Vol. 5 Issue 4 No. 38
Dec. 20, 2017
"I love what I do..."
Ryan Perkins Layout Editor
one of that, the cliand he ents. hired me to This month, we had the Through that and be his opportunity to talk to a very by his Area successful and well known Subusiness owner, John Snow- parents’ means, perviberger. He and his wife own he was sor for several local McDonald’s lothree cations and are very involved able to buy a Mcin the community. McDonDonald’s in ald’s. Did you always know you FarmingHe had were eventually going to ton, NM one in pursue business? in 1977. Clovis, When he one in “Yes, I wanted to be in busileft San Porness since I was a senior in Frantales, high school. As a matter of cisco, and fact, the year after I graduhe told one in ated, I tried to purchase a me ‘in Tucum7-Eleven in San Francisco, Mr. John Snowberger a year, cari. where I’m from. I couldn’t I’m going When quite put it together, but I’ve to call you to be one of my he hired me, I asked him tried to be a business owner managers’, and sure enough, ‘Why me?’ He said ‘I’m sick since I was right out of high he did. I went out there and and tired of retraining Mcschool.” worked nine months, but it Donald’s people’. It was a didn’t work out. So here it is, big deal in my life. I mean, So, tell us about yourself I’m 20 years old in Farming15 years earlier I worked at and how you ended up ton, NM. I got a part-time job McDonald’s for nine months where you are? at a grocery store trying to and that didn’t count. Then figure out what I was going to he hired me, and I was his “I was born and raised in do and next thing you know, area supervisor, and he paid San Francisco. I graduated with the restaurant experime very very well. I parted in 1974 from Westmoor High ence I had in San Francisco with Tom Martin, but we are School. I ran cross-country and track and played soccer; as well as the nine months of still very good friends to this McDonald’s experience I had day. Rick from McDonald’s I was also in marching band in Farmington, I met a man paid me well enough that until my sophomore year in after working with him for college. I played the flute and named Tom Martin, who is, as you all know, the man who four years I was able to save the drums. After I gradu- owns Taco Box. I worked with up enough money so that ated from high school, him, and together we rewhen he started downsizing opened a closed-down Taco in 1994, I was able to buy a I went to college in Box in Roswell. We reopened McDonald’s in Portales and San Mateo. I went it with a little corporation that in 1995, Tucumcari. In 2002, there for three semes- was being formed at that my wife Robyn and I bought ters, but it didn’t work time. It didn’t work out, so I the two McDonald’s in Clovis out for me. So, I was ended up buying the Taco and later that year I bought working three jobs in Box in Roswell at 21. Then, two in Roswell, and later the same year, the McDonald’s San Francisco. I worked I sold it, and Tom recruited me to be his partner in 1980. in Santa Rosa. Several years, for a friend whose parents From 1980 to 1990, I was a we built our McDonald’s on owned the most successful partner of Taco Box in Clovis Prince Street, remodeled plumbing company in San with Tom Martin. In 1990, the Mabry, and we rebuilt Mitchell Francisco. Also, he, who was local McDonald’s guy, totally Street here in Clovis. In 2005, older than me, went to colcoincidental, knew that I was we rebuilt the McDonald’s lege and graduated with a involved in the restaurant as- in Roswell and turned it into marketing degree. He was sociation, chamber of comthe Spaceship McDonald’s. working for a marketing commerce, you name it. He knew In 2010, we sold the Mcpany where McDonald’s was
Donald’s on the south end of Roswell to my son, Nic. In 2015, we built the McDonald’s on the north end of Roswell. We also sold the rest of our Roswell market to our son in 2016.. Now, these past few years, my wife, Robyn, who is very involved, and I have owned McDonald’s in Clovis, Portales, and Tucumcari. That is what we do now.” What are some of your hobbies? “I am very involved in our church and sometimes I am a substitute teacher at Clovis Christian school. I am an active cyclist and ride a road bike up and down Llano Estacado; it’s my favorite. Cooking is my passion as well; I really love to cook for big groups of people. The thing I love spending time with the most is my eight grandchildren, who are the best part of my life.” Is there anything you would like to tell the young people? “It is often said that if you find something you like, you’ll never work a day in your life. I imagine we’ve all heard that, but it’s true. I love what
I do, but what I really love about it is that it’s not just a steady income, but more importantly I’ve created not just jobs, but careers for so many people. We
have over three-hundred sixty employees now throughout five restaurants. At one time, employed five-hundred fifty people. We also have almost about ninety team members with ten-year rings. Think about that, close to ninety people working for us who have worked here for ten years or over. Again, it’s not