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On the heels of my recent guide to the Catskills revival, I decided to interview several small business owners who had contributed new energy to the region. In particular, hospitality, food, and beverage types. Many readers know all too well the balance between staying afloat in Manhattan and putting up with the grind, without snuffing that last flickering ember of creativity.
So, how hard is it to make the jump and leave urban life behind? How can we find the courage? Hopefully these stories will give readers out there who’ve had it with the city, a nudge of inspiration.
Kirsten Harlow Foster of Foster Supply Hospitality, Owner of The DeBruce, The Arnold House, et al.
Kirsten Harlow Foster is co-founder, along with husband Sims Foster, of Foster Supply Hospitality, which operates four hotels and three restaurants in New York’s Catskill Mountains region. The current portfolio is comprised of The Arnold House (Livingston Manor, NY), The North Branch Inn (North Branch, NY), Nine River Road (Callicoon, NY) and The DeBruce (Livingston Manor, NY), with additional projects under development.
Prior to launching the first hotel, The Arnold House in 2014, Kirsten spent 10 years working as a Senior Policy Advisor at The Federal Reserve Bank of New York. With a Masters Degree in Economics and International Policy, Kirsten worked in developing countries to assist in setting up rural micro-lending programs, to advising foreign officials on economics and health policy, and to serving as an advisor to the US Treasury Department. Her dedication to ensuring her work made an impact, carries through today through guiding the brand’s efforts in helping define the renaissance of the Catskills. Kirsten oversees and executes the design and purchasing for all properties, as well as leads the marketing, sales and revenue teams. Her husband and company co-founder, Sims Foster, is a restaurateur, hotelier, and hospitality executive with deep expertise in the restaurant, bar and nightlife fields.
When did you know it was time to leave NYC and how did you pick Livingston Manor?
It was always our end goal to end up where we felt at ‘home’, so then it was just a matter of us figuring out how we could make the transition. Having spent over a decade working for the Federal Reserve Bank of NY and living a high-stress, corporate, and travel-heavy job, I was ready for the next chapter, and challenge, in my life. We chose Livingston Manor because it is our home. It’s where our family and community are and it is the place we want to spend all of our time. Once we had our first child, Maximillian, our decision was secured to make the move full time. We want our kids to grow up with splinters, grass stains, and a strong sense of community.
Why did you decide to get into the hotel and restaurant industry?
I am extremely lucky to have a husband and partner who has been working in this industry his entire life – i.e., one of us actually knew what we were doing when we first started. But, I had a pretty good feeling that I would do well too. For me, it was not just about getting into ‘the industry’ but rather finding a way to help introduce people to an area of the world that I deeply love and call home. Passion and a genuine interest in my community is what has helped me succeed. I was also ready for a new challenge and really enjoy the creative side to the work, as well as the satisfaction one gets from building something from scratch.
What was Livingston Manor like when you opened your first hotel and how are things changing?
We have seen a tremendous change in town since we opened our first hotel, The Arnold House, but the bones of town are strong. It is a quintessential, beautiful hamlet of a town that hugs a storied and famed fly-fishing river and has always been welcoming to visitors. Having undergone a few decades of tough times, its time had come to shine. We were fortunate enough to be part of its revitalization together with a number of wonderful people and businesses in the area. It’s a small but complete Main Street that we are proud of.
You’ve opened a series of hotels, each with a different offering. How do you decide on the feel and focus of each property?
Honestly, it is an organic process that grows out of countless hours walking the halls of buildings, brainstorming together with my husband, and almost letting the story tell itself. Every building has a story, a history, and a way forward. We try to connect to that history and continue the story both through the branding and programming of the hotel as well as through the design itself. Ultimately, for us it is always about place, and the design has to make sense based on where we are.
Each hotel has been a total renovation job, correct? How do you locate the properties, and do you find the process of renovating grueling or fun? It can be both, too.
Yes indeed! Often the properties find us – and my husband also spends a good deal of his time looking at potential buildings in the area. Growing up here, he is also intimately familiar with the old boarding house style buildings that tend to draw us in for our projects. The renovating is fun – but of course also a ton of work. We are still a very small company and we do all of the design ourselves. He oversees the construction and I do all the interior design work, and also all of the purchasing for all of the properties. For our newest property, this will be very ambitious indeed.
Do you ever miss the city? What frustrations do you have with being deep in the countryside?
I’ll be honest: I really don’t. In total, I spent almost 20 years in the city and really did love it but was always that person that had to get out on weekends for sanity and open space. We go back now, but not as often as we thought we would. Part of that is because between 4 hotels and 2 kids, the last 3 years have been busy.
I do have a deep love for really good mortadella and that is something that’s hard for me to find up here. Probably my biggest miss; so when we do go to the city, I usually raid Buon’Italia in Chelsea Market for that and other deliciousness.
What advice do you have for other city-dwellers who are eager to move to the country but are unsure of how to make a living?
Map it out, have a plan and even more important, a realistic budget. Try to push through the romance of ‘moving to the country to open an inn’ and think hard and long about what that means and how you are actually going to operate it. And don’t quit your day job until you’re well on your way. My husband and I were both working demanding, full-time jobs in the city when we first opened The Arnold House. It was grueling. We spent nights and weekends working on The Arnold, and I used up most of my vacation to open it, but until we were sure it would work, we held onto our jobs. We didn’t want to fail – both for ourselves but also for our town and community. Also, having trust and empowering the people that work for you is essential. I see so many small businesses that can’t grow because the owners feel like without them, everything will collapse. But in such a model, you can never really expand or live your life without compromising your business.
The DeBruce Hotel, 982 Debruce Road, Livingston Manor, NY, 845-439-3900
When she's not in a vineyard or the ocean, Lauren Mowery covers drinks, food & adventure/luxury travel. Follow her around the world on Instagram and Twitter.
