Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 23 Those wins kept coming. Over the course of the next two years, the restaurant became an unqualified success, raking in more than just post-game customers. The restaurant became a place where families would come for an evening meal, where friends would gather to talk about their days and their plans for the future, where students would sit and eat a healthy meal while studying for exams, and where even young love could flourish across a plate of quesadillas, burritos, and taco salads. Not only had Barber’s dream become a reality, but it also lead to a new dream, and a franchise was born. Barber continues the successful franchise he began at an old desk and table in the basement of his home. The old desk and table weathered and warped by cup rings and pen scratches still remains in his office as a reminder of where it all began. In that desk, he keeps pictures of himself and his first employees wearing foam cowboy hats and waving signs to get customers to come in and try his food, and he also keeps post-it notes where ideas for slogans and logos were scribbled. He keeps these mementos close to keep himself humble. “It’s great what we have accomplished, but I try not to think about it,” he says. “We can fail just as easily as we succeed.” These are strong words from a man who built a single store into fifty locations across six states, yet he understands that even as he moves the company forward, that same humility will allow him to adapt and change as the business environment evolves. It is in this attitude that Barber truly succeeds regardless of any accolades or awards that come his way. The accolades have been many. In 2003, Barber was named Athens’ Small Business Person of the Year, just one short year after creating his Barberitos brand. From 2003 to 2016, Barberitos was awarded the ‘Best Burrito Award’ in Athens, another confirmation of his dream to serve high quality food to every guest. Between 2013 and 2014, From 2003-2016 the Athens Barberitos was awarded the ‘Best Burrito Award’. Barberitos was recognized as one of the top 50 best franchises to own. In 2014, Valdosta State University recognized Barber for his entrepreneurship and innovation by honoring him as a Distinguished Alumnus, and in 2016, Barber was invited to join the Valdosta State University Foundation board, giving him an opportunity to affect VSU for generations to come. Barber attributes his success simply to his zeal for serving fresh food and his ability to develop people. His motto is simple but effective: believe in yourself and expect excellence in all that you do. He also attributes his success to the people that he surrounds himself with. Barber and his team are very selective when choosing employees and owners of the brand he created at that desk in his basement. He has always believed that the employee is the window to the soul to the restaurant as they are the first people that the guest sees and interacts with. Those frontline employees shape the experience to be had by the guest in the restaurant. S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 23