Alumni Profiles

William H. Burton III '77‘Where everyone’s a regular’
William H. Burton III ’77

Summer 2003

Administrative management graduate Bill Burton of Spartanburg has been named 2003 Restaurateur of the Year by the Hospitality Association of South Carolina. He’s the owner and CEO of Cafe Enterprises Inc., which includes 18 Fatz Cafe locations and two J. Jr’s Filling Station and Grill locations in the Carolinas.

After graduating from Clemson, Burton worked his way up in Spartan Food Systems and TW Services to head the Quincy’s Family Steakhouse chain. He purchased half of Cafe Enterprises a decade ago and acquired the balance several years later.

With a focus on customer service, a comfortable atmosphere and generous-sized servings, Burton has expanded the company’s restaurants from four to 20 locations and more than 1,300 associates.

In addition to the restaurant business, Burton serves on the board of directors of MountainBank in Hendersonville, N.C.; EarthFare, a growing chain of natural foods supermarkets based in Asheville; and the Clemson University Tiger Lettermen’s Association.

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