It’s the world’s oldest method of cooking, and the debates over the best way to cook it can get heated. Cookbooks specialize in the art of complementing it. There are entire competitions devoted to the very best sauces to cover it. There’s even a national association dedicated to it—barbecue. Barbeque. BBQ. Bar-B-Q. However you spell it, you’re bound to hear a hundred different opinions on the best way to cook it, sauce it, chop it and eat it. But one thing is certain—North Carolinians are very big fans of their barbecue. Make that Bar-B-Q. And its particular “sauce” isn’t really a sauce at all.
Eastern North Carolina Bar-B-Q is slow cooked and bathed in vinegar, red pepper and salt. You won’t find this in Texas or Memphis. So what happens if you find yourself in a cramped downtown Manhattan apartment or in the suburbs of Midwest America with a craving for that deliciously tangy Eastern North Carolina Bar-B-Q? The answer to your hankering is available via the internet. The legendary yet quaint, and highly favored Smithfield’s Chicken ‘n Bar-B-Q has figured out how to satisfy your hunger no matter where you reside. Smithfield’s will ship their famous Bar-B-Q right to your door!
Smithfield’s has been a household name for Eastern North Carolina Bar-B-Q for 30 years. While Smithfield’s traditional charm provides guests with a down-home dining experience, it is the fresh, quality fare that keeps them coming back. Besides the favorite Bar-B-Q, Smithfield’s is also known for its fried chicken, as well as other Southern meal essentials: potato salad, slaw, sweetened iced tea to wash it down, and banana pudding to finish things off.
Since opening the first restaurant in 1979, Gregory Moore, CEO and founder of Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q, operates thirty-three locations today. Currently, every Smithfield’s kitchen has special air purifiers, and there are other behind-the-scenes attributes that make the buildings more environmentally “healthy.” His goal for the chain is to expand thoughtfully, “where it makes sense”—but he is slightly resistant to expansion outside of North Carolina.
That “resistance” was just what Marketing Director Richard Averitte needed to spark some creative sales expansion ideas. “People had been requesting that we ship our Bar-B-Q for years. We decided to answer their request, which would allow us to expand a different way, without the need for building additional physical restaurants.” Thus, the Smithfield’s internet Bar-B-Q shipping distribution was born. “Our process has been refined, so folks can get the best Eastern North Carolina Bar-B-Q available, just as fresh as the day it is made,” Averitte adds.
Freshness Can’t Be Beat
Smithfield’s commitment to freshness is second to none. Each of the chain’s thirty-three stores prepares their own Bar-B-Q fresh every day. The electric ovens in each store are loaded with pork shoulders to cook overnight, and every morning that freshly cooked pork is hand pulled and mixed to make their famous Bar-B-Q. Add some coleslaw and hushpuppies, and you’ve got Eastern Style Bar-B-Q perfection!
For the reasons of freshness and authenticity, Chris Barton of St. Louis, Missouri orders Smithfield’s online. He is one of Smithfield’s biggest fans and admittedly addicted to the Eastern style. Having grown up in North Carolina, his family trips to the beach always included a stop at a fish camp and BBQ joint on the way. He developed a taste for Eastern style barbecue, and recalls there’s “just something about that juicy, tangy BBQ that hits the spot.”
Upon moving to St. Louis and discovering what he calls a “culinary BBQ wasteland,” he quickly learned he was not going to find his beloved Eastern style Bar-B-Q there. Instead of learning to enjoy the “tomato-based sauce, served on the side,” Barton bought a book on barbecue and went online to learn more about the Eastern style he craved. His research led him to Smithfield’s, which was rated number one in the NorthCarolinaTravels.com taste test. He went online and placed an order on Smithfield’s easy-to-use website. It arrived ready to pull out of the cooler, heat and eat. Upon first tasting it, he recalls, “I was in heaven.” Aside from the delicious Bar-B-Q, he was impressed by the customer service. “Where else can you order Bar-B-Q online and get a hand written thank you note?” He adds, “Of course, the whole package comes vacuum sealed, chilled, and ready to eat. I promise you can’t smell this stuff and not want to dig in immediately.”
Online Food Purchases on the Rise
Barton is not alone in his online specialty food pursuits. Since the inception of online shopping, studies have tracked the online consumers’ habits, and specialty food purchases have grown dramatically. Savvy shoppers who desire the highest quality are searching out the internet in order to satisfy their hunger for the best. And the freshest tasting Bar-B-Q available, shipped to their door, comes from Smithfield’s. The process Smithfield’s uses to ensure these demands are met is rather simple, but they are continuously refining their method. When Barton received his order, he made a suggestion on package size, and it was promptly implemented. “We take our customers’ comments seriously,” Averitte said.
How does it work?
If you place an order during the week, you will receive an order confirmation via email, and your order is sent into the “Bar-B-Queue.” All orders must be placed by Sunday at midnight. On Monday evening the required amount of pork to fulfill the orders is loaded into the ovens at the designated online-order provider store in Newton, NC. On Tuesday the Bar-B-Q is hand pulled and mixed and subjected to a freeze blast to bring the product below 40 degrees. Each order is then separated into 5 lb vacuum sealed packages and stored in the freezer. On Wednesday morning, your Bar-B-Q is shipped to you in insulated coolers with cold packs. You’ll receive it within two days, still well-chilled and ready for immediate consumption.
Bar-B-Q In-House, Shipped to Your House
Today’s redesigned Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q restaurants offer a charming ambiance housed in a sleek brick and steel building with huge windows. As the locals stop in, the ceiling fans whir above the chatter of the community patrons. There’s still a sink in each dining room, reminiscent of the first Smithfield’s restaurant. With all of that, it might be tough to beat the in-house dining experience, but it’s nice to know their delicious Bar-B-Q and fixins’ can be delivered to your house. Visit www.scnbnc.com to place your order today. Brew some sweet tea, take a bite, and chances are you’ll feel like you’re actually there. Enjoy!
References used: Commercial WWW site appeal: how does it affect online food and
drink consumers’ purchasing behavior? By Gregory K. White and Barbara J. Manning. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy Volume 8 · Number 1 · 1998 · pp. 32–38 © MCB University Press · ISSN 1066-2243
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