Bed and breakfast with a modern twist

[attach]4846[/attach]Those near and dear to Jeremy Greer call him Jare, which is one of the reasons why he chose to give his bed and breakfast the same moniker.

“I just thought Jare’s Place was kind of like the guy next door or your friend Jare’s place rather than Jeremy’s place,” he explains.

Since last August he’s been running Jare’s Place, which has three rooms available. Located near Bain and Broadview avenues, the rooms range in colour from a vivid green apple to more neutral tones.

Greer says he applied some of the theories he learned from his past as a professional organizer to the design and décor of the house. He says he wanted to create a look that was more modern than a traditional Victorian-style bed and breakfast. As a result, he says he’s also able to house clients with allergies.

“My one point that I actually have made is to make the rooms as neat and as desirable when it comes to space,” he says. “So everything is kind of hip and new and clear and clutter-free.”

Greer says every morning he changes up what he serves his guests for breakfast. They can expect anything from scrambled eggs and pancakes to French toast and eggs Benedict.

“I’ve had so many great guests,” he says. “I’ve literally had such good conversations with guests that I’ve had people send me postcards on their trips.”

Greer says the business was a natural progression after he started hosting international students in 2009. Although he’s still working from 7 a.m. until around 11 p.m., he says it’s a bit easier to manage.

“I had the first guest and was like, ‘wow, you don’t have to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for somebody,’” he says. “They come here on their own accord, they’re here to see the city.”

Although he says he put a lot of effort into attracting guests from around the world, he says most of his guests have come from local references.

“I never thought so many neighbours would book me,” he says. “I get so many people’s parents, or (a) sister that’s in from Vancouver.”

Although he says it wasn’t his intended market when he started, now that he’s received so much support from the neighbourhood he does his best to give back to the community.

“Now I do more community brunches and we sponsor things in the neighbourhood because I get more support from my neighbourhood than I do internationally,” he says.