After 63 years of slinging plates and piling up memories, Daughtry's Bar-B-Que in Morganton is calling it quits at the end of the month. The longtime staple announced the closure on social media, thanking generations of customers and explaining that keeping the doors open under current conditions is no longer sustainable.
According to WCNC, the owners pointed to rising food and labor costs, along with ongoing struggles to keep staffing at necessary levels, as reasons for the shutdown. The station also reported that the restaurant asked customers to pick up trophies and memorabilia by July 31, 2024, as it winds down operations.
“It's been our pleasure to serve you,” the farewell message read, a simple sign-off that opened the floodgates. Dozens of people chimed in on Facebook with stories of family dinners and Sunday plates, and WCNC noted that employees and regulars were among those publicly mourning the loss of their go-to spot.
Rising Costs And Staffing Squeeze Small Restaurants
The explanation from Daughtry's owners echoes a familiar story across the restaurant world, where higher prices for food, wages and overhead are pinching independent operators. A McKinsey analysis points to elevated input costs and changing consumer habits as a combo that has left many longtime restaurants with razor-thin margins, pressure that has pushed some hometown counters right to the edge.
Where Morganton Diners Will Go For Barbecue
With Daughtry's closing, locals say they will lean more on other barbecue standbys, including Boulevard Barbeque and Hursey's Bar-B-Q, for pulled pork and plates to go. Boulevard Barbeque lists its menu and hours online, and neighboring pits are still drawing weekend traffic from customers looking for whole-hog orders.
The owners have not said what will become of the Daughtry's building or brand once the final service wraps. The closure notice acknowledged that employees and regular customers will feel the impact as Morganton says goodbye to another longtime barbecue counter. For now, residents are trading recipes, photos and stories of their favorite plates, a reminder of how one smoke-filled kitchen can work its way into a town's collective memory.
