Gardner Foods Inc Email Format
RestaurantsNorth Carolina, United States201-500 Employees
Gardner Foods Inc is a regional restaurant company based in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Its flagship concept, Gardner's BBQ, began in 1972 and operates from a location on Highway 301 in Rocky Mount. The founder, Jim Gardner, retired in 1988 to pursue politics and was elected Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, after which Gerry Gardner took ownership of the business. Under the current ownership, the company runs three restaurant locations in Rocky Mount and also operates a catering division serving eastern North Carolina and Southern Virginia, as well as a wholesale division. An on-site commissary, USDA-inspected, prepares barbecue for all Gardner's restaurants. Despite changes to its facilities, the business continues to emphasize traditional eastern North Carolina style barbecue and down-home service, employing several hundred people.