Blair County native and Bishop Guilfoyle High School graduate Debra Olinger Miller poses in a room at Cain Manor Inn, a bed and breakfast she co-owns, which is ranked No. 4 on a list of the top historic bed and breakfasts in the nation. Photo provided
Blair County native Debra Olinger Miller is a retired dark chocolate researcher, co-owner of an award-winning historic bed and breakfast in McKean County and president of the Pennsylvania Association of Bed & Breakfast Inns, also known as PABBI.
Miller and her husband, Ben, own the Cain Manor Inn, which was ranked #4 in the country by Newsweek readers in their Top 10 Historic Bed & Breakfast Inns in America. This recent award was awarded after a month-long public voting program of an initial 15 historic inns nominated by a variety of prominent travel writers. Cain Manor was nominated by freelance travel writer Robin Smith.
Debra’s foreshadowing of becoming an innkeeper came while she was working in research and development at Hershey Company, researching the health benefits of dark chocolate. When 21-year-old summer intern Allison Brown arrived without a place to stay, Debra welcomed her temporarily into her home and has been her mentor ever since.
“I studied food science at the University of Illinois, so this was my first foray into the industry,” Brown said. “I learned to be professional, but still relate to others. She’s a very friendly and cordial person. She has a bubbly personality, very happy, engaging and outgoing.”
Brown said Miller is good at juggling many different things, adding: “She has a positive attitude towards life.”
Brown has stayed at Cain Manor before and said the inn reflected Debra’s personality.
“She created a positive, relaxed, warm and inviting environment,” Brown said.
Set on 10 acres on the edge of Kane Borough and bordering Allegheny National Forest, the Georgian Revival mansion attracts outdoor and nature-loving clients, as well as international visitors who come to see Niagara Falls. Canadians also often stop by on their trips south.
The couple purchased the 10-bedroom mansion house and a separate five-bedroom guest house (across the street) and combined the properties into a 10-acre package before the pandemic began in 2020. After moving from Hershey to Kane, the couple began renovations while Debra continued working in Washington, D.C., for two years as senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the National Confectioners Association.
“We reevaluated what was important to us and didn’t want to go back to traveling 85 percent of the time,” she explained. “We really love being here.”
In their first four years, they have seen 4,000 visitors and many more returning visitors. For reference, Kane has a resident population of approximately 3,500, according to the most recent census. Debra is part of the local Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the borough council.
“It’s a really nice place and a lot of people want to come and experience country town life for a few days. There are no fast food chains other than Subway. There’s no Walmart. It’s outdated,” she said.
The couple, with a staff of seven, remains very active in the historic 18,000-square-foot home built by Union Brigadier General Thomas Cain, who raised a large regiment known for its marksmanship.
The couple, who have been married for 31 years, are joined by their son, Riley, who manages the guesthouse.
Breakfast preparation begins at 7 a.m. each morning, with Debra and Ben taking turns. Debra makes omelets and frittatas, then calls in Ben, the “pancake and waffle wizard.” Staff arrive and serve breakfast to guests before moving on to room cleaning.
“When you own your own business, you end up doing a little bit of everything, even cleaning toilets,” she said.
By noon the inn is cleaned and rooms are ready for guests who start arriving around 2pm.
“We try to meet everyone who comes in and give them a little tour,” Debra says, “we talk to them at breakfast, when they’re walking around the house and when they leave. You have to love talking to people to do this job.”
Rose Mape, a Camp Hill resident and former PABBI board member, describes Debra as an “outgoing person” with “a lot of original ideas.” Mape selected Debra to serve on the PABBI board, and Debra currently serves as president of the 175-member association. Pennsylvania is the second-highest state in the country for bed and breakfasts, behind California.
The couple’s purchase of the property was “unique” because the inn came with a liquor license, Mape says. “They jumped into action and renovated the former speakeasy in the basement, bringing it back to its heyday. They’re very savvy and they’ve put a lot of effort and money into restoring it. It’s really beautiful.”
Mirror reporter Pat Keith can be reached at 814-949-7030.
Mirror File
Name: Debra Ollinger Miller
Age: 58
Residence: Kane, McKean County
Family: Husband Ben Miller, daughter Erin, son Riley, and mother Joy Olinger of Altoona
Education: Bishop Guilfoyle High School, 1984; Juniata College, BA in English and Biology, 1988; Pennsylvania State University, PhD in Nutrition and Biobehavioral Health, 1996
Occupation: Owner of Cain Manor Inn since 2020. Senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the National Confectioners Association (2019-22). Director of nutrition at The Hershey Company (2004-18). Has also worked at DuPont, Johns Hopkins University, and more.
Community service: Kane Borough Councilman, President of the Kane Chamber of Commerce, President of PA Bed & Breakfast Inns (since 2022), Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Harrisburg Chapter of the American Red Cross (2017-20)
Awards/Honors: Industry Contribution Award by the International Life Sciences Institute, 2016; Industry Advisor Award by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2014; Young Investigator Award by the International Life Sciences Institute, 1994
