Usamah “Sama” Hayyat is a life long resident of Middlebury, VT. After graduating high school, Sama went to Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI to obtain his degree in Culinary Arts.
After eight seasons on Block Island, RI as chef of the National Hotel, Sama found his way back to Middlebury where he opened and operated Sama’s Cafe for eleven years, before becoming a food director for The Abbey Group in 2019.