The Birth of Old Carolina.

Old Carolina Barbecue Company was formed in 1999 as an idea in the heads of high school friends Brian Bailey and Tim Hug. Brian was a software salesman in the newspaper industry, traveling the country sampling his favorite food, barbecue, at every outpost he could find. Tim was a manager for a fast food franchisee, supervising multiple units in Northeast Ohio. During a lunch at a barbecue joint in St. Louis, Brian had an epiphany: Canton did not have an authentic barbecue restaurant and he and Tim, two Timken Sr. High School graduates and former swim team teammates, needed to open one.

Brian and Tim obsessed for three years trying to find the right way to launch their plan with limited funding. Then, another lightening bolt struck; this one while walking the midway of the 2002 Pro Football Hall of Fame Rib Burnoff. Discussions of restaurants that day with many of the national “ribbers” who were in town selling their fare led Brian and Tim to the realization that a competition barbecue team was the perfect way to raise needed capital while building a recognized brand.

In July 2003, Brian and Tim sold their first ever rib bone at the Akron Family Barbecue on the streets of downtown Akron. The partners had located a mobile smoker in Georgia over the winter and spent six months perfecting their recipes. Old Carolina was an immediate hit. Satisfied customers and competitive judges loved the food and awarded Old Carolina at total of 27 awards in its first 2 ½ years on the bbq circuit. Even the national rib teams that inspired Old Carolina got together present Old Carolina with “Rookie of the Year” honors in 2003.

It wasn’t long before Old Carolina’s loyal customers wanted a permanent restaurant to visit on a regular basis. The answer of “Right here. Right now.” to the question of “Where are you located?” was growing thin. Dining one night at El Rodeo restaurant in Massillon, Brian and his family spotted a “For Lease” sign in the closed space of a former chicken restaurant. This 1800 sq. ft Massillon location became a permanent Old Carolina Barbecue Company outpost in May 2006. Twenty-six seats weren’t enough for the crowds. By the end of the year, lines out the door prompted Old Carolina expansion to a 4250 sq. ft location in the space of a former pizza buffet restaurant. The 110 seat Belden Village location opened in January 2007.

Where are we going?

Now with a total of 54 awards, a third location opened in Akron (Fairlawn) on October 29, 2009. This 3400 sq. ft. restaurant has 85 seats and continues the successful format of Old Carolina’s fast casual barbecue concept. Guests order at a counter and self-serve their drinks. Friendly staffers then deliver the food to the table and buss away the empty plates when they finish. The kitchen is open for guest view, as is the windowed smoker room. A new element in Akron is a lunch counter, providing more intimacy between our guests and our staff.

We continue to travel the regional barbecue circuit introducing our concept and sharing our passion with thousands more each summer. Along those travels, we hope to find more communities hungry for our fare. Will yours be next? Maybe. Until then, you know where we will be. See ya' next time!

What drives us.

We're dedicated to providing our guests the consistent experience of excellent food in every bite of every menu item at any time on any given day. Read more about what our core beliefs are.