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Note: This is part two of a four-part series highlighting some of the properties on the 17^th Manteo Preservation Trust Holiday Tour. Follow the other features in The Coastland Times leading up to the tour on December 7. 

Dave and Tonia Roberts had dreamed of owning and operating a bed & breakfast for almost 20 years, but it was an unexpected family tragedy that made that dream a reality.

Just nine months after the death of her mother, Tonia’s sister died suddenly. “She was only two years older than me,” Tonia said.

“It shook us in a way that was palpable,” Dave added. “Do we have two years? Do we have one year? Is this a dream or is this a fantasy? If it’s a dream we should pursue it. And in eight months we were here.”

The Austin, Texas empty nesters left their successful careers in technology and started researching bed and breakfasts all over the country. They had four criteria: a home that had been converted to lodging (as opposed to a boutique hotel) to create a familial, interactive experience for guests; a former owner with a similar philosophy of hospitality; continuous use as a bed and breakfast; and a town they wanted to live in.

“We purposely left out geography,” Dave said. The couple had never been to the Outer Banks, but when the White Doe Inn came on the market, it “hit everything” they said.

The Robertses visited in January, returned in March, closed in June, and immediately jumped in to full-time hospitality life in the historic 1910 home. They hosted three weddings in the first 14 days of ownership. The 9-bedroom, 9 ½ bathroom inn has been busy all throughout the summer and fall season.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Dave said.

In just a few months, they’ve repaired the foundation, put on a new roof, updated the HVAC, and redesigned a portion of the landscaping. They have plans to refresh the bedrooms (which are already spacious and luxurious) and restore the hardwood floors. “It’s about preserving this historic house,” Tonia said. “We’re doing it in a way that keeps the charm, but also in a way that will preserve it for another hundred years.”

To serve their guests in a greater capacity, the couple also intends to remodel the kitchen and build a grand carriage house where the existing shed is located.

At the heart of it all is a desire for connection and community – for their guests as much as for themselves.

“We spent our life in a corporate environment; everything is at a distance. It’s an insular environment. Spiritually, we needed connection,” Dave explained.

For Tonia, an integral part of that connection is caring for people. She went to culinary school in her 20s to be a chef, but when she and Dave started a family, she put that dream aside to focus on raising their children.

The kids are long grown. “They don’t need us as much,” Tonia said. “Now it’s our time.” The high school sweethearts, who have known each other since they were 15, are taking a new road together, and loving every minute.

Each morning Tonia makes a three-course breakfast from scratch. She begins with a breakfast board that guests can select from – for example, a grapefruit panna cotta served with a delectable scone and fresh fruit. After leisurely enjoying the first course with juice, coffee or tea, espresso, or a mimosa, Tonia brings out the next two courses together.

Guests love her blueberry French toast with maple sausage, or her freshly baked biscuits and gravy. As Dave describes it, “Her menu is always elevated without being faux fancy or unfamiliar.”

And of course, there is always a stash of homemade cookies in the foyer for guests or visitors. The house favorite is oatmeal raisin, but Tonia loves to bake with seasonal flavors and ingredients.

There’s a well-stocked fridge with complimentary glass bottled sodas to sip while lounging in the many cozy nooks throughout the property, happy hour each afternoon, and s’mores kits for evening campfire hangouts.

The owners go above and beyond expectations to create a purely joyful experience for their guests. As soon as they walk through the large wooden front door, guests are greeted with such a warm welcome that they feel as if they’ve just arrived at the home of dear friends. When Dave overheard one group talking about a football game going on, he set up a TV outside so they could watch the game.

“I love it, it’s exhausting,” they say in the same breath. “We’re putting in 14-hour days and we’re so bone tired. But then you sit down in front of your laptop and a new review will pop up and it’s just feeds you,” Tonia said.

They’ve received more than 70 five-star reviews on Trip Advisor since June. One review entitled “You want to go back” said: “The staff delivered unparalleled service, which was beyond anything I have experienced. The ambiance and everything associated with the stay was par excellence.”

All raved about the food, with one reviewer saying Tonia could “open a restaurant anywhere and the people would come” and another saying it was “by far the best breakfasts we’ve ever had at a B&B (or hotel stay)!”

Perhaps even more remarkable than the dozens upon dozens of rave reviews are the responses from the owners. Each one is unique, heartfelt, and tailored to the specific guest.

Though not stated, what people are feeling is, simply, love. Because for Tonia and Dave, the relationship with their guests is reciprocal. “It’s filling me up in a way I never knew was accessible in life,” Dave said.

“To be honest, it’s unbelievable,” the couple said. “In reflection of a day or a week, we’ve cried many times in pure joy. We are 100 percent where we need to be.”

Visit the White Doe Inn at the Manteo Preservation Trust Holiday Tour on Saturday, December 7 from 1 to 6 p.m.

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