Barry Le Roux is still getting used to life in Nocatee. When driving in and out of the neighborhood, he doesn’t have to stop to have the trunk of his car checked for stolen TV sets. On the way to the bank, his wife doesn’t hide her purse under the driver’s seat in event of a “smash and grab.”
There are no 10-foot walls with electric wire piping lining his enclave. 24-hour security guards do not scan the perimeter armed with rifles. The front gate doesn’t even have a copy of his fingerprint on file. In South Africa, where Le Roux is from, sometimes being “safe” doesn’t really give you the feeling of safety. Compared to Johannesburg, Nocatee may as well be in Mayberry – only things aren’t quite as black and white as that.
Le Roux grew up in South Africa and still has family there. He left in 2017 because, like many, it just was dangerous for him and his loved ones. In Johannesburg, Le Roux did see success. He grew his tech company and became the first to bring iPads to South Africa. However, he said that no matter how successful a person can be in the city, the pervasive threat of violence was unavoidable.
“We were living in beautiful homes (that were) 7000-square foot,” Le Roux said. “(These were) world class homes, but what does it mean if you have to bury your child? None of that stuff matters.”
Today, Le Roux is a successful local businessman, owning multiple YOBE Frozen Yogurt shops in Marsh Landing, Nocatee and St. Augustine, an electronics repair store, Cellular Phone Hospital, St. Augustine and two Verizon stores, situated in Ponte Vedra Beach and Nocatee. He has two small boys, ages 4 and 8. Le Roux chose St. Johns County for its school system and, of course, low crime rate. When he arrived, he realized that he might have to learn to adapt, both as a citizen and as a businessman.
“I thought I was going to change America,” Le Roux said. “I thought I was going to come in and have all these great ideas and all of America was going to love my ideas and they are going to buy anything that I have. (I realized) really quickly I realized that you're not going to change America, or anything about it. if you want to be successful, you need to find what they like and just do that.”
When Le Roux came to the “biggest consumer market in the world,” he saw frozen yogurt with lines out the door and frozen yogurt the next block over. One might suppose that frozen yogurt seemed like a safe bet from a man looking for an opportunity in a safe town. So, he did just that – and, it worked.
But things weren’t as easy for Le Roux as that. He worked hard, learned the ins-and-outs of owning a dessert store, which was vastly different than owning one in South Africa. Food regulation and certifications and exceeding the bottom line aren’t things that came easily or quickly for him. He doesn’t credit a savvy business sense or luck to his success. He credits his work ethic and willingness to stick with it.
“Look at Starbucks look at any of these brands,” he said. “You don’t hear stories about Jeff Bezos working out of his basement or garage for years and years and years and not making money for many years (before) reaching the point where (he) starts to be successful. The message I would like to get across is that don’t look at the success, I look at what’s behind that, and it doesn't happen overnight.”
