Ruth and her husband, Kenneth Wakefield, acquired the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts. The inn, located halfway between Boston and New Bedford, became their family business and the setting for Ruth's culinary innovation.

Under the Wakefields' management, the Toll House Inn became a popular restaurant known for its home-style meals and welcoming atmosphere. Ruth's culinary skills and hospitality were key to the inn's success.

The Toll House Inn was run successfully by the Wakefields for several decades, becoming a landmark in the area. It represented home-style cooking and hospitality.

The Wakefields sold the Toll House Inn in 1966. While the original inn burned down in 1984, its legacy as the birthplace of the chocolate chip cookie remains.