What is the name of the inn where Lorelai works at the start of Gilmore Girls?

Lorelai works at the Independence Inn at the start of Gilmore Girls.

The Independence Inn is the workplace where Lorelai serves as an executive manager during the early part of the series. She works there with Sookie St. James, the talented chef who becomes her close friend and business partner.

The inn is important because it connects Lorelai's professional life to the show's central community. It is also where she develops the experience and confidence that eventually allow her to open her own lodging business. The Independence Inn later closes after a fire, creating the opportunity for Lorelai and Sookie to establish the Dragonfly Inn.

The Independence Inn and the Dragonfly Inn are therefore easy to mix up. The former is Lorelai's original workplace, while the latter is the inn she opens with Sookie after leaving her earlier job.