Meet Bobby Shoemaker, a self-made business owner who started young and worked his way up. He graduated from Berry College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Bobby owns the Chick-Fil-A in Gainesville on Dawsonville Highway, which he opened in 2015. He also is very excited about his second location at the New Holland Market opening in July 2017. Before relocating to Dawsonville Highway, he owned and operated a Chick-Fil-A on Pearl Nix Parkway for 19 years. Working at Chick-Fil-A, except for waiting tables in college, is the only job Bobby has ever worked since he was 16 years old.
We were recently able to take Bobby away from his busy schedule to sit down and talk with him about his life in Hall County.
Question: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
Answer: “I grew up at Chick-Fil-A, started when I was 16 and fell in love with the restaurant business. I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”
Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County and what do you love there?
A: “Chick-Fil-A, my guests and my team.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Hall County?
A: “Twenty two years.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Hall County?
A: “Leo Llonch. He is a customer and has become a dear friend.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: “Australia. I would love to dive on the Great Barrier Reef.”
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: “’Field of Dreams.’”
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “I love the words that Truett Cathy shared about how he would like to be remembered when he said, ‘I want to be remembered that I always have my priorities in order.’”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I’d like to hike the entire Appalachian Trail with my son.”
Q: What are three bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Tedeschi Trucks Band.”
Q: Choosing anyone alive and a non-relative: with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? Where in Hall County would you have lunch?
A: “Bono from U2. I love his passion for humanity. We would eat at Chick-Fil-A, of course.”
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “I love the sense of community and the way this community is compassionate to those who are hurting.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?
A: “Still in Hall County, loving this community and having more Chick-Fil-A’s.”
Q: (Even friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “I love just about every genre of music there is.”
Q: What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: “Safe, loving, beautiful.”
 
The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.