SBA’s 2024 New Hampshire Woman-Owned Business of the Year Danielle Jones ~ Abenaki Trail Restaurant and Pub ~ North Conway
Abenaki Trail Restaurant and Pub was born out of a labor of love for food, service, and community. Danielle Jones made the decision to start this small independently owned restaurant after serving for many years on the corporate side of the industry working at popular chains like TGIF, Applebee’s, and Weathervane Seafoods. She took her past experiences and combined it with her desire to create something different for herself, her customers, and her team to establish a unique business model where employees come first. This model and mantra led to Abenaki Trail Restaurant and Pub’s success and its selection as this year ‘SBA’s New Hampshire Woman-Owned Business of the Year’.
Women business owners are growing across the country and New Hampshire is no exception with an impressive 34% of registered businesses reporting as women owned. This is a testament to the remarkable accomplishments and contributions of women leaders in the Granite State like Danielle Jones.
While working in larger corporate restaurants, Danielle recognized that employees could make or break an operation. This sparked her mission to create a workplace environment where employees are the top priority. Abenaki Trail Restaurant and Pub opened in 2013 as an independent owned and operated restaurant in the tourist town of North Conway. Over the years, the company has experienced tremendous growth and is publicly recognized by Business Inside, Boston News Channel, and ranked #1 on Trip Advisor for the past two years, competing with 56 area restaurants, for their amazing food and service. Danielle is grateful for the support of her hard-working staff, the loyalty of their customers, and the many tourists who have all played a crucial role in the restaurant’s success. Understanding that employees are her most valuable asset, Danielle prioritizes the teams’ work-life experience and even sets aside a portion of revenues to fund a week's vacation each year to show her appreciation for their hard work and loyalty. This has fostered a strong sense of unity and camaraderie among the team and formed a close-knit family built on shared values and mutual dedication. Danielle gives her all to her team and her business, but also manages to regularly volunteer and support local non-profit events. Recently, Danielle had planned a 10th anniversary party for the business but shifted those efforts to a fundraiser for a regular patron who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. She truly is always thinking of others.
“I’ve had the honor and privilege of watching this young entrepreneur dedicate herself to her business, her team, and her community. I can think of no other small business owner more deserving than Danielle Jones as SBA’s Women Business of the Year,” said nominator and lender, Jerry Bazata, Senior VP at Cambridge Bank and Trust.
“I am overjoyed by the honor of winning this award and deeply grateful for the dedication and contributions of our staff. Without their hard work and commitment, I would not have reached this milestone. We are all basking in the joy of this achievement and take great pride in how far we have come in the past 10 years. This award is a symbol of our collective efforts and progress, motivating us to continue striving for even greater success in the future”, said Danielle.
Award winners were honored at the 2024 Small Business Week celebration on Tuesday, April 30th, from 8:30 am to 11:30 am at the Tupelo Music Hall, Derry, NH.