Synopsis: Foodies West, Gordon Watkins, Owner/Innkeeper at the Inn at 410, Flagstaff, Arizona

 “Every recipe is borrowed from someone else, somewhere,” said Watkins Watkins, owner of the 10-room Inn at 410 bed and breakfast in Flagstaff, talking about how he changes recipes to fit his style. “You just change it. It’s no big deal because Watkins comes with some great experience. His first job as a baker in a family smorgasbord restaurant in upstate New York had him making “a whole array of things.” From there, he became a cook and bartender, went to hotel school and got a job at the Ritz Carlton and then Hyatt International. The Ritz Carlton taught Watkins to understand people’s expectations and to meet each one. At Hyatt, he traveled the world developing hotels. “People remember people,” Watkins said about his experience in the upper echelon of the hospitality business and how he continues it in his bed and breakfast. “They remember their behaviors and interactions. They remember the human element of a place—the staff, the dog. You respect what people want.”