Some of the best travel experiences begin with a place that makes you feel at home. When Pigs Fly Inn and Flying Pigs Provisions offer visitors a warm welcome, local flavor, and genuine hospitality that reflect the charm of the community. This month's Small Business Spotlight features owners Jeff Furst and Linda Harrington, who turned their dream of finding the perfect place to call home into a destination where guests can relax, explore, and experience the best of Washington, NC.
Upon arriving in Washington, they were struck by the town's charm, especially the picturesque Main Street along the waterfront. At that time, Washington had many boarded-up buildings, and the City of Washington's Phase 1 streetscape project was still in the future. Still, they saw potential in the vacant spaces and recognized an opportunity for growth.
In 2016, Jeff and Linda purchased The Moss House Bed & Breakfast, originally built in 1902, giving it new life when they reopened its doors in 2017 as the "When Pigs Fly Inn.". Along with this purchase, they partnered with one of their best friends from high school, Brett Ottaway, to acquire the Scoops Ice Cream and Flying Pigs Provisions building, located within the Historic Harbor District in Downtown Washington.
One year after moving to Washington, their retirement plans took a turn when Jeff's position was eliminated due to downsizing. Things began to unfold quickly for them, as they had no prior experience running an inn, developing and managing a commercial building, or operating a retail store.
Jeff described their sudden move into retirement while managing the inn and retail store as "a crazy leap of faith." However, both Jeff and Linda emphasized that their success wouldn't have been possible without support from the community within Washington.
With five years of business ownership and eight years of innkeeping under their belt, we set out to learn more about their journey--the challenges they've faced, the lessons they've learned, and why they see Washington as the perfect place to start a business.
Why did you choose the name "Flying Pigs" for your businesses?
Linda and I have been together for twenty years and married for ten. Before we met, a gentleman once asked Linda out, to which she thought, "Sure--when pigs fly." Instead of saying that out loud, she politely declined with a simple "no, thank you." When she later told her friends about the exchange--explaining that she had thought "when pigs fly" but only said "no"--they latched onto it, and flying pigs quickly became their inside joke.
Over the years, Linda's friends have gifted her every kind of flying pig imaginable--mugs, shirts, earrings, magnets, wall art, cards, you name it. So, a dozen or so years back, when we were sitting on the porch of our Raleigh home--surrounded by all those flying pigs--thinking about what to call a future retirement business, the answer was obvious. And that's how Flying Pig Provisions and When Pigs Fly Inn came to be.
If you have ever faced a challenge as a business owner, could you share that experience and how you overcame it?
One of the challenges we had was recent. We had a pipe burst in one of our second floor guest rooms. Severely damaged that room and it completely destroyed the dining room beneath.
As luck would have it, we had a dear friend watching the inn while we were in Atlanta for a weekend with some of our children. It was discovered at 2 am! Our friend called 911 for assistance, who else would answer at 2 am?. The 911 operator was familiar with the inn and contacted someone from the City's Public Works Department, who came out by 4 a.m. to shut off the water at the street.
We learned about it at 8:30AM and within an hour there was mediation and restoration crew on site taking pictures, documenting, clearing out the fallen ceiling and walls, putting in fans. Why so quick? Because in a community like Washington you get to know people, including electricians, plumbers, HVAC professionals. People who can get things done. One of those we met, and has become a dear friend, owns a Restoration and Mitigation company. I called him and he was at our place literally immediately. They rushed the work to get the guest room back up and running first, allowing us to keep using it, then focused on our dining room...which took longer but did not interfere with our business since it was our private dining room. The moral: Living in a small tight knit community makes a big difference...especially when the wheels fall off.
What advice would you give to others looking to start their own small business? Why should they consider Washington for their next endeavor?
What advice would I give to someone thinking of starting their business? Do what you love, what suits you, something that when you imagine yourself doing it every day that is exciting to you. I think a lot of people focus on the money, or "this is a great idea", but don't think it through to the detail of what you'll actually be doing day-in and day-out. Earning a good income is important, but if you dislike the work, you might as well be working for someone else. The true purpose of starting your own business is to enjoy what you do--without that, what's the point?
Also, flexibility is important. At the store, our ideas of what people want to buy are sometimes just plain wrong. We have to experiment and keep an open mind. The inn is much the same. For example, we love our portico covered patio that goes around three sides of the inn. Many guests don't seem to appreciate it as much as we do. We are now looking to create more interior space for socializing since people don't seem to use the outdoor space as much. Watch, learn, adjust.
Why start a business in Washington? Washington is small business friendly. I think back on all the people and resources that supported us throughout our journey:
The citizens of Washington. Linda and I have been welcomed with open arms by the people of this town, and when you move to a place where you know no one, that is inexpressibly meaningful and wonderful. Our gratitude for that is unending. Beaufort Community College's Small Business Center where Linda and I took their entire "Starting a Small Business" curriculum The Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce that is one of the most dynamic, active and well-run organizations I've ever come across.
The City of Washington that worked hand-in-hand with us as we felt our way along these "starting-a- business" roads we never traveled before along with providing façade grants over the years. The Washington Harbor District Alliance (WHDA) an organization hyper-focused on the downtown and waterfront. The Washington Tourism Development Authority (WTDA) for marketing our town to the right people and the right places. All available to you. All designed to help you. All wanting you to succeed
You both have been involved with the community over the years. Why is it so important to get engaged in the community?
When a community gives you so much, when it allows you to live your best life, it's not hard to feel obligated, in the best of ways, to give back...and to try to help make it better still. So Linda and I have happily done so. Plus both the inn and the store are gateways new people come through when they visit Washington. Because of that we meet a lot of people on the same retirement search we were on 15 years ago. We know what they're doing; what they're
looking for; what questions they have. We had them too. We've been where they are. And it's a win-win. They get their questions answered. We get to see the town anew through their eye's. Re-energizes us all over again.
What do you love most about Washington?
We love most what drew us here in the first place: The beauty, the community and the peace and quiet.
Also, the waterfront - we actually bought a boat for the first time in our lives. Going out on the water is always a joy - one we discovered after our move here. We also love the slower pace here, less traffic. And the greenery. We're excited about the new plantings by the city and organizations like Re-Leaf and can't wait until these trees are grown. Washington is great and keeps getting better.
