Anniston, AL - One of the oldest fine dining establishments in East Alabama is now seating after being closed for more than a year. The owner gave new life to the restaurant when he gave the business away - for free.

Chef Alan Martin explains, "We're classified as contemporary Southern cuisine."

There's more than fine dining inside the Victoria Inn on Quintard Avenue in Anniston. The restaurant and it's hotel are owned by Jacksonville State University. It came as an unusual donation is valued at $3 million dollars.

JSU's Debra Goodwin calls it "A wonderful gift, and we feel like our culinary program is really going to grow."

Not only does the restaurant give students a hands on work experience, but the profits go toward scholarships.

According to Goodwin, "This is by far one of the most extraordinary things that has happened to our program."

Several JSU students already work at the Victoria. This spring a crew of interns from the university's hospitality and culinary management program will polish their craft in the kitchen with a chef who's come home.

Martin explains, "I worked here in the late eighties. It was one of my first tastes of fine dining and really started my passion for fine dining and cooking."

Now he's inspiring a new generation of culinary masters.

Goodwin says, "Culinary arts is a very hot topic right now and a very hot career."

For students like Matt McSharidan it's table-top training.

He says, "I'm learning a lot about food, and what kind of wines go good with different food and a lot of different food you wouldn't see at many restaurants."

Lessons learned outside the classroom.

He adds, "It just feels like a fine dining restaurant. It doesn't feel like JSU owns it."

The Victoria was given to the university by alumnus Earlon McWhorter and his wife Betty.

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