A classic Kentucky restaurant changes hands but stays in the family: What’s next for Beaumont Inn?

Beaumont Inn, the Harrodsburg landmark which has been in the same family for 105 years, has been sold – sort of.

Actually, the award-winning inn and restaurant has just passed into the hands of another member of the family line that started with Annie Bell Goddard in 1917.

When Annie’s great-grandson Chuck Dedman and his wife Helen, following a long tenure owning and operating the inn, decided to call it quits and enjoy their golden years, they didn’t have to look far for a potential buyer.

While their son Dixon, who had been running the inn with them since graduating from college in 2003, decided to concentrate on his burgeoning bourbon business, it was Chuck’s cousin Milward who stepped up to the plate.

With no previous experience in the hospitality industry, on June 1, Milward and his wife Kathy became the new owners, paying close to $2.5 million for the property and an undisclosed amount for the hotel and restaurant business.

So, did they get a family discount?

“Let’s just say we negotiated,” says Milward Dedman with a chuckle.

It looks like it will continue to be “all in the family” at the Beaumont Inn for the foreseeable future as Milward and Kathy will be joined by their children – son Ward, 31, and daughter Cawood Carey, 29.

“Ward will handle the bookkeeping and payroll, and Cawood will join Kathy in event planning and a total revamping of the gift shop,” says Milward.

Dixon Dedman will stay on as a consultant to assist in the transition.

In answer to just what will he be doing, Milward quips, “I’ll be doing pretty much everything else.”

Plans for Beaumont Inn future

He acknowledges that all of them have their work cut out, as they hope to get Beaumont Inn back to pre-pandemic normalcy as quickly as possible.

While 27 rooms are open (17 in the main hotel and 10 in Goddard Hall), much of the hotel complex remains shuttered. Greystone Lodge, the main hotel dining room and the Owl’s Nest Pub, adjacent to the inn, are currently closed.

“We hope to have the Owl’s Nest and the swimming pool open by early to mid-July,” says Dedman.

“The dining room will take a little longer,” he continues. “It’s open now only for special occasions, but we expect it to be fully open by fall.”

No need to panic, as Dedman assures that the classic Beaumont dishes that earned the restaurant recognition as a James Beard American Classic in 2015, are still on the menu at the Old Owl Tavern. The Tavern, a 90-seat casual restaurant occupies a former carriage house and is open to the public.

That means you can still enjoy the Slow-Cooked Baby Back Ribs, Kentucky-Cured Country Ham, Southern Fried Catfish, Classic Beaumont Hot Brown and the all-time favorite, “Yellow-Legged Fried Chicken” (for the ultimate, opt for the Classic Beaumont Dinner – a combination of the chicken and the country ham.)

Throw in the house-seasoned green beans and the fluffy corn pudding, and you just may not have room for desserts such as Bread Pudding with Warm Bourbon Sauce and the legendary Orange-Lemon Cake. That would be a shame.

Dedman is quick to insist that nearly everything at Beaumont Inn will remain the same, from the menu to the staff, however, he does have a couple of ideas for putting his own stamp on the property.

One involves Greystone Lodge, the limestone cottage directly across from the inn, whose first floor served as a home for Chuck and Helen, while four guest rooms occupied the upper floor.

“We plan to convert the ground floor into event space and re-open the four rooms on the second floor,” he says.

Finally, his plans call for an expansion of outdoor seating.

“Currently, our guests can enjoy their coffee or drinks on the large front porch, but we don’t have any other opportunities for outdoor dining,” he says.

“Since we have such lovely grounds, we would like to change that.”

Beaumont Inn

What: Award-winning inn and restaurants

Where: 638 Beaumont Inn Drive, Harrodsburg

Hours: Old Owl’s Tavern open Tuesday – Thursday, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 4:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Call: 859-734-3381

Online: beaumontinn.com