Bhaktas take over motel operations

Shirish and Rashmika Bhakta are the new faces at Riverside Motel in Hebron.
The Bhatkas are from Bardoli, Gujarat, India, in the southern part of the republic.
They took over motel operations Feb. 1. The couple had been searching for a motel to operate while staying with Rashmika’s sister, Parul Bhakta in Geneva, where Parul and her husband Sharvan manage the Geneva Inn.
Shirish said they thought Hebron was a nice town.
“Nice people, nice hospitality,” Shirish said.
Currently, the Bhaktas are working around the clock to ensure the motel is clean and prepared.
The couple live on site and care for eight double and 10 single rooms.
They will later renovate two single rooms to doubles, Rashmika said.
Shirish said one of the amenities at the motel is the price.
“We have the best rate,” he said. “We want to welcome out of town visitors.”
He said the motel accommodates construction companies as well.
The Bhaktas received a formal welcome from the Hebron Chamber of Commerce Feb. 26, and they are excited to build a relationship with the community and local businesses.
Rashmika was the first to emigrate to the United States from India through her mother, who was already in the States. The Bhaktas have been married for nearly five years. Shirish emigrated two years ago.
For now, the Bhaktas are settling in.
“We are working very hard and we will see what God is going to give us,” Shirish said.