Princeton, WV (WOAY)- As Juneteenth celebrations carry on into this weekend, we caught up with one woman in Mercer County to share her story of hard work and dedication to her children and opening her own business.
Antoinette Barnes, the owner of Dabs Country Cookin’, wasn’t always a business owner.
She struggled in retail for many years until the birth of her child caused her to leave her job.
She then began selling plates of food from her home at the suggestion of a friend.
In 2018, she went back to retail management in North Carolina, but lost her job again due to illness and became homeless.
She would use other people’s kitchens to once again sell food to others, helping her and her children find a place to live.
She made her way back to the mountain state, opening a roadside place called Dabs Cooking at the Shack in Bramwell.
Dabs comes from the initials of both her children, which is D.A.B.
Later, a space on Mercer Street in Princeton, near the railroad museum, became available, and Dabs Country Cookin’ was born.
Antoinette says the one thing she never wanted to do is give up, so she could show her kids that anything is possible.
