Meet Donald Sprayberry of Sprayberry’s Barbecue in Newnan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donald Sprayberry.

Sprayberry’s Barbecue was started as a gas station/grocery store on US Highway 29 in Newnan, GA in 1926.

Houston Sprayberry owned the store and began also selling barbecue sandwiches from the back. Houston loved to tell the story of customers ordering sandwiches from their cars while Houston pumped gas. He would yell, “2 barbecue sandwiches.” Then he would run inside, make the sandwiches and return to the car.

He didn’t want the customers to think that he was making the sandwiches and pumping the gas. Soon, the barbecue business overtook the gas station and Houston closed the pumps. With his barbecue sauce and wife, Mattie Lou’s Brunswick stew recipe, Sprayberry’s Barbecue became the restaurant that it is now.

Houston and Mattie Lou’s two sons, Jimmy and Donald joined the business in the 1950’s and then Donald, Jr. and Stephen (Donald and Boot Sprayberry’s sons) joined in the 1980’s. Lots of Sprayberrys have worked in the dining room and the kitchen of Sprayberry’s. Siblings, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins have been on the payroll throughout the 91 year history of Sprayberry’s. Many employee families have had multiple generations work there as well. Customers over the years have included local families and businessmen and women, as well as soldiers traveling to and from Ft. Benning in Columbus to Atlanta. Sports fans consider a stop at Sprayberry’s a part of their gameday experience and families gathering together think that eating at Sprayberry’s is a must. Politicians and celebrities also stop at Sprayberry’s. Word of mouth has kept Sprayberry’s going through the years. After several additions to the original building on Highway 29, the Sprayberry’s opened the “new” location at Interstate 85, Exit 47 in Newnan in 1995.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No 91-year-old business is without daily struggles. The biggest struggle in a family business is balancing family life and business obligations. Like any other small business, competition is challenging, but it also makes you improve your business.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sprayberry’s Barbecue story. Tell us more about the business.
Sprayberry’s Barbecue is a 91-year-old family-owned and operated restaurant specializing in barbecue and Brunswick stew. However, the menu is diverse and includes homemade sides, homemade pies, hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, fried catfish, fried and barbecued chicken, etc.

We are proud of our longevity. There are not a lot of businesses that last for 91 years and even fewer that are still being run by the third generation of family. We are set apart by this longevity and our consistency of product.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
There is a lot of good luck for our business in that the place that Houston and Mattie Lou Sprayberry were born and chose to raise their family was close to Atlanta and on a main thoroughfare to and from Atlanta. This area has been economically viable for over a century.

Contact Info:

• Address: 229 Jackson Street, Newnan, GA 30263 (US Highway 29)
  1060 Highway 34 East, Newnan, GA 30265 (I-85, Exit 47)
• Website: www.sprayberrysbbq.com
• Phone: 770-253-4421 (original) or 770-253-5080 (2nd location)
• Email: sprayberrysbbq@gmail.com

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