What has it meant for Brad and Susan Cochennet to run the Gufler Mansion since 2016?
The couple came on KVOE’s Morning Show on Monday to discuss their time running the mansion, the evolution of the business, their recent announcement of selling the property and their path forward once the mansion is sold. The Cochennets bought the Gufler as a way to take care of Brad’s mother, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, before going full-bore into a bed-and-breakfast business model. Brad Cochennet says the Gufler has become a “bus station” of sorts, bustling with activity, and he’s loved it.
Susan Cochennet says there’s the 30,000-foot view of Emporia as a great place to live. Then there’s the personal view of making residents feel welcomed and, to a large degree, loved.
Besides settling near Houston, the Cochennets say they have no plans to start a bed-and-breakfast once they get moved. Locally, though, they say they want a buyer who’s willing to keep the Gufler open as a bed-and-breakfast — and, according to Brad Cochennet, serve as “stewards” of the mansion and the people either staying on a short-term basis or using the facility for weddings and other events. There have been several interested parties so far. The Cochennets say they will use a traditional realtor sale process if the property does not sell in the next several months. Susan Cochennet also says the move to Texas helps the couple take care of her parents while putting them closer to four of their six children and six of their nine grandchildren.
