The Story Behind Andrus Hospitality: From Hospitality Education to Consulting

I officially introduced Andrus Hospitality to the community in May 2016 at Clearstory, an event space within the historic Pajama Factory in Williamsport, Pennsylvania—now known as Clerestory Ballroom.

The decision to launch my own hospitality consulting and event planning company came after years of teaching in higher education while simultaneously working part-time in the hospitality industry and helping friends launch their own hospitality businesses. Eventually, I made the difficult decision to leave higher education altogether and pursue my passion for hospitality, entrepreneurship, event planning, and business development.

The event space at the Pajama Factory was not new to me. In fact, it was deeply connected to my personal history. The space had gone through generations of different uses—from a garment factory where my grandmother once worked, to an underage nightclub when I was in high school, to a part-time wedding venue that needed someone to breathe new life into it.

In many ways, Andrus Hospitality was born from a desire to practice what I had been teaching.

I never wanted to be the professor who was so far removed from the industry that students felt I didn’t understand what was actually happening in the real world. I wanted to experience the challenges, opportunities, and rewards of the hospitality industry firsthand—and bring those experiences back to the classroom.

So, I left higher education and followed my passion.

That entrepreneurial experience became an important part of my professional journey. Running an event venue provided firsthand experience in hospitality operations, event management, customer service, marketing, business development, and entrepreneurship. It reinforced something I had always believed: some of the most valuable lessons in hospitality come from actually doing the work.

Eventually, I was given the opportunity to return to higher education, this time in an administrative role rather than solely as a professor. That transition led me to reshape Andrus Hospitality into the hospitality consulting company it is today.

Today, Andrus Hospitality brings together decades of experience in hospitality management, higher education, entrepreneurship, event planning, and organizational leadership. That combination of academic knowledge and real-world industry experience is at the heart of how we approach consulting and partnership opportunities.

As Andrus Hospitality enters its next chapter, we are leaning into continued growth through entrepreneurial and educational partnerships. Our work is focused on helping hospitality businesses, organizations, educators, and emerging entrepreneurs turn ideas into opportunities and strengthen the connection between hospitality education and industry practice.

Looking back, I realize that the path was anything but linear. Yet every experience—from teaching and event planning to entrepreneurship, administration, and hospitality consulting—has shaped what Andrus Hospitality has become.

And perhaps that’s the greatest lesson of all:

When you follow your passion, things have a way of falling into place.