Glen & Jerry's BEARFOOT INN
, 29 @ 16:37:47 EST

Αποστολέας bearmaster

by Todd Bennett

At the footsteps of the Bearfoot Inn. ©2002 Bearfoot Inn

Forty-two year old Glen Boomhour and thirty-seven year old Jerry Pergolesi are the owners of Toronto’s newest Bed & Breakfast, Bearfoot Inn.

Glen, a Toronto native, is the middle child of a large, strict German/Dutch family of seven children—three brothers and three sisters. Glen has lived in Toronto, Ontario all of his life. Though he planned to go to college after graduating from high school, Glen decided to take a year off to work and travel. He found himself enjoying the travel and money so much he decided to pursue the hospitality/food industry instead. Glen has done it all from waiting tables, bartending, and managing several restaurants to running a multi-purpose theatre in Toronto. His dream has always been to own and operate a Bed & Breakfast, but thought it would be a venture he would pursue “later in life.”

Jerry, the son of Italian immigrants, was one of two sons raised in Windsor, Ontario across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan. Jerry, who worked as a musician for several years, went back to school in his mid-twenties to complete his music degree and at the age of thirty, began his graduate studies at the University of Toronto earning his master’s degree. “I’ve fallen into the administrative side of things,” said Jerry, who is currently the General Manager of Array Music—a contemporary music organization best known for its chamber ensemble.

Jerry (left) and Glen (right) embrace each other’s joy of opening the Bearfoot Inn. ©2002 Bearfoot Inn

Glen and Jerry’s “coming out” is very similar to many of us whose concerns are “is it normal” and “what will my family think?” Glen broke the news to his older sister by laying the cards on the table—“I took her to a gay dance club at the age of eighteen so she could spread the word among the family.” Jerry, on the other hand, was involved in music (rock bands)—ever since he could remember, being in a rock band was certainly not the place to be “out.” “My first trip home from school in Toronto was when I broke the news to my brother and mother, separately. My brother was a bit shocked and my mother was not only shocked, but horrified and embarrassed of my news.” Jerry’s mother asked him not to tell anyone else fearing being shunned by others. The ordeal was put behind them when Jerry brought Glen home for Christmas with the family so that any questions regarding his sexual orientation were finally put to rest. “Now, most of our family arguments revolve around where we are all going to spend Christmas and Glen has become the perfect son-in-law for my mother,” said Jerry.

Glen and Jerry interviewed on a Gay television show. ©2002 Bearfoot Inn	Oliver’s master den. ©2002 Bearfoot Inn	Unidentified “Bear” relaxing in one of the suites. ©2002 Bearfoot Inn

Glen and Jerry met in 1997 quite by accident. Glen had been on a blind date that went belly-up and Jerry had just returned to Toronto from spending Christmas holidays back home with his family. Instead of sitting in his apartment and looking at the four walls, Jerry decided to head out to Church Street (the gay area of Toronto) and see whom he could run into to hang out with. “We were on opposite sides of the street walking in opposite directions when we caught each others eye,” said Jerry. Glen ended up being the pursuer, and long story short, Jerry ended up back at Glen’s apartment. “My roommate was supposed to be out for the night but when we got back to my place, he and his friends were still there singing show tunes over cocktails,” said Glen. Needless to say, it was quite intimidating for Jerry who ended up taking Glen “off the market” and “making a few enemies in the community for doing so,” said Jerry tongue-in-cheek.

Both men dated for eight months before making the commitment to live together. Now, more than five years later, both say it feels like forever and the relationship still feels brand new. Jerry insisted they take things slowly since his past experiences were in relationships that moved fast and ended just as fast as they began. Glen pursued Jerry many nights late in the evening over coffee after Jerry’s music practices well into the 11:00 p.m. hour. “He just kept at it,” said Jerry, “and I’m glad he did”.

Bearfoot Inn actually was the result, in part, of the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in the United States. In 1999, they moved into a new condominium that was a three-year “project in-the-making.” In February 2001, Glen took Jerry to his beloved Key West, Florida to experience his favorite places there as well as other areas in the sunshine state.

They intended to do a little research on pursuing his dream of operating a B&B in Florida. While staying at a guesthouse in Ft. Lauderdale, they discovered it was on the market and the owner of the guesthouse put them in touch with his real estate agent. Over the next several months, they looked at several offers and in August 2001 signed a deal to purchase a B&B in Ft. Lauderdale. Their plans were set—they sold their condominium in Toronto, Jerry gave up his job and with all of their possessions in storage, both men were ready to make the big move south to sunny Florida! Their closing date on the new place was set for September 16^th.

However, their plans came to a screeching halt, when on September 11^th, the United States experienced it’s first foreign attack on American soil since 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. “We couldn’t believe our eyes as we watched the events of that day unfold,” they said. As the dust settled in the days after the attack, September 16^th was staring them in the face! The bank they were dealing with pulled out of the deal and their emigration to the United States stalled.

Now homeless and jobless, Glen and Jerry’s hopes were clouded. Fortunately, they had the strength and perseverance to turn what very well could have been a devastating situation into a positive one. They decided to start from square one and pursue their B&B idea in Toronto. The friend who sold them their condominium showed them a rooming house that was on the market within steps from Toronto’s gay village.

With help and loyalty from their friends Alain and Ian, they turned the rooming house into the place it is today—a beautiful Bed & Breakfast with queen-sized beds, coffee makers, 19” television-VCR combo and mini-refrigerator in each room and a large screen television in the family room. There are two fireplaces for the cold weather months, a patio for lounging in the summer—with plans for adding a gym, sauna and hot tub. “We also provide bath robes for our guests to lounge in and we are clothing-optional and pet-friendly,” they said.

The name of the business was Glen’s idea. They advertise the name in lower case letters to reflect a relaxed attitude. The Bear theme idea for the inn was Jerry’s after seeing a place in Palm Springs, CA that advertised to men. “I find that most gay advertising is geared towards the media’s stereotype of a gay man—young, buff party boys just as the typical youth of North America are portrayed as a skateboarding, baggy pant-wearing kid,” said Jerry.

“I felt that it was time for a place that was meant for me to stay at and have someone in the ad look like a real guy,” he said. Thus, the idea of Bearfoot Inn was born. Both operate the inn as they would having guests overnight at their home—making their guests feel welcome. One of their keys to success is to play off one another’s strengths—Glen’s twenty-five years of experience in the hospitality industry and outgoing personality makes him the ideal host and “front man,” while partner Jerry’s strengths in administrative/marketing and promotion provide a balanced blend to their business venture and relationship. They are both equally 100% involved in every decision involved in the business as well as their personal life. Also, they are out to make their staff happy. The key to success, in their opinion, is not only for your customers to be happy and satisfied but to keep your employees happy as well. “A happy staff is more likely to be good to your customers,” they said. Obviously, being in a gay-positive city also plays a role in their success. “It’s almost considered bad etiquette to not be hip to same- sex couples, especially in downtown Toronto,” they said. “Our city counselor is openly gay and there is a gay and lesbian business association in Toronto—so it’s a great city to be openly gay in,” they said.

Their advice to anyone who might wish to pursue their dream of owning their own business—“Just do it, but go in with your eyes and ears wide open.” They wisely suggest to be as informed about every decision you will face—have a business plan, know your market, research your business idea and find out what other similar businesses are in the area and how successful they are, and, if you’re buying a business from someone make sure you demand to see their financial statements. Admittedly, “We made the mistake of being too enthusiastic and naïve at the same time and it cost us a good deal of time and money to learn a few lessons. We simply rationalized those costly mistakes by considering them tuition fees at the school of hard knocks.”

So far, Glen and Jerry’s guests have been ideal—a laid back, easy-going clientele from the United States and Europe. “The response has been great,” said Jerry.

So where do Glen and Jerry travel when it is their turn to enjoy and relax? “We like warm places: Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando (Disney World, the Full Moon Saloon and Parliament House); as well as one of Glen’s favorite places, San Juan, Puerto Rico.” They have been to Hawaii and would enjoy visiting and experiencing Palm Springs, CA and Las Vegas—together. As is the case for some Canadians, they prefer to travel during the winter months to escape Canada’s cold winters.

“For a small business such as ours, I think it’s important to reflect who the owners are,” both admitted. “Bearfoot Inn is our house. It reflects the kind of people we are with no pretenses—you see what you get and you get what you see,” said Jerry. Glen expressed that the clientele is very much similar to the relaxed guys he and Jerry are. “We want our guests to stay in a place that makes them feel comfortable. We don’t have a lot of typical B&B furnishings or decorative things around the place either. The only doilies you’ll see here are under the pastries,” said Glen. Another key to success here at Bearfoot Inn—provide comfortable accommodations and make everyone feel welcome!

Bearfoot Inn is located in the heart of Toronto’s “gayborhood” at 30A Dundonald Street, Toronto, Ontario. Convenient to transit and some of the best shopping too! For reservations, call them at 1-888-871-BEAR outside of Toronto (416-922-1658 within the city) or email them at bigdaddy@bearfootinn.com. For more details and pictures of the inn, visit them on the worldwide web at www.bearfootinn.com