Former Rising Star Surcheros now a Small Business finalist

Published 6:18 pm Monday, June 10, 2024

Editor’s note: This is the third in a four-part series highlighting the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce’s finalists for 2024 Small Business of the Year. The winner will be announced Saturday, June 15, at the Chamber Awards Gala.

Surcheros Fresh Mex faced an uphill battle when the Milledgeville location opened in July 2020, smack dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a time when everyone was largely staying home, it was a difficult period to launch a business whose success is determined by the number of people who place an order. 

But Surcheros not only weathered that storm and survived, it thrived, according to owner Kyle Cullars. And there’s evidence to back him up. Two years in, the Tex-Mex restaurant won the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce’s Rising Star Award given annually to a business that shows the potential to win Small Business of the Year. Now, Surcheros is one of four finalists for 2024 Small Business of the Year and could become the second consecutive winner of both the Rising Star and small business awards.

“It’s great recognition for our team that works really hard day in and day out,” Cullars said. “To even be nominated among this group of businesses here in Milledgeville is very humbling and an honor. At the same time, our biggest goal is doing our business daily in a way where at the end of the day and the end of our lives we can look back and know we gave it our best in serving other people, hopefully making a positive difference in their lives, and ultimately hearing God be the one that says, ‘Well done’ in business or life in general.”

Milledgeville Surcheros is a family endeavor for the Cullars’. Kyle shared that it was a dream of his wife, Debbie, to get into the restaurant business. 

“Her love language is showing hospitality through food,” the husband said. “We knew we wanted to follow that dream at some point in our lives.”

They first looked at opening a meat-and-three, a restaurant business model beloved by diners throughout the South. After choosing not to go that route, the couple was introduced by their oldest son to a newer franchise known as Surcheros. The brand got its start in Douglas, Ga. in 2007 and began franchising in 2017. 

“We fell in love with the food,” said Cullars. “Then I met the founder of the brand. It’s an awesome family-owned business with shared values. I came away from that initial conversation with him just knowing it was the right one.”

The Cullars’ sons Taylor and Connor are in on the business as well now, helping spur growth efforts. A Warner Robins location is currently under construction and should open later this summer. Other cities are also being explored as potential expansion opportunities.

Surcheros, a name derived from the Spanish words for “south” and “friend,” prides itself on two things. The first is providing fresh, delicious food like burritos, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, salads, and other Tex-Mex favorites to customers. 

“We don’t have a freezer on site,” Cullars said. “Everything is brought in the door as fresh produce. We slice it, dice it, and put it out on the line. This morning, the guacamole was avocados and the salsa was whole tomatoes. We cook the all-white breast meat chicken ourselves. We cook the steak and pork ourselves.”

The second Surcheros tenet is providing an atmosphere where all guests are made to feel welcome.  

“I think what also sets us apart is the southern hospitality that goes along with the fresh food,” Cullars added. “We genuinely are intentional every day about serving the community with a smile and friendliness. We want our restaurant to be an oasis where people can settle in and enjoy being away from the craziness of the world.”