Kevin Ault A Change of Seasons
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~story and photos by Boris Ladwig
n a recent frigid but sunny afternoon, the high-pitched whine of a circular saw echoed through an empty room that will soon house a new bar and restaurant at The Seasons. Sparks from the saw provided scarce illumination as co-owner and General Manager Kevin Ault said that he hopes the new eatery, to be called Rafters, can host patrons as early as this spring. The space appeared largely unfinished at the time of our interview, with new windows serving as one of the hints that crews were making progress on the roughly $3 million project. Ault and his business partners hope the overhaul will bring the hotel in line with predilections of millennials and Generation Z, who, Ault said, are now his biggest customer base and generally prefer high-end pub grub to fancy dinners served on white tablecloths.
20 Our Brown County March/April 2021
To be sure, some of the former restaurant’s signature dishes, including fried chicken and biscuits with apple butter, will return, as will some design elements from the old dining room, which was dominated by antiques and wooden beams. Ault said Rafters will have more of a pub feel, with lots of TVs, tuned primarily to sports. The hotel overall will have a more modern design, focusing on elements of wood, stone, and metal. New walkways, for example, will be made from concrete and steel. While Ault’s involvement with the company dates back only to 2016, his experience in the Brown County’s hospitality industry has lasted decades and includes stints at local hotels and service for nonprofit and government entities such as the Brown County Music Center, the local school board, and the Convention and Visitors Commission, which oversees the innkeeper’s tax distribution.
