By Eartha Watts Hicks
“Checked Inn” is the new unscripted series, presented by OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. Monique Greenwood, Glenn Pogue and Glynn Pogue are the loving family that built the Awkaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns empire.
Monique Greenwood is the former editor-in-chief of Essence magazine, the premier magazine for black women. Roughly 22 years ago, she and her husband, Glynn Pogue, launched the first of the Awkaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns from their Brooklyn home. Awkaaba! The word translates as ‘Welcome!’ in Twi, an Akan language spoken in Ghana.
From the start, the Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast brand has taken hospitality to a whole new level. And for those wondering how this family made it happen, Glynn Pogue, says, “We had to make some sacrifices, starting in the biggest one allowing [guests] to be inside the house with us. Right there, that cut out a lot of stuff, like my boys coming over to watch the game, golf clubs in the hallway, and noise, that kind of thing.”
Awkaaba Bed & Breakfast Inns now boasts 5 locations Brooklyn, NY (flagship); Washington, DC; Cape May, NJ; and 2 locations in the Poconos and surrounding areas, including the former Woolworth estate.
“The reality of the reality is that probably five years ago, we started getting calls from production companies who thought that we might make a great subject for a reality show, calls from different production companies,” Monique Greenwood, “Just before the New Year, we decided to sign with Lions Gate Entertainment. They package the show and they took it to various Networks and OWN expressed interest and we couldn’t have been more thrilled. We knew that it would be the show that would represent not only us (personally) well but all of us very well. And that was really critical to us. It’s an amazing opportunity.”
Monique Greenwood, with a family history of entrepreneurship, hopes to someday hand over the Akwaaba brand and legacy on to her daughter, Glynn Pogue. Glynn, herself, has her own passion, aspirations of becoming a writer (and an agent, as well). This complicated dynamic is sure to unravel itself onscreen.
This new docu-series, presented by OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, promises to be a reality to enjoy. One as inspiring as it Is entertaining. Filming takes place in their newest pride and joy, the former Woolworth estate, The Mansion at Noble Lane in the Poconos area.
“Checked Inn” premieres Tuesday, November 21, 2017, at 10 pm ET/PT on OWN
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Eartha Watts Hicks is editor-in-chief of Harlem World Magazine, member of The Harlem Writers Guild and author/publisher of Love Changes. www.HarlemWorldMag.com, www.earthatone.com. Connect @Earthatone.
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