Jessica Congdon

Empire on Main Street

Jessica Congdon

Crista Luedtke is a serial entrepreneur. She was born into the restaurant business but didn’t follow her calling right away. She moved to San Francisco, came out as a gay woman, and eventually left behind a safe corporate job to pursue her passion of opening a hotel in the sleepy vacation town of Guerneville, two hours north of the city. A restaurant, a market, and a bar soon followed, and the town began its transformation into a thriving destination. Along the way, she weathered a flood that severely damaged her hotel, saw her marriage fall apart, and faced local resistance. A final project pushes her to the brink and changes her perspective on life, love and empire.