The Washington Architectural Review Board on Monday approved an exhaust fan and other utilities necessary to run a commercial kitchen at Hayfields Rural Kitchen and Market at Rush River Commons.
Town resident Brian Noyes hopes to open Hayfields in March of next year — pushed back from its planned opening this fall — and needs the fan to comply with state health and building codes, Noyes’ architect said.
The Town of Washington Architectural Review Board (ARB) approved a signage application for Hayfields Rural Kitchen and Market, a new cafe Brian Noyes, the man behind Red Truck Bakery, hopes to open in Rush River Commons before the end of the year.
Noyes applied for two signs — one on the south side and one on the west side of the building facing Warren Avenue in the Town of Washington. He said as a former art director and publication designer, the choice of typography became a “passion project,” drawing on 1930s grocery store design to signal what’s inside without overwhelming the building.
For those who make pickles from cucumbers in the garden and those who love eating them, here is a story by Brian Noyes of the Town of Washington about his sweet pickles and his hopes of serving them at Hayfields cafe when it opens in the fall. I hope you enjoy reading it as I did, minus edits to fit my column:
“I met Dwight McNeill in 1986, and pretty quickly my favorite road trip with him was to Sanford, North Carolina, home of his parents Papa Jack and Mama Dot, where the eating was traditional Southern — quite different from my fifth-generation California upbringing. During previous visits, I asked for recipes for everything they had cooked and baked, and this weekend we were on a pickle mission.
Rapp at Home’s Regional Transportation Collaborative (RTC) has been recognized with an Honorable Mention from the Commonwealth Council on Aging’s 2026 Best Practices Awards.
For 20 years, the Best Practices Awards has recognized and encouraged the replication of model programs in Virginia, particularly those that foster aging in place, livable communities and home and community-based services.
Brian Noyes will discuss his next chapter — the summer opening of Hayfields General Store and Café in the Town of Washington on Sunday, March 15, during the Long Branch Speaker Series in Millwood, Va., an hour’s drive from Rappahannock.
The title of his talk is “From publishing to a rural bakery to a general store and café.” Wine, cheese, and a book signing also is planned for the event at the Long Branch Historic House and Farm in Millwood.
For a town known for hospitality, Brian Noyes thought Little Washington was missing something surprisingly basic: a folksy gathering place for breakfast, lunch and a place to grab a last minute cooking ingredient or dinner item.
“It was really boring here, especially during the week, because everybody disappears and there’s nothing to do,” said Noyes, 68, who purchased a 100-year-old home in town last fall. “It’s either [The Inn at Little Washington] or it’s Patty O’s, or you have to get in the car to drive somewhere.”
The Washington Town Council unanimously approved development of Rush River Commons’ second phase, despite a recommendation of denial from its Planning Commission last month.
The development will be on 3.9 acres where Warren Avenue meets Lee Highway, adjacent to Rush River’s first development on Leggett Lane containing the Rappahannock Food Pantry, an office building and affordable housing units.
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