In 1952, Hop’s Bar-B-Q opened its doors in Asheboro, North Carolina, and over the next seven decades it became something far greater than a place to order barbecue. It became one of those restaurants that quietly worked its way into the rhythm of everyday life. The kind of place where birthdays were celebrated, work lunches became weekly traditions, and families marked the passing of time one barbecue plate at a time.

For much of that history, Hop’s wasn’t just defined by its food. It was defined by the people behind the counter.

Jerry Southard first walked through those doors when he was just 14 years old. What started as a job eventually became a life’s calling as he purchased the restaurant and devoted decades to preserving what Hop’s had always been. Alongside his wife, Lila, the two spent their lives keeping the doors open, while Jerry’s sister, Kathy Cooper, dedicated more than 40 years of her own life to the restaurant.

Places like Hop’s aren’t built overnight.

They’re built one regular customer at a time.

One waitress who already knows your order before you sit down.

One family recipe that never needed changing.

One generation teaching the next that this is simply where you go when you want barbecue.

Jerry became known for far more than running a restaurant. Folks remember the meals quietly delivered to families during difficult times, the food prepared for churches and community events, and the kindness shown to customers who needed a little grace when times got hard. Hop’s served barbecue, but it also served its community.

Then, in February 2025, everything changed.

Jerry passed away unexpectedly, leaving behind not only his family, but a restaurant that had revolved around his leadership and heart for decades.

His family tired to keep Hop’s going. They adjusted staffing, changed operations, invested more time and resources, and searched for a path forward. But like so many longtime family restaurants across North Carolina, the challenges kept growing. Rising costs, staffing shortages, and an aging building that demanded constant repairs eventually became more than the family could overcome.

Now, after more than 70 years, another North Carolina institution is preparing to close.

Hop’s Bar-B-Q will serve its final meals on Saturday, August 29, 2026.

Until then, the restaurant will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., giving longtime customers one last chance to pull into the parking lot, sit in a familiar booth, and enjoy a meal that has been part of Asheboro’s story since Harry Truman was president.

Restaurants come and go.

Places like Hop’s rarely do.

When the doors close on August 29, Asheboro won’t just lose another place to eat. It’ll lose a piece of its own history, carried for generations by one family that spent a lifetime feeding its neighbors and proving that sometimes the most important thing a restaurant serves isn’t what’s on the plate.

It’s the community gathered around it.

Hop’s Bar-B-Que 

240 Sunset Ave

Asheboro, NC 

1952-2026 

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