Running A Family Barbecue Legacy

A family restaurant can feed a town, but it also ends up raising it. We’re joined by Carrie West, third-generation owner of The Spare Rib BBQ in Farmington, New Mexico, for a candid talk about what it takes to protect a legacy while stepping fully into modern small business ownership in the Four Corners. From the early days of the shop to taking over “for real” with payroll, taxes, and nonstop responsibility, Carrie explains how the job changes when the risk has your name on it. 

We get into the practical side of running a successful barbecue restaurant: ordering and inventory, equipment upgrades that reduce stress in the kitchen, and why staying consistent matters more than chasing constant change. Carrie also shares the mindset that keeps her steady when the cooler breaks or the day goes sideways, plus the leadership lesson many owners learn late: your mood sets the tone, and your tone becomes the culture. 

Along the way, we talk customer service and community support, watching families grow up as regulars, and the “country wisdom” that keeps the team grounded in roots and gratitude. Carrie also hints at future plans, including the possibility of a pickup window, while staying committed to the same clean dining room, friendly service, and quality food people remember when they come back home. 

If you care about family-owned restaurants, restaurant management, and what makes local businesses last, hit play, share this with a friend who loves BBQ, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com

This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing).

Transcript

Meet Carrie And The Restaurant

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I'm here with Carrie West, the owner of Sparrow Ribb Barbecue. Hello there. Tell us a little about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Yes, um, I'm Carrie West. I am third generation owner of the Sparrow Barbecue. Um, I'll go into that story. Um I'm married to Jeremy West, and we have two beautiful daughters, a couple nephews, and yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Yeah, I mean, you and I have talked before plenty of times, and I still call it second generation names on my on my from my point of view, it's still Jimmy's.

SPEAKER_00 0:31

Yes. Some people still think that, which is great.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Yes. They sometimes forget what it's actually called because we're just so used to calling it Jimmy's. Yes. Even though we've known you've been running it for like years. Yes. Many years.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Yes. It's still Jimmy's. Yeah, no, um, my dad and my grandparents opened it in '89, and that was back when I was hanging out at Coastal Pete's and didn't have to work. Right. Um, and then they moved to this building on uh Main Street um in '91.

SPEAKER_02 0:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

And then they hustled, and then my dad had it forever, and I was kind of a divorced kid and would come and work summer, spring break, Christmases, and um grew up in Texas, but I thought I would never live in Farmington. It's so lame, there's nothing to do. Um, but when your priorities changed, we're very, very fortunate and blessed to be in the Four Corners. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Yes. Where was this before? It was here.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Um Okay, where the old Hobby Lobby um was it used to be Walmart.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Yeah. On right off the 20th.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

And then uh it used to be Golf USA. It was kind of by the haircut and face.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Um, and then the pistol pizza was right beside it.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

Speaking of pistol pizza, that was our um daycare. Yeah, it was underage clubs.

SPEAKER_00 1:39

Yes, well, that way they would work. I mean, we'd send us next door, but it worked out great.

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Yeah, yes. Awesome, yes, very cool. So um, I know you didn't start the business, obviously, but um as far as you taking over and running the business, when did that was that like an idea at some point, or was it proposed? Like when how did that become a reality for you? And and what was the process?

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Well, I moved here whenever I was 20.

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Um, and you know that you don't know what you're doing when you're 20.

SPEAKER_01 2:13

No.

SPEAKER_00 2:13

You're living your best life and having a great time. And finally, um, I met Jeremy, so I moved to Farmington. Um, and was came here for summer, never left. And then um, but then it just transitioned to, you know, because I did a little bit of college. Sure. Um, I'm a smart person, but I was not very uh that was not my priority.

SPEAKER_02 2:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:32

So um coming here, and then I worked with dad for years, you know, and that's kind of all I knew. And um then it kind of got a reality, you know, after you get married and have kids, and you're I mean, this is just what I've done. So I don't really know any different, but

How She Stepped Into Ownership

SPEAKER_00 2:45

I feel very blessed and fortunate. Um, and I learned something every single day. Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 2:51

Yes, yes, that's the best.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

But I would say probably I ran it, well, started ordering, you know, you it goes in phases and stuff like that. Um, but dad was probably not side by side for the probably the last I don't even know, 10 years maybe. Okay. I'm 45. So probably I would say yeah, 10, 15 years. Um, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

So you were kind of involved in running it before you took over. Correct. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:17

But there's a lot of things that I've learned, you know, when you are um, and I um I love him to death. I still talk to him five times a day. He's super helpful. He fixes anything, he gets his mail here. Um, he asks about all the customers that he's been into. Um, so I love that. And he's genuine, you know, and he likes to tell me his two cents. Um, but you know, it's different when you being an owner, uh very different paying taxes.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

You know, payroll. You worry about stuff that wasn't that you just don't have to think about when it's not yours.

SPEAKER_01 3:49

All those little things. Oh, yes. There's one thing being uh um a manager or a CEO or COO. There's it, you're at a pretty top level, but it's still different than being the owner.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

Yes, it is. And then, you know, the barbecue has always been my priority since I've met Jeremy. He's had you know dated because it's family and it's just even when my kids are sick and the so my family knows, but so that didn't change when we took over. Right. Um, what changed is uh Jeremy, my husband. I tried to probably make him my dad for six months, and we circled back and decided that wasn't a great idea. He's got a great job and he's very fortunate, and I love him to death. But um, us working on a daily together is we we know our goals.

unknown 4:37

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Uh we can do Connie Mac fair, yeah. Uh a couple of things like that. Super eight things. Yes, he's good at what he does, and yes, I'll stay in my lane.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

It's so funny when it is like a married couple who gets along wonderfully. They do because there's systems in place for that. And when you mess with that system and break it and say, Okay, I'm gonna see you every hour of every day of our lives, it becomes a different thing.

SPEAKER_00 5:03

Oh my gosh, true statement, true statement. So after we were married for 20 years when we bought it, and then you're like, oh, okay, we're gonna have to learn to communicate in a different way. He was like, I'm gonna email you. I'm like, okay, it's kind of for a while. It's just anything about the story. So it is, it's good. We it's we're transitioning well now.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

Oh man. Um, what what part of doing what you do here feels the most meaningful to you? Like even on the hard days.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Um I take pride in first of all, not just the restaurant stuff of having good to try to be consistent, good food, you know, all that. But outside of that, like um we're kind of a I don't want to say a stepping stone, but I like my employees to, when they leave here, to better themselves.

SPEAKER_02 5:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

So I, you know, if you stay here, you can get stint for three years. If you're leaving, you know, there's not over the 35 years, there's not very many people that have worked here that don't come back in. Yeah. Or that you see, you know, um, and I like to see um, I like to help them and get them their first car payments, get them their, you know, set up because some of them are younger workers and they need to be instilled on how the real world uh works. Yes, yes, so the same things that I expect from them, well, they need their whole future. So I kind of like um I like that part of it, even though it's possible.

SPEAKER_01 6:22

As um it's that thing, I don't know how to name it exactly,

Building People Through The Job

SPEAKER_01 6:28

but it's like country wisdom, which incorporates family who aren't family, you know.

SPEAKER_00 6:35

I agree, yes.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

Country families are much bigger than blood, and um and the wisdom that goes along with it and passing on. And so it's very common, which is uncommon nowadays, but the whole country vibe, it's very common for you to help raise children that you have no. Why did your mom do that?

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Yes, yes, you know, and then our family members, all of them, my nephews and nieces, they've all worked here. Um, my girls help uh when they come, and they're and that's but that's also how we spend time together.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

Um we family bond during Connie Mac and the fair because we're in the truck, you know what I mean? So um, but I enjoy that too.

SPEAKER_01 7:13

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Watching them grow as little people.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

Yes. Yes. What's something the business gave you that you didn't expect?

SPEAKER_00 7:23

I would probably have to say uh prioritizing, um, this is not gonna bother me today. It's not gonna ruin my day. Right. So we have a cooler that's down, you know what I mean? And just troubleshooting and navigating through um setting the tone on that's not gonna ruin my day. Yeah, some will hit harder than others, but I try to, you know, um just see the light.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

It's a healthy attitude to have. Yes. Because things inevitably go wrong. It's called life.

SPEAKER_00 7:52

I mean I call it days of our barbecue. You know, uh what's gonna happen today? But it's all it's also a blessing. So but it could be worse.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

Yeah, when you frame it in, you know, okay, that's a thing. That's another thing that I have to take care of. I have to do. It's not the end of the world, it's not the entire day's ruined.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Oh, don't think I don't self-talk every once in a while, but I have to set the tone for if I set it bad, then it's gonna just wildfire and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:19

So you know, but there's a lot of leaders that don't understand that,

Staying Calm When Things Break

SPEAKER_01 8:23

that they actually create the environment that they don't like at the workplace.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

Oh, that's probably more so than you, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

That sort of self-management where you do, you set the tone. So if your tone is light and airy and it's all good, and we're doing this thing, we have a mission, everybody's a team, let's come together, we're all in this together. Yes, you know, if you set that tone, then everybody else just kind of falls in line with that tone.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Correct. I am human. Um, I so there are times, um, like on my personal life, we had a couple um uh J E was in an accident, Presley went through some stuff, so they kind of pick off off my vibe when I'm not. Sure. Um, because a lot of our workers have worked here for a long time and are part of the family or whatever.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

Um, so they can tell when I'm off and they pick up or sew it's like a little team.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

That's good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

But those are temporary things. That's not the overall tone. Correct. We're all human.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

Right, right, right, right, right. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

Hopefully we put a team in place which you have that recognizes, oh, she's having a bad day. We'll pick up some of the slack and try and ease that pressure for them.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

Yes, and I'm a planner. I like to, so um, I give them a game plan and then we navigate what comes what's thrown at us.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Right? Yes. Awesome. Yes. So, how's running the business now as an owner changed you as a person?

SPEAKER_00 9:46

I am trying to learn um how to make things not easier for myself, but um more efficient. Yeah. Um, I try to have balance um, you know, with my personal life, self-care, uh, here, and um try to make that to where it's a little bit more balanced and not so, although sometimes seasonal, you know, it gets out of whack a little bit. But um I have learned to take things in stride and do the best I can every day for the time I'm here.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

That's perfect. Yes. I don't hear a lot of people um put that out as soon as that, the whole balance aspect. Because being a business owner is a 24-hour job. It never ends. Even though you have open, your the hours where you're open, hours where you're close.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

And we're even five days a week.

SPEAKER_01 10:32

The business is still running, it's running in your head, it's running in the things that need to be done, it's still running. And so um it's really easy as an owner to get wrapped

Balance Boundaries And Efficiency

SPEAKER_01 10:43

up completely in your business. And so if you set those boundaries of I need balance, and that balance is gonna make me better while I'm here, that's great.

SPEAKER_00 10:53

Yes. Well, and there's also things I can work on, you know what I mean, which we talked about on the back side. Yeah, um, so I'm just trying to do that in stride and um still keep the same tradition and do that.

SPEAKER_01 11:03

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

Is there um is there a because you're highly customer dependent almost entirely? So is there a customer and you've you're very good with customers, um, just watching you and your demeanor and and a bunch of your staff and whatnot. So is there a customer interaction that you'll never forget?

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Not a certain one, but like I told you, like we have seasons, you know, the different. Um I like to watch the um kids. Yeah, you don't you realize how old you are whenever you're starting like, oh, I'm getting married now. I'm like, what? Um, but watch them when they play sports and um some of the soccer kids, they I only see them see I only see them seasonal.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

Right.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Um, so I love doing that. And um watching people come in and over the years, you know, some people I see a couple times a week, some I see every six months, some I see uh once a year when they move back. So I enjoy that part of the customer interaction too, and remembering kind of what they what they eat.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

When you stitch all that together, you're actually watching families grow up in your restaurant.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Yes, it's amazing. Yeah, and I'm teaching with I'm teaching manners too. The little kids and somebody accounting back, what do you say?

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Yes. Is there a small decision that you made that ended up having a big impact? Just like a tiny little tweak that you did, but it like expanded in the impact that it made.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

Um, as far as policies and procedures, not to come to mind. Um, but it's amazing like what a new piece of equipment will do and lighten up the the the kitchen help. And um so we've kind of done a few little things, and if you feel like if they're stressed out or busy, we try to do a couple steps to change them around. Um but not anything come to mind.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

Okay. Um is there something that people assume is easy in the business, but definitely isn't?

SPEAKER_00 12:57

I would say a lot of it. Yeah, I would say a lot, um which I'm very blessed and fortunate, and I'm so thankful. Um, but having a restaurant is a full time. I mean, it's just like you said, well, we don't have alcohol, we close at eight o'clock. We do catering on Sunday and Monday, but um, and I still am married to it and live. But um yeah, I would say there's probably a lot of things out there that are a little bit less labor-intensive. But but yes.

SPEAKER_01 13:26

I think I don't have numbers on this, I'm just guessing, like educated guess, that um running a restaurant is probably one of the most difficult small businesses you can run just because of the nature of it. One, your margins are super low, so you have to balance that, you have to work with customer satisfaction on a large scale. It's not it's people that are seeing you face to face. Yes, gobs of people, and there's

Why Restaurants Are So Hard

SPEAKER_01 13:55

real-time quality control. You're basically assembling products as customers are ordering them and waiting on them, yes, and you have to make sure they, you know, match quality and yes, and that's where I feel like I'm also fortunate again.

SPEAKER_00 14:10

Um, for I think when my grandparents and dad, you know, Farmington was a different town in '89.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

Um, and it was it was different. And so we've grown and being accustomed to um, you know, being established. Um but it would be hard to start a brand new thing, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 14:28

No one knows you. Correct.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

You need a deep pocket, or I would say, you know what I mean. You can start smaller, but uh so I feel very fortunate that I'm taking over a still learning, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 14:39

Um so and this is a restaurant heavy town. I don't know how many we have now, but let's see, close to 20 years ago I counted there were well over a hundred. There's gotta be more now.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

I agree. I think uh but the four corners, I mean, has grown. We know what just Barmington may not be that big, but we have the surrounding areas on the weekends, you know, the uh the reservation is a big part of our economy. So uh it does, I think it's people are underestimated by our little four corner area.

SPEAKER_01 15:05

So yeah, well, not so much anymore. I've noticed the the the big players, they're taking stock of the numbers and what's actually happening here. Um it might have been Fun Ruckers that's sort of an example story of somebody reaching out wanting to own a franchise here in town, and they looked at the initial numbers and went, Are you insane? No, you don't have the population for that. And they told them, You need to come here. Yeah, you need to come here and see what's actually happening. And they did, and every single restaurant in town was just backed up on a Saturday night, just people trying to get in. Yes, and they're like, Oh, okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

Oh even though there are a lot of other things to do in Farmington besides eat, but no, I tell you it's very uh heavy on the restaurant and stuff like that, which is which is good.

SPEAKER_01 15:54

Yeah, yes. But I think I think they've they've caught wind of the numbers that happen in this area because it's not our population that does it, it's not our 45,000 people.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

Correct.

SPEAKER_01 16:04

It's three, four, or five times that that's doing it that don't live in farming.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Yes, yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Um, is there something in the business that finally clicked after a long time of trial and error?

SPEAKER_00 16:20

I would say clicking every something, you know what I mean? Um but yeah, there is trial and error, and like, you know what? That wasn't smart. Let's try to make it let's back up and do that again, or you know, um again, what makes it easier and more efficient for the crew and the yeah, you know, catering and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 16:38

So Yeah. Awesome. Um what's the hardest lesson the business taught you that you're now grateful for?

SPEAKER_00 16:49

Oh, that's a good one. Um I would say probably going back to like my relationship, you know what I mean? Um and learning, and we've grown as a, you know, me and Jeremy have grown as a couple for so that has really taught me a lot.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

Um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Um is there an obstacle you didn't expect to face this year in the past year?

SPEAKER_00 17:12

Yeah.

unknown 17:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:16

Um

Money Choices And Changing Times

SPEAKER_01 17:17

And you don't have to talk about them if you don't want to. Oh, that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:19

I mean, I can't, I mean it happens all the time. There are obstacles and you know, um, I would say when everything's um and things go in threes, so I would when our equipment is going good, which we try to, I've replaced a few things because I don't want to have to worry about that. I don't know how to fix them and I don't want to learn, I want to do what we're good at. Um so just um yeah. Just keep trial and error and kind of figuring out how that goes.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Okay. Is there something that you thought would be a problem, but it turns out it wasn't?

SPEAKER_00 17:51

You're really getting into these questions now, right?

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Um I mean, it's a little bit the same thing every day. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 18:06

It is kind of the same but different. Like I said, we go in season, so I stock up pile, you know what I mean, as far as like uh even on the the the budget and the bank side, you know, we know when our good when we hustle, we know when we're not um you know getting uh lunch every Saturday. Right. Um so that is that's kind of stayed consistent.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Yeah. Did is there somewhere where you um feel stretched the thinnest right now? If you're willing to share?

SPEAKER_00 18:33

I would say um prioritizing what you want to um you what you what you want to spend your stuff on. You know, hey, we're gonna get two new fryers. Um oh, actually we're gonna be doing this instead because it um so prioritizing um what you're spending your money on for here to make it more efficient and better and put into it. Um I feel like you have to um, you know you got to spend on it to to make it profitable and uh upgrades and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

So yeah, trying to do that. And especially in a bit, I mean again, restaurants are not known for being high profit margin business. So you're usually operating on thin to a little more than thin margins, and so the money that you spend needs to be spent wisely.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

Um, so going back, the only way I knew how to run a business is from working with dad. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? And so I am learning. Um, there are a couple, he did great, and he is amazing, and I've learned from him so much. But there are some things, and when you are doing it yourself, you're like, you know, I think I'm gonna do it a little bit different. And then if that didn't work, I'm gonna go right back to doing it how you did, you know. Um, so I try to, he's was very conservative, um, and I try to be that way too. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:48

So yeah, yes. But I mean, you have to reach out and test past what what dad was doing, grandpa, and everything. Like, because times change, they constantly change.

SPEAKER_00 20:02

So the um generations are changing. Yeah, you know, the think about the um I remember being younger and doing the deposits with uh writing them down for grandma, you'd fill out 20 checks. And then that was when I was like 12. Well, now here we are, it's about 80% credit card now. Yeah, and 20% cash. So things change, you know, there you don't get a check anymore, really. Um, especially from a personal right, you know, more so from businesses kind of stay the same. But yeah, yeah, you gotta change with it.

SPEAKER_01 20:31

Yeah, more checking numbers, less dealing paperwork, customer paperwork anyway. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Um, is there something that you're working on or building now that customers will notice later?

SPEAKER_00 20:47

Well, I would say working on our um structure and uh being consistent.

SPEAKER_02 20:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

Um, so hopefully that kind of again being more of a not just a business owner, but being a better operator, yeah. Um, instead of just being down here and being a worker. But those things will take little, you know, you'll see in the long run. You know, you don't notice that right when you come in.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

So Okay. Um, if you could remove one responsibility tomorrow, what would that free you up to date? Ooh.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

Uh, which I'm getting better at. Um, but I am uh like on the ordering. You know, I'm the only one that has been doing that because that's what I did. And teaching um, like my nephew, he's kind of been taking over when it takes a long time and a couple, you know, who you get it from, what how much uh product you need, um, an inventory. Um, but that has really helped me.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Even though that's not gonna go away tomorrow.

Delegating Work And Defining Success

SPEAKER_00 21:43

Um, but that has freed up a lot of my time to where I can put that into other decision making.

SPEAKER_01 21:48

Yeah, definitely. That's awesome. Um, so how long have you been running the business? Not like working in it, but you've been the owner. How long has that been cool?

SPEAKER_00 21:57

I wanna say we took over. In I think it's been four, they're going on four years.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

You know, and I thought it was longer than that. You know, I've just been here. Why? Yes. So financially, I think we took over. It took us three months to barter it out and kind of figure out what we're gonna do and then uh and how we wanted to do it because it was our deal, and we want to make it it's a win-win for everybody. Um, but yeah, I think it's been about four. But dad had told me he it just goes by so fast. Yeah, it really, you know, yeah, you're all of a sudden, whoa, wow, you know, we're on your three, I better get going with the so it's just crazy. So yeah, I think it has starting on the fourth year.

SPEAKER_01 22:36

Is there so so with that in mind, think back to when you very first, like you've been handed the keys, it's your name on the title, like the whole thing. You may have had a vision of what success looked like. Um, what does success look like now, and how's that changed since then?

SPEAKER_00 22:57

Um when we took over, I tried to, again, being conservative like that, I tried to make it to where I did not change one thing. Yeah, not one thing, and we kept it the same, you know, and we because I did a lot of our employees that worked here too. And so we did. And then I made little changes and stuff like that to um to implement and make it mine. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:18

Okay. So um let's see, uh Lena, what's one thing you hope your business is known for five years from now?

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Um the same we were known for back then. Um, having you know good customer service, a clean restaurant, and consistent, good quality food.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 23:38

I want people that come in, you know, when they move away and they come back to be the same as when they left. Yeah. And how they remembered it.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

Yeah. Yeah, that's cool.

SPEAKER_00 23:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:47

Um related, how do you hope your business makes life better in the four corners?

SPEAKER_00 23:53

I try to help out in the community. I'm not very, I'm not, I don't do my own social media very good. Sure. Um, so I don't really do, which I could talk about, keep it over the times. I could do better at that on the social media part. Um, but I feel like um I feel like what was that question again?

SPEAKER_01 24:13

I tangent, I swirled. How do you hope your business makes life better in the four corners?

SPEAKER_00 24:18

Oh, okay. So back to yes. Um, so I try to contribute to like the um the high schools. Yeah. Um, but I'm not real big on um,

Consistency Reputation And Community

SPEAKER_00 24:25

I could do better at going out and being more with the community. Um, but I like to do things behind the scenes and keep up with the sports. Um, and that's how I like to contribute. Yeah. So I don't volunteer as much as I should, but I will.

SPEAKER_01 24:37

It's kind of a Texas thing. I mean, sports are massively important in Texas.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

I'm a sports person, so I do especially high school sports. Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 24:47

Yeah. Um, is there something the community has done for you that you'll never forget?

SPEAKER_00 24:56

Um, not one thing that I don't never forget, but they I do feel like um, you know, our community there is, you know, they're very um accepting and they're uh I'm blessed to have them. Yeah. And being to, you know, keep ordering and um over the years and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 25:12

So just continuous support. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

So that makes me feel sport, yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 25:17

Awesome. Um, if your if your business were a person, how would you describe its personality?

SPEAKER_00 25:25

Um, ooh, I like that. Uh Girls Ghost in Texas. Yeah. Let's throw in some um, well, I would say my business, you know, when it was dad's, it reflected him. When it's me, it reflects me. Um, as far as like the decor and you know, just how it's ran. And right. Um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:42

Okay. So that's the goal then. Because I was calling it Jimmy's. Eventually I'm gonna start calling it Carrie's.

SPEAKER_00 25:50

Oh, well, yeah, you can call it whatever you want as long as you come. Which your parents come in a lot to.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Oh, yes, they love it here. Yes. You have the best catfish. Oh, that's it's hard to beat. It's weird, right? I don't come down here and get barbecue, which is good barbecue, but I love the catfish. So I just can't find the same kind of catfish.

SPEAKER_00 26:11

Yes. Elsewhere. That's about the only way I fish. I buy it, I got it, fillet it, and sell it.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 26:20

Is there um some kind of like tradition, ritual, value, something along that line that keeps your team grounded?

SPEAKER_00 26:28

Well, maybe what was instilled to me, and dad has not done this in a while, but he does like to. I do have to hear the story of how it was built and how it started and how the hardships that it went through and the family members that worked here. Um, and I think that's important too. Yeah. That's part of the legacy, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 26:43

Just remembering the legacy. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 26:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 26:46

I mean, that's that's just good advice for anybody in any circumstance. Yes. Just remember your roots.

SPEAKER_00 26:53

Yes, where it came from and how you had what you had to do to get there.

SPEAKER_01 26:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

And I was a little part of that, you know.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

Yeah. Is there um a belief that you held on um that you held like early when you first started running it? Um, that you no longer believe that.

SPEAKER_00 27:10

No, I can't say I've tried to none of this was a surprise to you, right?

SPEAKER_01 27:16

You didn't. Correct. I had been doing it. You were exposed to it vastly.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

And

Legacy Roots And Country Wisdom

SPEAKER_00 27:25

had to grow into it. You know, when you're 20 years old, you're worrying about you know, going out and doing this. You're not, and then as you grow, and which I have watched through uh the employees and like my nephews and stuff, when they you you know, you think a little bit different when you're more mature. And so um, I do apologize to dad sometimes, like, what was I thinking? Um, so yeah, it's very very blessed.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

Right. Yes. What's the the best advice that you've received that um it turns out it was true? Like maybe you didn't think it was gonna be true, but you got this advice, and it just turned out to be the best advice.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

Um I hate to keep going back to that, but the you know, what dad had said, you know, like that's all I really knew. Um I didn't really work with my uh grandparents, not very much, not enough to know being mature or whatever. Right. Um so just the advice that he had given and how how to do it. I think this is what this is how you do the checkbook, this is how you do your inventory, this is what you need. Um so that has helped and instilled on what makes it successful.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

I mean I'm just thinking of other aspects of life. It's always been my personal um experience that it is tough to beat just country wisdom. Just, you know what I mean? It's like just cut out all the complication. This ain't this doesn't have to be more complicated than it is. Correct. There's some kind of country analogy that explains exactly what's going on.

SPEAKER_00 28:52

When it all gets down to it, this is an 1800 square foot little place. It's not gonna, we're not gonna, you know, it's not gonna ruin anybody's day. We're gonna be great, we're gonna move on.

SPEAKER_02 29:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 29:01

Yeah. Um, is there something that you want other small business owners, maybe even other restaurant owners, to hear today? But doesn't have to be restaurant owners.

SPEAKER_00 29:11

You know, um, I go, I eat at my the you know, local places and have my favorites, and I think they're probably doing the exact same thing, doing the best they can too. And that's why I keep going back there.

SPEAKER_02 29:23

So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:24

Uh but I don't have any single word of advice. Okay. But if somebody needs something, I'd be happy to help them.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Balance. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

Oh, that's a good one. Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 29:33

Yeah. Um, yes. Is there something that you're celebrating right now, big or small?

SPEAKER_00 29:39

You know, there's little wins and big wins, and I'll be happy for them all. Um, yeah, not one thing in particular, but just um again, going back to being grateful and thankful.

SPEAKER_01 29:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 29:50

How about how about future plans? You guys working on on anything that um we kind of mentioned a little bit about that, but we did.

SPEAKER_00 29:58

I didn't go really into it because I'm kind of undecided. There are I have a list of things that have grand gestures that I would love to do and love to see done. Um uh time permitting, money permitting. Right. Um, I would like to um, you know, back in before COVID, uh, me and dad had gone to the city and kind of talked about doing a pickup window and navigated that out. And then we um COVID happened, my youngest daughter Presley happened, and then life, and then all of the above. Um, and I would like to circle back to that um and see if that would be something that I could put, maybe that would be my mark. And if not, I mean I could still do what I'm doing now and do good. Um, but that's something that I want to entertain in the future. And like I said, this is going on year four, it goes by so fast, I better get with the program, you know. Um, so um, but there are other things, you know, back here that I could, you know, try to just like being a business owner. You're always trying to be like, what can I

Future Plans And How To Order

SPEAKER_00 30:55

do? Well, can I move this around? Can I make this more efficient? Will this help them? Uh will this help me? Um, so yeah, I have a couple little things, but that would probably be the bigger ones that I'm gonna navigate and see if that works out. And if it doesn't, then I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_01 31:08

Yes. Well, you guys are awesome. I mean, I used to work just right up the road um by rickets at parks with parks in Iraq, and um, we would get cravings all the time. So we would send Carol down here to get cobbler and bring back for all of us.

SPEAKER_00 31:26

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 31:26

It's that we'd yeah, we'd do cobbler on a regular basis. And then my dad would stop by and say, Hey, mom's doing her aquatic center stuff. Let's let's you and I go, and so we'd come by here and get cat fish.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

And small world. Remember we uh when Jeremy he bought your parents' house. I know. Remember that? So that's how it circles, it goes all the way back. So we live there for not, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:51

Because they told me so I drive everybody ever uh every once in a while. I'm like, I grew up in that house and then carrying it.

SPEAKER_00 31:57

Isn't that funny how it circled back into small world? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

It's funny. Are you guys still there? Or did you go?

SPEAKER_00 32:03

No, we were only there for about three years, maybe. Cool, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:08

Yes. Well, hopefully you didn't find the hole I put in the wall. Hopefully, dad passed that never. Oh, well, let's call it now. I need to stop calling it Jimmy's. It's now Carrie's. Well, I mean, it's always a space.

SPEAKER_00 32:23

I think I think it's a compliment if you call it Jimmy's. But either way, yes.

SPEAKER_01 32:27

Yes, he is. So I haven't seen him in too long. Yeah. But man, it's great catching up with you all the time. I am thankful that you're here.

SPEAKER_00 32:34

Yes, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

The restaurant's awesome and thank you. Just everything. Thank you, thank you for uh the whole family. Just amazing. Yeah. Thank you, thank you. So, how do people find you or get in touch with you?

SPEAKER_00 32:47

Um, we are easy accessible. Um, if you can um not on social media, very good. Maybe in the maybe in the future. Um, but um a phone call away. Uh you look up on the website if you um have any questions or stop by.

SPEAKER_01 33:00

Cool. What and what's the website?

SPEAKER_00 33:02

Uh the website is uh thesparebq.com.

SPEAKER_01 33:06

Cool. Yes. All right. Go there and got a menu and we do.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

We got some catering stuff on there. I try to keep it updated every quarter. Um, but yeah, look it over and then give us a call and then we can customize anything that's right.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

So we think fourth fourth generation business.

SPEAKER_00 33:21

Oh, I don't know. I don't uh oh you mean like if if it would be years down the road, yeah. You know, I let them all take their own little paths and they're gonna be but mature one day, like I have to, you know, and so they're right now everybody's doing their say if they all come back and help, and a couple of them still work here. So that's way down the road. But they're young and they can figure that out. If they want to, great.

SPEAKER_01 33:44

I mean, you're very young, so well it's it's not gonna be five years from now or ten years from now. No, it won't. 15 years from now.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

I suppose it goes by so fast at hopefully. 15, not 45, yes.

SPEAKER_01 33:58

Oh my goodness. Well, Carrie, thank you so much, man. This has been amazing.

SPEAKER_00 34:02

So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 34:02

Cool. And everybody needs to come down here now. That's just I mean, that's a given. If you live anywhere in the area, that's you haven't really experienced the area until you've come here at least once. Yes. So all right. Well, thank you, Carrie.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

Thank you, thank you.