A day in the life of an Innkeeper

Have you met Dave Burtonbush? Stop 'inn' and say hello!

Apr 05, 2023

Good evening Norwich,

This is the first of a series of stories I hope to be posting in the near future. The series is called “ A day in the life of.” I will try to focus on a typical daily routine of a person here in Norwich. The story can be about someone’s daily work scheduled duties or their volunteer efforts or just to tell their story if you will. Stay tuned as there will be more stories to tell. In the meantime, enjoy this story about our local Innkeeper. and when and if you see Dave say hello for me also.

It all starts here:

Meet Dave Burtonbush and yes, he is always smiling

As we were doing a walk around the Inn, I noticed that the Norwich Women’s Club was having one of their meet and greet coffee and conversation hours and thought it would be nice to take a group photo.

Coffee and Conversation. at the Norwich Inn from10-11 am. on the first Monday of every month. All are welcome, member or not!

And now here is the rest of the story with some photos of the Inn.

I asked Dave to share with me a typical day at work and this is what he had to say:

Hey Demo,

Here is my blurb for day in the life.

The best thing about being an Innkeeper is that no two days are ever the same. You never know what the day could bring with new people always coming and going. Besides the normal tasks of being accounts payable, payroll and HR there are also many other tasks that arise. One minute you could be planning to enter rates for the next upcoming season and there is a call off in a department.

An Innkeeper needs to be able to work the front desk, work in housekeeping or wash dishes at the drop of a hat. My schedule consists of not just administrative & management tasks but also shifts where I am scheduled as a front desk attendant/fry cook or as the host and busser in the restaurant.

Talking with people is the best part of the job though, whether it be discussing what projects Dale has going on in the maintenance department, what banquets Linda has booked for the week or how Brittany handled a busy shift in our restaurant last night.

Talking with families who just became part of the Dartmouth community or Baking hobbyists who are here for a few days taking a class at King Arthur are also highlights of my days. When the local community comes to try a new beer or attend a Monday night jam session of Joseph Stallsmith’s hootenanny that’s just icing on the cake.

The best part of my days are the conversations, you never know who you may run into or what you will learn about them. So while it may be hard to detail an exact day in the life of an Innkeeper, I think it’s the distractions from my daily tasks that end up being the most important parts of my day.

let me know if you have additional questions. Thanks!

Dave Burtonbush

Innkeeper

Norwich Inn

p: (802) 649-1143 x313

325 Main Street, Norwich, VT 05055

www.norwichinn.com e: Dave@norwichinn.com

Jasper Murdock’s Alehouse is a restaurant just across the river from Hanover NH. It features one restaurant menu, whether or not your preferred dining venue is the Pub, Outdoor Patio, Lounge or our Indoor Terrace. Due to COVID-19 our current menu is focused on your Pub Favorites and moderately price. A number of items include ingredients from Jasper Murdock Ales made on site. Reservations are recommended. We currently offer our full menu to go as well including cocktails, beer and wine. The menus change often and we keep them up to date on this site.

The Newhart Room

Eat, drink, work, meet or all of the above. The Newhart Room is a social area where you can order Drinks, Appetizers and Light Fare during our normal restaurant hours. Have a small group meeting for work, come in with a friend to watch the game or just stop by for some conversation and a cocktail. There are plenty of reasons to love this room. Named after the Popular TV Show “Newhart” which Media Sources claim The Norwich Inn and Town of Norwich were the inspiration behind.

The Terrace

Adjacent to the Main Dining Room the Terrace is bright and casual. A cozy fireplace warms the ambiance in the winter months. The Terrace also is accommodating of private banquets and meetings. Advance reservations available.