Haulin' Hogs barbecue to open new restaurant
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on July 31, 2016 1:45 AM
Haulin' Hog BBQ will take its show off the road and settle into a downtown restaurant with a planned opening Monday.
The Haulin' Hog food truck, a permanent fixture at 102 N. George St. for years, closed down its lunchtime offerings a last week in preparation for the restaurant opening. The truck has served lunch on George Street during the past four years.
"I've had a dream of having this restaurant for a long time, 15 years," said co-owner John Kearney. "We're going to have an opportunity to serve kind of a little bit differently, hopefully, in a barbecue-themed atmosphere."
The 80-seat restaurant and bar, at 120 E. Mulberry St., will open at 10 a.m. and serve lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. A fresh hog will be served each day, and food will be available until it's all sold, Kearney said.
"It's the only way to keep it fresh," said Jeremy Churakos, co-owner.
Haulin' Hog plans to offer a variety of food, including barbecue chicken, brisket, barbecue ribs, barbecue plates, sandwiches, rib trays, racks of ribs, as well as sides, a salad bar and dessert of the day.
"Any way you can pretty much think of a way it can be served, we're going to throw it out that way," Kearney said.
Restaurant side dishes include boiled potatoes, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, green beans and chopped cole slaw. One dessert will be offered each day, with plans to add banana pudding and peach cobbler to the mix.
"Everything is homemade," said Candace Bunn, co-owner. "We don't just buy it from another store. We do everything homemade, down to cutting potatoes.
"We make everything from scratch. When you eat here, it's like eating at momma's kitchen."
The restaurant will offer seating for customers ordering at the counter, take-out and catering service. Beer and wine will also be available in the restaurant.
Haulin' Hog's catering food truck, which travels throughout North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia, will continue to operate at other times.
"We'll use the truck for special events and catering," Kearney said. "Catering services are still going to be a big part of this business."
The renovation of the Mulberry Street property has taken close to two months and includes the addition of a glass door to the back of the building, which will be accessible from the John Street parking lot.
Parking is available on Mulberry Street, in a public parking lot behind the City Hall annex and also in the John Street parking lot.
Haulin' Hog is a Goldsboro-based business that started 10 years ago. Kearney has captured multiple awards, including placement in state and national pitmaster competitions. He expects the downtown business to thrive at its new location.
"I honestly think we can double the capacity of what we do with the food truck," he said. "I see opening up another place in two years, in a different location, in a different town, in a different city."