Below are parts of our interview that didn’t make the magazine.
Brief us on the vast history of this place.
In the ’40s, a lady named Rachel Crook had a little cafe, and she called it Crook’s Corner. In 1951, she was brutally murdered. It’s still unsolved. And it went through several transitions, and then Cam Hill, who grew up here in Chapel Hill and was on the town council at one point, felt that Chapel Hill lacked an in-town barbecue joint that most North Carolina towns had. That was his purpose. That’s the reason the pig is on the top. …Cam put [artist] Bob Gaston’s pig on the roof. There was a bit of a flurry with the town council because they thought it was signage. Cam said it was art. Finally, the agreement was: It could go up, but it could never come down. And it could never be lit from the outside – with spotlights. Therefore, Bob cut a hole in the belly and put lights inside. In 1982, Cam was an absentee owner. He had another business – construction cabinet making – doing really well. He called Bill Neal and wanted to know if he’d take it over. Bill contacted me. I worked for Bill and Moreton Neal at La Residence as a bartender. I was the first bartender they had. Bill and I agreed to take it over and be business partners. Bill would be back of the house. I would be front of the house and do the books. Then in ’84, I bought Bill’s share out. And we stayed working partners until he died in ’91.
So you became a restaurant owner at a young age.
I was 32. It wasn’t that much then. I borrowed some money from my dad. It wasn’t that much.
What’s your relationship been like with the chefs? You’re now the sole owner, but these are creative people.
Bill Neal was not only interested in being creative but in making sure the business was a success. You had to pay the bills, and you had to pay payroll. He instilled that creativity and being a good business person could go hand in hand. Bill Smith worked with Moreton Neal at La Res on cost, so he’s pretty familiar with it, too.
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