or visiting The Backyard. The Backyard bar closes at 10:00 PM, and quiet hours for the property begin at 11 PM to help their guests have a relaxing time the rest of the night.

Jen explains that there is no "typical demographic" of guests that visit their establishment, as they see a wide variety of ages, from older folk seeking relaxation to younger folk wanting to spend time with friends. The Franklin House Bed & Beer has received a number of reviews in the past. One person who previously stayed at the inn wrote, "Went here for a wrap party, and I was super impressed. Very cool spot. Lots of places to sit and have a chat, a bar right there in the back, fire pits for when the evening sets in. It's such a terrific spot nestled right in the neighborhood." They like to interact with the guests, make sure they are having an enjoyable time, and try to at least say hello to everyone that stays in one of their rooms, though they understand if people want to have their own private time and wish to be left alone.

History

The Franklin House Bed & Beer first opened to the public a couple of years ago, in 2019. Although the Franklin House Bed & Beer is still young in years of operation, the building itself has actually been around for over a century. The two-story building was built in 1896, roughly 125 years ago, and was originally just used as a house for a family. What made this building a bit more special than others in the area is that the house came with a room specifically for refrigeration. In order to keep food and other products cold, they would fill the ice room full of ice, allowing no sunlight or heat to come in, and then store their items and food in this room during the hot summer months. The building was left unused for years to come until Jen and Gavin saw that it was for sale and decided to purchase it.

Jen explains that they have done a lot of renovating since they purchased the building and have done their best to retain the historical aspects of the property. They chose to decorate it with rustic themes and farm-house style decorations, but with a modern twist, to help ensure the guests would be as comfortable as they could be when they stayed at Franklin House Bed & Beer. Jen says that the two of them have been in the bed and breakfast industry for a while and were happy when they found the building for sale. They enjoy the flexibility of the job and learning new and challenging things.

Jen also mentioned that several previous guests have told stories of seeing a ghost in the building. While she has yet to see anything suspicious herself, she is happy to pass those rumors along to those who would like to hear about what previous tenants claim to have seen. The ghost doesn't have a name, but she clarifies that on the rare occasions guests claim to see him, he isn't doing anything that disturbs the peace.