Safety First at the Ashby Inn

Safety First at the Ashby Inn

By James Jarvis

Brandon Wheeler, general manager at the Ashby Inn.

Photo by James Jarvis

Business has been booming for the Ashby Inn according to its general manager, Brandon Wheeler. Since September, Wheeler said customers have been flocking to the restaurant and lodge to experience its gourmet food, rustic historical setting, and the beautiful surrounding landscape.

Wheeler added that those first couple of months at the beginning of the statewide pandemic lockdown in March were tough. Most of the staff were furloughed, and only a few loyal customers trickled in when the Inn reopened in May.

But Wheeler said he and his staff were able to rebuild their clientele after those first few months, mainly because of how seriously they have taken the coronavirus.

“The most important thing is to follow these sanitation protocols and make people feel safe,” said Wheeler. “Show people that you’re doing the best you can do to provide safety for your guests. About a month into maybe June… people were starting to show up a little bit more in groups. We’re lucky enough that we have five different rooms that we could space people out.”

The entire staff wears masks and much time and effort is spent constantly sanitizing handrails, doorknobs, tables, and cutlery.

“I believe we did a great job of making people feel safe about our restaurant,” said Wheeler. “People are coming back for the food and the wine, and they’re noticing that our staff is maintaining the sanitizing procedures and the social distancing procedures that were installed.”

Wheeler is in his second year at Ashby. He had previously been the clubhouse manager at Evergreen Country Club in Haymarket.. After 13 years working for country clubs, this is Wheeler’s first experience with a fine dining restaurant.

“As the general manager, you’re still learning from everybody else around you who’s been doing this for quite some time,” said Wheeler. “But I feel like I’ve definitely got my feet wet. COVID has definitely thrown a little wrench in the gears, but with the team we have, the dedication, I think we’re really starting to come along very well.”

Wheeler hopes to carry the Inn’s current momentum through the winter months. Heading into the holidays, he’s also offering an option to place togo orders for Thanksgiving and probably Christmas. It’s an ambitious plan, he said, because fine dining restaurants don’t usually do that sort of thing.

“We’re just kind of playing it by ear,” said Wheeler. “We’re definitely doing things that are out of the norm with our restaurant, but I think that we’re just going to keep pushing... put our heads together and try to figure out the best way around it.”

The Inn most likely will close its patio for outside seating so they don’t jeopardize the quality of their food, but they no intention of closing in the winter unless there is a government mandate to shut down.

“It’s been quite an amazing journey,” said Wheeler. “It’s definitely opened my eyes to a whole different aspect of a restaurant. Honestly, at this point, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”