Craig Barbour

A third generation small business owner, Craig Barbour originally studied mechanical engineering at University of Maryland before shifting gears and attending Johnson & Wales in Charlotte, NC. After graduating with a culinary degree in 2008, Craig worked his way up from intern to Sous Chef and Assistant Food and Beverage Director at Carmel Country Club. He then went on to train under Chef Bruce Moffett at Barrington’s, one of Charlotte’s most notable restaurants.

His entrepreneurial spirit took off in 2011 when he started the ROOTS Food Truck. Roots Catering followed shortly after when Craig and his team began catering weddings and gatherings of all sorts. In 2017, he opened Roots Cafe, a brick and mortar serving locally sourced ingredients handcrafted with love.

When Craig started his culinary career, he received a gift from his parents: a sticker that read, “Love people, cook them tasty food”. That is what he has been doing ever since.