Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Barnett.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I have been in and out of the restaurant business since college. In 2000 I got married, and we moved to New York City. We were there for three years while my wife was working on a master’s degree at NYU. I worked in hotel management in Manhattan and fell in love with New York-style pizza. We moved to Boise, ID in early 2004. It was there that I opened a NY-style pizza shop. In 2014 we moved back to Denton, and soon thereafter I helped my longtime friend Seth Morgan open Denton County Brewing Company. In March of 2018, I bought Denton Independent Hamburger Company, a Denton staple since the 1970s. The past 5 years have been great! In fact, we are currently looking to expand.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The past 2+ years have been very challenging. Covid-19 through the entire economy off the rails and the restaurant industry was hit especially hard. Our loyal customers have been our saviors throughout these tumultuous times.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Denton Independent Hamburger Company was founded in the late 1970s by the Painter family. Their concept was chargrilled burgers with fresh grated cheddar cheese, optional chili or hickory sauce, with all-you-can-eat fresh-cut fries and kettle-boiled beans. A gentleman named Kim Kitchens bought the business from them in 1980. At the time there was just one store on the downtown Denton square. Mr. Kitchens opened another shop on Sunset St. in 1988. He later opened another in his hometown of Tyler.
By 2018 there was just one store remaining, and I bought it. I grew up in Denton eating these awesome burgers, and I am very proud to be leading the company into a bright future. In October of this year, I opened a similar concept in Krum, just 10 miles West on Hwy 380. Smoke and Fire offers the same burgers plus barbecue menu options.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Denton has changed so much, mostly for the better. When I graduated from Denton High School in 1987, the population was roughly 50,000. Today it is about three times that. We have 4 large high schools now, not one. Not to mention two thriving universities: The University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University. There are all kinds of fun things to do with the family. One negative is the increasing traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dentonindependenthamburger.com
- Instagram: @dentonburgerco
- Facebook: Denton Independent Hamburger
- Twitter: @DentonBurgerCo
