Meet Brittany Buttrey: Director of Fitzpatrick Industries

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brittany Buttrey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittany, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I chose this question because not only has “risk-taking” been on my mind almost daily through COVID-19 (hospitality industry during a pandemic = scary), but all throughout my life’s personal and professional development.

These days, I consider myself to be a confident, capable and effective woman but I haven’t always been like this. As a youth, to say I lacked self confidence would be an understatement. Typical teenage insecurities that I took to the next level… body image struggles, constantly seeking approval, underdeveloped social skills… all the rest. And it wasn’t until I entered the work-force that I began to gain the kind of self-worth that eventually helps one overcome those types of insecurities. I learned I could gain confidence by kicking butt and taking names, over and over again. But doing so requires taking risks. Sometimes big ones.

I have never been afraid to take risks. In fact, at times, I’ve been far too unafraid and had to endure the consequences. Through the years, I’ve become better at assessing the consequences and making an informed decision before jumping off that next proverbial cliff.

Growing up financially insecure with hard-working parents taught me to fight for things I want and need. And that you often have to take risks to even get the opportunity to fight for those things.

Throughout my career, I’ve put myself “out there” time and again. Volunteering to be the point person or the leader, taking on tasks I was only 70% sure I could pull off, and asking people I admired to show me the ropes so I could soak up knowledge. And today, I’m at a place where I can say I am confident in my abilities because of it. And I will continue to put myself out there, and to take risks moving forward to grow. Never.Stop.Growing.

I’ve been in the hospitality industry for 20 years now. Starting at with the McDonald’s Corporation at the age of 15, to waiting tables at a college party restaurant, bartending high-end private soirees, working my way up to Catering Sales Manager at a family catering company that traveled all over the US doing pop-up custom events, to working for 2 of the worlds largest international food and beverage providers (Compass Group and Sodexo) in Catering Sales and Event Production roles. And now, I have a business of my own to run. Which has been the biggest risk of them all, and the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding.

What I’ve learned in my life is that without risk, there can be little to no reward. I take to heart the mantra that you can only be brave when you are afraid. And running your own business, especially one that is a boutique hotel with a pub inside during COVID, can bring about lots and lots of opportunities to be brave. But we’ve fought every step of the way to squash fear where it stands so that we can take calculated risks and reap the rewards. And the rewards have been numerous.

Before packing up our cosmopolitan lives in Atlanta and taking the BIG risk of moving to super-small-town Washington, GA to adopt a failing 120-year-old hospitality business, my husband and I did our market research. These are the kinds of calculations that give me the confidence to take big risks these days. Having a strong sense of “why” and “how” are of paramount importance. Why? We wanted to change our day-to-day quality of life. Less rat-race, more difference-making. And where else can two determined persons make HUGE impact more than a small, rural, struggling community. How? We were going to use our combined life experiences to bring the community something they told us they wanted. We spent time with the community’s city administration to find out what worked and what didn’t with the locals. But we leaned into the confidence we had built from a lifetime of risk-taking to make the move. And it paid off. Over the past two years, we’ve built a thriving hotel business, restaurant/bar, bi-weekly concert series, and growing catering division.

Some days, I admit, I get caught in the trappings of anxiety about the future. But I know myself. Risk-taking is nerve-racking sometimes, but I’ll always take them. Because I’m determined to win, determined to make a difference, and determined to not let fear keep me down.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Fitzpatrick Industries is composed of 5 projects:

1. The Fitzpatrick Hotel – a boutique hotel, built in 1898 with 17 finely appointed rooms. Focusing on timeless hospitality in a historic setting. The Fitzpatrick contains 5 event spaces including: a Grand Ballroom, a large Garden Patio, and 3 private dining/meeting rooms right on the Downtown Washington Square. Maddy’s Public House, our upscale Irish Pub, is located on the first floor.

2. Maddy’s Public House – Maddy’s is more than just a hotel bar/restaurant. It’s a destination all it’s own! Maddy’s was built with love, to pay homage to the hotel’s ancestral Irish immigrant roots as well as Tim (our investor’s) late wife Madeline who loved the town of Washington as well as the hotel long before Tim made it his own. Maddy’s serves home-made food, made fresh daily, with tons of thought and love. Its also the only place in town you can get a craft beer! Maddy’s hosts 2 concerts a week inside its walls as well as karaoke and weekly team trivia.

3. Maddy’s Catering and Events – Chef Randy Mabe of Maddy’s leads this project with his culinary prowess. Maddy’s Catering and Events is at the heart of our on-site wedding and events business and has been growing to include off-site events as well. Weddings and events are the “icing on the cake” for us. They make our business profitable and sustainable and they make us happy. We are honored to help our clients have the BEST DAY EVER full of memories they’ll hold dear all their days. What could be more gratifying than helping someone make their dreams come true?

4. Fitzpatrick Entertainment – led by Cayce Buttrey, an accomplished musician and artist. Cayce uses his lifetime of entertainment connections to bring bi-weekly live music to Washington as well as book and produce all kinds of music lineups for outdoor festivals and gatherings in town.

5. Washington Makers Market – a business pipeline for our local economy. Washington and the surrounding area is full of local makers, farmers and artisans. Many of which, dream of having their own brick and mortar. Washington Makers Market works with city/county Economic Development to provide pop-up markets geared toward both providing makers with a place to sell their wares, and experience doing so, but also professional guidance and opportunities to take their businesses to the next level.

The thing that sets all of our projects apart is two-fold:
1. We are rooted in SERVICE. Our business motto is “do well by doing good” and we live and breathe by it. What’s good for the community and its inhabitants is good for our business. And we believe that being involved in the community is our responsibility as a resident of it. From volunteering, participating on community boards, to simply helping out others in need — we see service as a necessity.
2. We truly, truly believe MORE IS MORE. In a small town with a struggling economy, fellow businesses cannot be seen as competition, but collaborators instead. We believe more businesses, even if its another restaurant, hotel, caterer, etc. are good for the community. Options keep shoppers engaged. And we make each other better.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
1. Washignton’s Downtown Square is totally unique and charming. With flower beds, a centerpiece fountain, a large green area, and a park all lined with dining and shops. Did I mention The Square is filled with friendly locals, free wifi and even some electric car charging stations!?!

2. Our local downtown boutiques, artist collectives and art galleries speak volumes about the local flair and diversity.

3. We don’t have any big box stores (Walmart, big chain groceries, etc.) We are truly a mom-and-pop community, which is so hard to find these days.

4. Washington has more antebellum and colonial homes than ANY OTHER CITY IN THE US (per capita). White column mansions and heritage gardens line our residential streets. And yes, people live in them!

5. Wilkes County contains Kettle Creek Battlefield (a Revolutionary War battlefield) which has recently gained national park designation which is going to be a massive draw for our community. Kettle Creek is significant because it was the only battle won in the state of GA by the patriot army, amongst other unique historic details.

6. For a town of 3500 residents, we have a surprising number of places to grab a drink and a meal. The Hot Box, The Square Cafe, Maddy’s Public House, Wings-n-Things, Big Chick, La Cabana de Don Juan, Aint it Guud Cafe, Washington Food Market BBQ, a food truck park with rotating selections and more! Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First, and foremost, my husband, Cayce Buttrey. He supports my dreams and helps me make them a reality. The move to rural Washington, GA was a mutual dream, but one that I admit I championed. And he trusted me, and believed in us. None of this would be possible without his hard (very hard) work and dedication to our relationship and our goal.

My parents: Thank you for raising a strong-willed, independent, tough little girl. Thank you for encouraging me to always do better. But more than anything, thank you for instilling in me the salt-of-the earth values you possess and your relentless work-ethic.

Tim Thibodeaux, our investor. Thank you for making this dream of ours a possibility. Thank you for seeing us for who we are and believing in us every day. Thank you for letting us represent your giving spirit through out work. You are our constant and our bedrock. We love you, Uncle Tim!

Thank you to all my personal and professional mentors. Thank you Lee Epting for teaching me how to make memories for my clients and all the years of grooming. Thank you to all my lady-bosses for being loving but firm with me, and caring enough about me to make me better. That’s you Emily Finke, Faythe Smith-Vanpelt, and Kinisha Perry! Thank you to Dee Lane Eades for showing me how to be a community leader through the National Association of Catering and Events. The years I spent with that organization because of you, and eventually as its Atlanta President, were so very formative for me and continue to shape my day-to-day approach to business and community involvement.

Thank you to my best friend, and Economic Development Manager for Washington, GA, Janet Parker Gregory. Your collaboration and cooperation have been a cornerstone in the success of Fitzpatrick Industries.

Finally, thank to the community of Washington-Wilkes. You are honest with us, loyal, and supportive to the moon-and-back. And I hope each and every one of you know we are here to work for you, and intend to continue to do so indefinitely.

Website: www.thefitzpatrickhotel.com; www.maddyspub.com; www.washingtonwilkesmakersmarket.com

Instagram: @thefitzpatrickhotel @maddyspub

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefitzpatrickhotel; https://www.facebook.com/maddyspub; https://www.facebook.com/washingtonwilkesmakersmarket