Hannah Hayes (’16) didn’t set out to open a restaurant in her hometown. But after years in the service industry, training and working with the country’s leading food distributor, US Foods, she realized her passion for selling food was fading and knew it was time for a new direction.

Hayes came to JMU as a member of the softball team. But when it came time to decide on an area of study, her teammates guided her toward Hospitality Management.

She had previously worked in a restaurant in her hometown of South Hill, Virginia. At JMU, Hayes built on that experience through the hands-on nature of her major, help from her professors in the Hart School of Hospitality, Sport and Recreation Management, and a Business minor.

“I had a little bit of a hospitality background and then fell right into the School of Hospitality,” she said.

The Hart School gave her and her fellow students invaluable experience-based learning, like Le Gourmet, an annual fundraiser dinner that challenges students to organize the event as well as staff it. Hayes had the opportunity to lead the team in her senior year.

“Not everyone gets that hands-on experience of throwing a big fundraiser like that and working so closely with the staff,” she shared.

Experiences like these, alongside required internship hours, supplied Hayes with ample networking opportunities while fostering lasting relationships with professors. It was about “boots on the ground, working in the field, especially in the hospitality industry,” she said. “We have no idea what is going to happen each and every day, and that’s kind of the best part. You’re not going to get that type of experience in the classroom, but what they can do and what they did teach us was the critical thinking part — how to network and reach out and ask for help and make those connections. And that’s just huge.”

Most of Hayes’ summer internships while in college focused on five-star resorts. “I thought I wanted to do something in a higher-end, boutique hotel,” she said. However, after graduation, she discovered a new passion for sales and applied for a position as a sales representative with US Foods in Raleigh, North Carolina. For nearly five years, she was in and out of hotels and restaurants.

“My hometown is small, so I was excited when I got the job in Raleigh. But once I got my feet on the ground and worked in a large corporate company, I decided that I wasn’t as passionate about it as I thought,” Hayes said. “I wanted to try to do something on my own.”

It was around this time that Hayes’ family began renovating an old school building in South Hill, starting with the conversion of the classrooms into 52 apartments.

She recalls thinking, “Man, our town really could use another restaurant,” and with that, the school auditorium and cafeteria were allocated for restaurant space. As they questioned who would fulfill the vision they had for the space, Hayes took it as a sign.

In January 2020, Hayes left her job at US Foods, and the following month, with help from a “great team” and “hard-core” work, 313 Franklin — a steakhouse and catering company — had opened its doors. “It was really a leap of faith,” Hayes said of the restaurant, which also offers an event space called The Dogwood.

“I always wanted to be my own boss, and this was a good opportunity. I was able to build the right team to help me get it going.”

Her restaurant has grown to include lunch and dinner service, catering, and banquet services with staff on- and off-site. “We do casual lunch, but then steak, seafood, pastas and craft cocktails at dinner.”

Hayes reflected on a themed dinner group project she was required to do each year while at school. “I studied and prepared for that one event all year,” she said. Now, as a restaurant owner, she plans and executes catered events multiple times a week.

Hayes’ journey over the past several years has impressed upon her the importance of learning and growing.

“My advice to those starting out in the hospitality field would be to try something different. Don’t be scared of something that’s outside of your comfort zone. Go work for a different company. All of those experiences while you’re young are going to shape you and create a path for you as you get older. You can’t really unlearn something … you’ll carry it with you.”