A hospitality leap

Wiggins’s first foray into hospitality came when he and his wife, Gretchen, bought a wine bar on Bainbridge Island, just outside Seattle. The bar thrived for three years, becoming a community hub. But when Wiggins’ youngest went off to college, he said they found themselves looking for something new.

That search led them to the Columbia River Gorge, where they had often traveled for food, wine, and hiking. They found an inn for sale and decided to pursue it as their next undertaking. They sold their home, packed up everything, and began renovations on the inn.

Wiggins said the dream for the RubyJune Inn has always been to make it a place of community and gathering. Even the name reflects their family and community connections. Ruby refers to his mom, who worked in UR's finance department. June was Gretchen’s grandma and the matriarch of the holiday get-togethers.

“They both had a great sense of humor and hospitality spirits,” Wiggins said.

They purchased the inn in 2019 and spent six months renovating the property, reworking every room. They opened in March 2020 — for just eight days. The COVID-19 pandemic forced them to temporarily shut down.

Despite the early setback, the inn reopened later that year, relying on friends, word of mouth, and a vision rooted in connection. Over time, RubyJune became a destination not only for travelers but also for people seeking a personal, intentional experience.

“It’s a tiny little inn,” said Wiggins. “But it’s a very high-touch experience. We’re very engaged with our guests.”

In addition to lodging, the inn introduced a Chef’s Collective in its first year, a rotating series of five-course dinners with wine pairings featuring chefs from across Oregon and Washington, which has since become a cornerstone of the business.

Roots, relationships, and Richmond

Some of the guests Wiggins welcomes each year are fellow University of Richmond alumni. He said attending UR always felt like the right fit. While many of his high school classmates attended large state universities, Wiggins was drawn to the intimacy of a smaller school.

“I loved being at a smaller university,” said Wiggins, who played soccer at UR and was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha. “The class sizes were perfect, and I truly made lifelong friendships in Richmond.”

Those friendships have endured for decades. Many classmates now make RubyJune a final stop on Pacific Northwest trips, flying into Portland, exploring the coast and wine country, and ending their journey at the inn.

“We’ve become, sort of, the final destination for that week-long Oregon venture,” Wiggins said. “It’s been an opportunity to reconnect.”

Wiggins believes the values he absorbed at Richmond continue to shape his approach to hospitality today.

“The purpose of the university and the college experience is to teach you how to learn and how to apply,” he said. “The university experience was foundational to anything I’ve done in my life.”

Looking forward

That emphasis on lasting connection mirrors Wiggins’s experience at Richmond, where relationships forged in classrooms, on the soccer field, and within his fraternity have endured well beyond graduation. Wiggins said he remains in close contact with nearly a hundred classmates, a testament to the bonds formed at a small university.

Those relationships often resurface at RubyJune, where alumni reunions unfold over shared meals, long conversations, and repeat visits. For Wiggins, it is a full-circle moment — watching the same community that shaped him come back together, thousands of miles from campus, in a place built on the same values.