Downtown restaurant hosts one-year anniversary party

Kate Federman

Students enjoy some of the celebratory barbecue at GeorgiaBob’s one-year anniversary party.

In 2001, Bob Evans stood along the side of road selling barbecue to passersby, swearing that his family’s age-old recipe made for the best-tasting barbecue in town.

Evans took his recipe off the street after hearing the positive feedback from customers and opened a small restaurant called GeorgiaBob’s Barbecue Company in his hometown of Warner Robins.

Now, the GeorgiaBob’s Milledgeville location celebrated its first anniversary on Oct. 15 by throwing a Southern-style birthday bash.

Attendees had the chance to taste the items off their menu, sample desserts and enter to win items from Villane’s Jewelry & Unique Accessories, the Vidalia Onion Factory and Gift Shop, the Atlanta Hawks and Peach State Pride.

“I think that our birthday event was very successful,” Ronnie Hornsby, owner of the Milledgeville GeorgiaBob’s, said. “It gave people an opportunity to come in and try our food. We saw a big jump in profit that night. I think the SpectrumPR group that put the event on did a great job.”

About 85 people were in attendance for the party which is more than a usual dinner crowd, according to Hornsby.

“I am happy that I was able to go to the GeorgiaBob’s birthday event. My meal was really good. I also entered the raffle and won some earrings from Villane’s, which was awesome,” Brooke Freeman, sophomore community health major, said.

Hornsby will partake in more promotional efforts for the restaurant throughout next semester to boost business. The ideas for the future mostly revolve around T-shirts, whether it be a T-shirt giveaway or getting a discount when wearing a GeorgiaBob’s T-shirt.

The birthday club, another promotional effort by Hornsby for the restaurant, allows members to receive a free meal up to $11.50 on the member’s birthday. Reminder texts and emails will be sent out to club members to stay up to date on events happening at GeorgiaBob’s as well.

“I think GeorgiaBob’s has really good food. The sweet potato tots are delicious,” Sarah Owens, senior nursing major, said. “I think GeorgiaBob’s has more side options. It also has more than just barbecue, like chicken salad, which will attract more people to come and eat there. I think they will last a long time here in Milledgeville.”

Currently, Hornsby is working on promoting the restaurant’s catering to attract more customers. Catering accounts for about 30 percent of GeorgiaBob’s overall business.

“We do everything from low country boils to fine dining. We don’t just offer our barbeque menu for catering. So far, we have catered boxed lunches for functions, weddings, sorority functions and Deep Roots events,” Hornsby said.

The birthday bash was just one tool that the GeorgiaBob’s staff has used to get more customers to come in and get hooked on their old Southern recipe.

“If we can just get customers to just come in once and try the food, they will love it,” Hornsby said.

Posted by Kate Federman on Oct 25 2012. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.