Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse, Pennsylvania, may be known today for its bustling shops, restaurants, and homemade jams, but it all started in a garage with a single kettle of jelly. Now celebrating its 71st anniversary, the family-run destination has become a beloved Lancaster County landmark, drawing locals and tourists alike.
Michelle Rodinelli, the third-generation owner of Kitchen Kettle, says it all began in August 1954 when her grandparents, Bob and Pat Burnley, took a leap of faith. “They purchased a business from a lady in Mechanicsburg,” she explained. “We bought a few of her recipes, some of her kettles, her green truck. My grandfather came home and said to my grandmother, who just had her third child, ‘I just bought a jelly business, and I’m going to need you to take the day-to-day operations.’”
Rodinelli says her grandfather was the visionary behind the endeavor, while her grandmother focused on the daily details. “Tourism was starting to become a thing. People were curious about our area, the food, and the Amish culture. The timing was just really good,” she said. “But it also took a few key partners in the community to say, yeah, let’s see if we can build a tourism community.”…