One of Kinston’s newest eatery additions is Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q set to open Thursday, September 17.  With traditional North Carolina style food on its menu, Smithfield’s is located next to Chick-Fil-A and directly in front of Lowe’s Home Improvement. The newest location will feature the same menu as other locations.

“We are excited to be in Kinston,” said Lew Starling, President of Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q.

Starling will be at the Kinston restaurant on Thursday. The Kinston location has hired approximately 35 employees and the company invested 3.5 million dollars into launching the new location.

“We have very good products and good Brunswick stew with good sides that go with it. We think that if people come eat with us they will be happy they did,” said Starling.

As a company that prides itself on the relationships built within the community, Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q has plans to become involved locally.

“We’ll be sponsoring little league teams, church events, school events, and we’ll just get right into the community,” said Starling.

The initial opening was reported in January, but COVID-19 impacted the timeline for opening. The original date to open had been set for late June of 2020.

“We followed the CDC guidelines and want everyone to honor masks and social distancing,” said Starling.