Madill Restaurant Owners Expand Operation To Texas

An idea born approximately seven years ago has grown into another state, with the recent opening of a second location of Hobo Joe’s.

Chance and Cortnie Combs opened Hobo Joe’s in 2014 in Madill, and the business has been a huge success. With the generous support of its patrons, it has allowed the couple to open a second location in Denison, Texas, just off of U.S. 69/75.

The duo said they were not actively looking for a chain, it just fell in their lap and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“We were not seeking to purchase a restaurant at the time,” Combs said.

It was “a God offered opportunity” that has given the family the chance to be able to work together with Chance’s parents.

“Just Serve The Community” has been that common goal from the beginning and they continue to live by that goal nearly seven years later.

The restaurant in Madill started off in what is now the parking lot. When the current building was constructed, they later moved completely into the existing location.

Years ago, Hobo Joe’s was a franchise restaurant with locations across the south and west. Most of the restaurants were based in the Phoenix, Ariz. area.

The Hobo Joe’s franchise was a chain of popular diners that began in the 1960’s.

Each location had a statue of Hobo Joe outside of each location, similar to the Big Boy restaurants around the United States. The statues of Hobo Joe ranged from a typical five-foot version to some being as tall as twenty-five feet tall. The restaurants later became a part of the Humpty Dumpty Restaurant chain in the 1970’s.

The last known Hobo Joe’s Restaurant was in Cottonwood, Ariz. in 2011.

Fast forward to 2014, the Combs family is bringing a spirited life back into the Hobo Joe’s name and with it a vision of once again growing the appetites of its customers near and far.

When the Combs family decided that it was time to venture into opening the second location, careful thought went into finding that perfect location.

After doing extensive research, and discovering the growth area of Denison, it was the logical location.

The idea of opening the Denison location and providing jobs for many people was one of the top reasons they pushed so hard to open, especially with so many out of work due to the pandemic. The Combs said they give God “all of the credit for blessing them” when they opened nearly two months ago. Nearly 110,000 restaurants were not able to be open, when the pandemic hit in March.

Overall, the Hobo Joe’s two locations have approximately seventy employees. Typically, a restaurant loses money when it first opens because the establishment must first build a customer base.

Combs said that was not the case with the Denison location, and “that they did not lose money in their first month” of operation with the newest location. Combs added that they are anticipating opening other locations slowly and gradually and continue to build the legacy of Hobo Joe’s that will be a lasting favorite.

Combs said their motto is “Relax, Rewind, You’re Living On Hobo Time” and they love listening to stories from customers.

They want “to cater to families”, especially when life is so busy for families.

The couple said that Marshall County people are “amazing people” and have really been supportive of the success that has helped the restaurant be able to grow.