KEVIN AULT continued from 21 cooks is doing maintenance work and painting. Ault said he expects a major hiring spree shortly before Rafters opens.
Ault said he still works about 50 to 60 hours per week, though that’ s less than he put in before the slowdown. He said his wife keeps teasing him about his reduced hours, asking when he’ s going to go back to work full-time.
Ault said his business partners tell him that he has a tough time delegating. He says he just likes being hands-on.
Despite the slowdown, uncertainties regarding the pandemic and the significant investments, Ault said he expects the hotel to generate a profit. The business partners used their own money for the upgrades, so they’ re not facing any pressure from lenders.
While Ault describes himself as a workaholic, Brown County Schools Superintendent Laura Hammack said the first word that comes to her mind when talking about Ault is“ service.” He has given back to the community in just about
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36 West Franklin Street at the trolley stop • Nashville
22 Our Brown County March / April 2021 every domain, she said, from serving on the school board to supporting charitable causes such as running concession stands to raise money for local athletes.
Hammack, who is in her fifth year as superintendent, said Ault supports the community with a positive attitude and an open mind and an open heart. He gives great bear hugs when people might be down, and he is quick to smile and provide encouragement, she said.
“ There’ s just a joy about him that is absolutely contagious,” Hammack said.
Ault has made his commercial spaces available for fundraising events, and often at cost, without publicizing that information or wanting credit for it, Hammack said. For example, a successful fundraiser for the Brown County Resource Center took place in January 2020.
That’ s just one of dozens of examples through which Ault has supported the community, Hammack said.
Ault said he views his community service as an opportunity to grow, and, he said, the community has given a lot to him.
Perhaps it comes as no surprise that Ault, a self-described workaholic, said he likes to spend his infrequent spare time doing work on his rental properties or in his yard, especially mowing his big lawn, at his home about nine miles from Nashville.
“ I’ m a die-hard lawn mower,” he said. It runs in the family— his mother Linda, who is 78, still mows her lawn.
The hospitality business, too, has become a family affair. Both of Ault’ s children waited tables at Hotel Nashville and told him when they were younger that they did not want to be in the restaurant business. But both have followed in their father’ s footsteps.
Meghan Williams, 34, worked at Applebee’ s in college and stayed with the chain for about a decade, beginning as a waitress and leaving as a manager. Wesley Ault, 32, also worked at Applebee’ s and managed restaurants in Columbus and Edinburgh before joining Tap Brewery in Bloomington as general manager.
Ault’ s two primary business partners are older than 70, and Ault is starting to work on a succession plan. Meghan serves as restaurant and catering manager and Ault hopes Wesley, too, will join the business.
Ault said the three had worked together for a long time, catering events, and he would be excited to have them all back together again. •