Cowboy Bob’s reopens after dump truck tire mishap

Cowboy Bob's owners Paula and Bob Kubinchak say the community support has been "amazing!" They celebrated their shop's reopening with donuts decorated like tires that read, "It's been a Good Year!" (Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)

After an eventful week, Cowboy Bob’s is back open for business.

Late Monday morning, a runaway wheel struck the donut and coffee shop near Clarkesville, shattering a plate glass window.

After shutting down for repairs, the shop reopened bright and early at 7 o’clock Friday morning.

Commemorative tire donuts celebrating Cowboy Bob’s reopening on April 28, 2023. (Facebook)

Cowboy Bob’s owners Bob and Paula Kubinchak say they’re very thankful no one was hurt in the incident. They even had a bit of fun with it, celebrating their reopening with commemorative “tire donuts,” which they served with or without “glass” (sugar crystals).

Paula says the response from the community since the incident has been “absolutely amazing!”

“We love Habersham. They have come in and supported us,” she said. “The county has done everything to make this an easy reopening for us, and our customers are just out of this world. We love them.”

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How did it happen?

On April 24, a county dump truck was hauling asphalt, headed south on New Liberty Road, when two back wheels fell off the rear axle. One wheel landed harmlessly in a yard, while the other traveled about a quarter of a mile down New Liberty, across the Historic Highway 441 intersection, and into Cowboy Bob’s.

BEFORE – The runaway wheel shattered the front plate glass window at Cowboy Bob’s late on the morning of April 24, 2023. (Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)
AFTER – Cowboy’s Bob’s reopened after repairs on April 28, 2023. (Jerry Neace/Now Habersham)

There are reports that the tires had recently been put on the dump truck. Now Habersham has requested the county road department service records to confirm that.

County Public Works Director Jerry Baggett told Now Habersham on the day of the incident, that the driver conducted a “pre-trip” inspection before driving it.

The county released a statement after the incident saying they were investigating it.

“We certainly take this very seriously and are very thankful no one was hurt.”