Smithfield's Chicken 'n Bar-b-q

What Smithfield's Chicken 'n Bar-b-q does

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q is a privately owned and operated North Carolina restaurant company operating 38+ locations across the state, from the coast to the Piedmont region. The business was founded around 1980 with conflicting source timelines suggesting either 40 or 50+ years of operating history, and was built on a foundation of traditional Southern hospitality and scratch-made food prepared daily in each location. The company sells fried chicken (white and dark meat, hand-breaded tenders), slow-cooked North Carolina pork BBQ, sandwiches, platters, chicken boxes, traditional Southern sides (coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, Brunswick stew, hushpuppies), family/tailgate packages, beverages, and Southern desserts, alongside house-made sauces (vinegar BBQ, red sauce, honey mustard, buttermilk ranch).

The core operating technology consists of standard restaurant operations integrated with an online ordering platform supporting pickup and third-party delivery. The proprietary differentiator is the recipe library and daily scratch preparation performed in each store rather than any software platform. The company runs a hybrid service model combining counter ordering with table delivery, supplemented by drive-thru, takeout, and third-party delivery channels. Online ordering is enabled through a third-party integration, and a branded merchandise shop (sauces, apparel, Yeti tumblers, gift cards, drinkware) extends the brand beyond food service.

Smithfield's revenue model spans four streams: (1) restaurant food sales through dine-in, takeout, drive-thru, and third-party delivery across 38 North Carolina locations, with menu prices ranging from $4.99 (chicken tender sandwich) to $12.99 (combination white platter); (2) franchise fees and ongoing royalties, with disclosed franchise investment of $4.3M-$5.1M and a top-quartile AUV of $2,970,247; (3) catering services for events of 20+ guests with pre-configured party packs for 20, 30, and 50 guests plus a la carte bulk options; and (4) merchandise sales via the online shop. The primary customer segment is individual consumers seeking quick-service Southern cuisine, with secondary segments in catering customers (corporate events, parties, fundraisers) and franchisees. The company has announced plans to expand into neighboring states beyond North Carolina.

Name

Smithfield's Chicken 'n Bar-b-q

Legal name

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q

Website

https://scnbnc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q is a privately held North Carolina restaurant chain operating 38+ locations across the state, serving scratch-made fried chicken, slow-cooked NC pork BBQ, and traditional Southern sides via dine-in, drive-thru, takeout, delivery, catering, and franchise channels to individual consumers and event customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick-Service Restaurant

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

BBQ & Smokehouse Fast Casual (THAFABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chicken Concepts (Fried/Grilled/Hot Chicken) (THAFABAI)

Keywords

• Fried chicken restaurant
• Pork barbecue catering
• Southern comfort food
• Quick service restaurant
• Franchise restaurant chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food Sales: Revenue from dine-in, takeout, drive-thru, and third-party delivery food sales across 38 North Carolina locations. Menu includes fried chicken, pork BBQ, sandwiches, sides, and beverages.
2. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fees and ongoing royalty payments from franchisees. Investment range of $4.3M - $5.1M for new franchise development.
3. Catering Services: Catering orders for events with party packs and ala carte items, including bulk BBQ, chicken, sides, and beverages for minimum 20 guests.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including gift cards, sauces, apparel, hats, coolers, and other branded items through the online shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q operates a regional quick-service restaurant chain serving scratch-made Southern comfort food — primarily fried chicken and slow-cooked North Carolina pork BBQ — through 38+ dine-in, drive-thru, takeout, delivery, and catering locations across North Carolina. The company supplements restaurant operations with a catering program, a franchise ownership program, an online branded merchandise shop, and a community fundraising program.

Product overview

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q is a heritage Southern restaurant chain operating 38+ locations across North Carolina, offering a unified food service experience built around fresh, scratch-made fried chicken and slow-cooked NC pork BBQ. The core product portfolio centers on sandwiches, plated meals, and snacks featuring white and dark meat chicken and pork BBQ, complemented by traditional Southern sides (coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, Brunswick stew, hushpuppies), beverages (sweet tea, fountain drinks, lemonade), and desserts (pecan pie, banana pudding). The company provides multiple service channels—dine-in with table service, takeout, drive-thru, and third-party delivery—alongside catering packages (party packs for 20-50 guests and a la carte bulk orders), a merchandise shop (sauces, apparel, drinkware), and a franchise ownership program. The brand differentiates through a limited menu model prioritizing speed and consistency, a hybrid counter-ordering/table-service model, and community involvement including a fundraising program offering 30% rebates to local organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sandwiches Hand-breaded chicken tender sandwiches and NC pork BBQ sandwiches on fresh buns with coleslaw, plus value pack options that include sides, targeted at individual and family lunch/dinner customers.
• Plates and Platters Complete meal plates featuring fried chicken (white or dark meat), BBQ chicken, pork BBQ, chicken tenders, or popcorn shrimp served with two default sides (coleslaw and fries), targeted at dine-in and takeout customers seeking a full meal.
• Snacks Smaller portion items including chicken tenders, popcorn shrimp, and chicken snacks (white or dark meat) available fried or BBQ style, targeted at customers seeking a lighter or shareable meal option.
• Chicken Boxes Bulk chicken boxes available in 4, 8, 12, or 16-piece options paired with hushpuppies, designed for families and tailgating occasions.
• Kids Meals Kid-sized meals featuring chicken tenders, chicken legs (fried or BBQ), or hot dogs served with kid-sized fries and a drink.
• Sides and Pints

Quantifiable outcome

• Average Unit Volume of $2,970,247 across top 25% of reporting locations

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NC State AthleticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletic sponsorship partnership providing brand visibility and community engagement through university sports sponsorship.
• Elon University AthleticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner of Elon University Athletics with scoreboard and event sponsorships for university sports programs.
• North Carolina AquariumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of the North Carolina Aquarium supporting conservation and community education.
• Battleship North CarolinaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting the Battleship North Carolina historical site and visitor experience.
• NC Food BankminorOthersCorporate donation of $5,000 in April 2020 supporting food security initiatives across North Carolina communities.
• Zebulon Devil DogzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletic sponsorship of youth sports team supporting local community organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scnbnc
• Facebookfacebook.com/scnbnc
• Instagraminstagram.com/scnbnc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smithfield's Chicken 'n Bar-b-q