Zack Cranford, a local restauranteur, has been stirring things up in the Catawba County hospitality scene for more than a decade, starting with Granny’s Country Kitchen, a family business with three locations and more than 75 employees. Since then, he and his partners have developed or revitalized other restaurant and beverage establishments including Standard Oyster, Charolais Steakhouse, Cranford Bros BBQ, Main Chick, and most recently, City Walk Brewing and Distilling.
“There are two types out there”, he explains. “People who let it happen and people who make it happen.” (He’s in the latter group of course, and if you work alongside him, you’re probably in that group too since it’s a core value of his business.)
“I was always hustling growing up,” Zack said. “That was just my mentality. I was trying to serve at the restaurant to get cash to do whatever. I love the freedom of entrepreneurship.” He loved it so much, in fact, that he went off to college to study it—then came home and dived right into growing the family business.
After expanding Granny’s Country Kitchen, the family went a totally different direction and opened an oyster bar, Standard Oyster. That venture earned them street cred. The Charolais Steakhouse project followed, which proved they could succeed across multiple dining segments.
“I think there might've been some hesitation on why is a diner buying a steakhouse? It doesn't necessarily make sense on the surface, but what we were able to do there is prove that we're more of a full-service hospitality. We can do anything. We're not limited to a single type of restaurant.”
Their latest project, City Walk Brewing and Distilling, is a game-changer, bringing a big-city feel to the area. You’ll be hard-pressed to find something similar within a 45-mile radius.
As a family business whose core value is to make things happen, when it was time to choose a financial partner who would support them in their mission, they went with Peoples Bank, a bank they believed could make things happen, too.
“They've been our everyday bank, our relationship bank as well; as we've grown, what they've offered has also grown with us,” Zack says. “Everybody there is super friendly. They all know us and if there's ever anything we need, they don't hesitate to step up. They’re just a great resource.”
That commitment to service has made a big difference in helping this family business navigate financing for acquisitions, expansions, and working capital needs—and for everyday products as well. For example, they’ve saved a lot of time using remote deposit capture for the brewery since that side of the business processes more checks for payment.
After college, Zack could have gone anywhere to work, but he chose to go back to Hickory and support his hometown. Over the last few years, he’s observed a lot of growth and changes especially pertaining to food and live music. Seems you can get just about anything here today, whereas 15 years ago, pickings were slimmer, limited mainly to fish camps, diners and fast food. He’s excited that people around here—including himself—are pushing the envelope.
“In 2016, having an oyster bar in Hickory might have been a little questionable or maybe even a little stupid, but I think entrepreneurs can be a little blind sometimes, and it worked out,” he said. “We were going to see if it would stick, and it stuck. So, I think our community is changing. There's more culture. They're more open to new ideas. And they're more open to trying things.”
Another key reason he works with Peoples Bank, he said, is because he wanted a partner who understood his community. Who shared his passion for—and was equally invested in—local hometown growth.
There’s a lot of revitalization in the downtown area, Zack observes. Look down Main Avenue and you see new buildings coming up. New businesses coming in. It's just an exciting time to be a part of Hickory, he adds.
If you want to be exceptional in the hospitality industry—or in just about any business—it helps to have a humble servant mentality. Zack is determined to do right by the people he serves every single time. That goes for his customers—and his employees.
“That's one of the reasons we do it, and why we love doing it,” he said. “It's to have a place that our customers can enjoy, but also our staff and our team is proud to be a part of.”
His advice to other entrepreneurs—or people who want to make things happen? There's no better time than now: “Don't be afraid to jump off that ledge and go in. If you're going to do it, go all in.”
