Boutique Retreat plans fall opening

Rusty Rae/News-Register## Remy Flores Jr. cuts a piece of sheetrock which his father, Remy Sr., will place on the interior walls of one of the new Boutique Retreat tiny homes. The nightly lodging resort is expected to open in November on Alpine Avenue in McMinnville.

The Boutique Retreat’s nine tiny houses are substantially complete on the outside, but still need drywall, flooring and other touches inside, said Sarita Springer and Kevin Kump, owners of the new lodging site.

They’re looking forward to a fall opening for the novel type of overnight accommodations on Alpine Avenue at Ninth Street. In mid-September, they guessed their opening date would come in six to eight weeks, between late October and Thanksgiving.

With basic construction complete, workers cleaned up and graded the site in preparation for a central courtyard and gazebo, Springer said. They will lay out and pour the paths soon, as well.

Then, after the interiors are finished, she and her partner will get to the fun part: decorating. They have been collecting items to fit the nine different themes including nautical, island, and farm.

Springer and Kump originally hoped to open the Boutique Retreat in the spring of 2022. But like every other construction project these days, completion took longer than expected.

They said they’re looking at the bright side: by opening in fall, they’ll be able to “get our feet wet” with the business over the winter and have everything perfected by the busy season next spring.

They’re sure people will want to visit McMinnville over the winter. And they hope locals try the tiny houses for date nights or staycations, too.

In addition to the nine tiny homes, the Boutique Retreat property includes a remodeled house that can accommodate larger families or groups.

The site is within easy walking distance to other Granary District businesses, such as The Eyrie and other wineries, Heater Allen brewery, Mac Market, Flag & Wire Coffee and the Grain Station restaurant. It’s also close to downtown McMinnville.

Kump and Springer also suggest their guests use Boutique Retreat as a base from which to tour area wineries, visit restaurants around Yamhill County or attend local events such as the Scottish Festival, the Food & Wine Classic or the Linfield graduation.

At one point, they hoped to have an open house in conjunction with Edible Landscapes of Yamhill County’s fall produce exchange, which will take place Oct. 8 on Alpine Avenue. However, with construction delayed, they’ve called that off.

Instead, Springer said, they plan to contribute an overnight stay package to Edible Landscapes’ raffle that day. The winner will be one of the first guests at the Boutique Retreat.

The Boutique Retreat website, theboutiqueretreat.com, should be updated by early October with a reservation system in place, they said.