Our History

A beloved establishment in the village for over a century, the White Inn had been previously vacant since 2017. At that time, Steve St. George, owner of S. St. George Enterprises, and Devin Jones, a local business owner and Executive Chef, joined together to purchase The White Inn with plans to restore it. The Village of Fredonia's iconic hotel, restaurant, lounge and banquet site has undergone substantial improvements over the last few years. The goal of the project was to bring guests the modern amenities of an upscale stay, while preserving the Victorian Era charm that the original White Inn became known for over more than a century ago.

The project comes from Steve St. George, owner of S. St. George Enterprises, and Devin Jones, a local restaurateur, who acquired the 150-plus year old hotel/restaurant last year with plans to reopen as a boutique hotel/restaurant/event center. The hotel will have 25 rooms when it reopens, with underutilized conference areas converted into additional rooms.

With roots dating back to 1868, the 24-room hotel closed in 2018 and was put up for sale by the mortgage holder in 2021. The major renovation project focused on local companies and workers to restore the historic building. Steve St. George pushed for local companies to be used whenever possible, with the majority of 30 companies and 150 workers being locally sourced. A sign will be constructed to highlight all of the companies that contributed to the restoration of the White Inn. "We really want to be able to show the community that we're keeping this local. We're really excited that all these local companies are willing to help us to restore this building," Ludemann said.

"Although the old wallpaper was taken down and new drywall was installed, some of the antique furniture has been restored. Original pictures from the walls of the White Inn were also preserved and are hung throughout the building. Heating and cooling systems have also been installed throughout all the public spaces. A new ADA-compliant elevator was installed.

The restaurant's menu features both high-end and casual dining options in an effort to be more inclusive to all guests. Lunch, and dinner service is currently offered. A separate service bar has also been constructed in the dining room for weddings and other events.

One thing that we intended going into this is that everybody can feel like they can come here. "We wanted it to be an inclusive place. We didn't want to price point it out so that I can't go in there with my two kids. … If you want to get a fancy steak dinner, you can, but you can also get a cheeseburger at the bar."