Elaine Crane sells Rider's Inn to her 'clone'
Sep. 6—The 211-year-old Rider's Inn, likely Lake County's oldest building, is changing hands after being operated by former Willoughby Municipal Court Judge Elaine Crane since 1989.
Although Crane will retain ownership of the building on two acres at 792 Mentor Ave. in Painesville, she's sold the business to Kaela Alex, a widowed single mom who has moved to the area from Stark County. The business and its furnishings, including a 60-seat pub, the inn's 10 guest rooms and its 102-seat dining room, will be operated by Alex, who lives in Concord Township.
"She deeply cares for the history of this place," said Crane, who has operated the historic property as a widow and a single mother. "In many ways, Kaela is my clone."
Alex, a nurse, is without experience in the hospitality industry but said she is committed to preserving the inn's long history. With help from Crane and her many friends and family members, she hopes to open the pub and restaurant on Sept. 8 with a limited menu and four of the guest rooms being available for bed-and-breakfast guests.
All but two of Crane's longtime staff are remaining to help with the transition to new management, and Alex's friends and family members are working hard at cleaning, painting and reorganizing spaces at the inn.
According to Crane's records, the building of Rider's Inn began in 1810 by Joseph Rider, a Connecticut toolmaker who had been invited by Cleveland founder Moses Cleaveland to bring his skills to the Western Reserve. Rider used recycled barn beams to build the original inn and welcomed the first travelers to his roadside inn in 1812.
Rider's Inn's long history honored by Western Reserve Historical Society's 100 Year Club
"The Oregon Trail, which runs from Boston to Newport, Oregon, ties the entire United States together as today's U.S. Route 20," said Crane. "The inn has witnessed American history, and I could not let it be torn down and allow the property to be developed."
When she was the winning bidder for the property in a 1988 auction, it was being considered as a site for a new Lake County hospital, she said. It took her more than a year to prepare Rider's for a new generation of diners, pub goers and overnight lodgers, and the Inn has consumed her life and time over the last three decades.
Now that she's approaching her eighth decade, Crane knew it was time for a change — one that would continue to preserve the inn's historic role.
She enjoys watching the three Alex daughters — ages 3, 4 and 6 — doing the same things her own daughter, Courtney, did as a child when Crane began operating the inn. Courtney is now a pediatrician practicing in Chicago.
"I expect to continue some of the long traditions here," said Alex. "We'll have an open-mic night on Tuesdays in the pub and a family game night on Thursdays."
Crane has shared many of the kitchen's recipes, so diners are likely to see the inn's potato leek soup and prime rib on the menu.
Crane is confident Alex will be a good successor following her own long stewardship of Rider's Inn.
"As long as there's a pub where people of all persuasions can exchange their thoughts and get to know each other," Crane said, "we'll all be OK."
Rider's Inn
Where: 792 Mentor Ave., Painesville.
Info: 440-354-8200 or ridersinn.com.
