The Doc's Inn
Small Business Spotlight
Walk down East Washington Street and you'll spot them right away: two stately Victorian homes side by side, wraparound porches and all. These are The Doc's Inn and The Dandelion Inn, sister bed-and-breakfast properties owned and operated by Janna Kissel, with her daughter Kate serving as chef and helping run day-to-day operations.
The Doc's Inn, an 1893 Queen Anne Victorian, has been part of downtown Greencastle for years. Next door is The Dandelion Inn, built in 1895 and Janna's newest venture, just over a year old. Turning that second historic home into a bed-and-breakfast meant major renovations, most of it paid for out of pocket.
One piece of the project remained out of reach: restoring the Dandelion Inn's original front porch. That's where the Business Development Grant made a difference. Administered by Main Street Greencastle and funded through the Growing Green & Gold Together Initiative, a partnership between the City of Greencastle and DePauw University, the grant provided the support Janna needed to restore the porch and complete her vision.
"The Growing Green and Gold Together initiative was elemental in providing funds for restoring the original facade to our Dandelion Inn," Janna said. "It made such a huge difference in the beautification of our properties, and thus contributing to downtown Greencastle's beautification."
For a house built in 1895, a restored front porch isn't just cosmetic. It's a piece of Greencastle's history, back on display for the whole community.
For Janna, the project is part of something bigger than her own two properties. "Preserving Greencastle and Putnam County's historic structures is a massive undertaking involving a number of public-private partnerships," she said. "We are so grateful and impressed by Main Street Greencastle and the Growing Green and Gold Together initiative's efforts in helping us preserve a piece of Greencastle's history by re-instating and constructing these porches. Additionally, it has been a wonderful experience to work with a team that understands preservation of structures goes well beyond restoring a home. It is about building a place for the community that remains relevant for the many decades to come." She added her thanks to "everyone who has helped us keep these houses relevant to the surrounding community, and particularly Main Street/Growing Green and Gold Together."
Janna also took part in the Small Business Incubator's Existing Business Cohort, a program that helps established local businesses network with each other and take stock of their operations.
"It was wonderful to meet all our existing and future business owners in downtown Greencastle, all of whom contribute to making our town a unique, fun and engaging destination point for visitors," Janna said of the experience. She's already looking ahead to what comes next: "I look forward to future collaborations with small business owners such as ourselves to work towards re-instating a lively, welcoming, and fun downtown Greencastle."
Janna was blunt about what set the cohort apart from other small business programs she'd looked into. Many of them, she said, end up feeling like taking on another job, which no small business owner has time for. This one was different.
"By far, the best part of the cohort and Growing Green and Gold Together initiative has been how EASY it has been to access the help we need," she said.
That's the point of the initiative: connecting downtown business owners with funding and support without piling on more paperwork.
The two properties are known for more than overnight stays these days. Chef Kate hosts a monthly Sunday Supper Club at the inn, small and intimate, built around scratch-made, family-style meals with local, seasonal ingredients. Themes change throughout the year, from bourbon dinners to global pop-ups with guest chefs, and the series has grown to include collaborations with other Greencastle businesses.
The inn also runs the Victorian Salon Music Series, a free concert series created by Chef Kate and musician Micah Layne. Each month a guest artist performs for the public at no cost. The founders describe it simply as sharing the gift of music. The lineup has included everything from local flute choirs to touring musicians, all inside the historic inn.
Today, The Doc's Inn and The Dandelion Inn are two restored historic homes anchoring a block of East Washington Street, drawing visitors from out of town while keeping that block distinctly Greencastle. For Janna and Kate, the work continues, but the partnership with Main Street Greencastle and Growing Green and Gold Together gave them a real boost along the way.
To learn more about The Doc's Inn and The Dandelion Inn, visit thedocsinn.com.
This article is part of the "Small Business Spotlight" series, highlighting local businesses supported by the Growing Green and Gold Together initiative, a partnership between the City of Greencastle and DePauw University.
