38 | April 2015
Janice Bundy of Buddy's BBQ with daughters Olivia & Brittani
"Would you like some sweet tea?"
Iced tea, perhaps the sweeter the better, is the optimum
partner to a juicy barbeque sandwich and it's most difficult
to find a sweeter libation than at Buddy's BBQ on Gillespie
Street.
Started in 1945 by Sampson County native and World
War II veteran, Buddy Hayes, the small brick building with
iron bars on the windows may not have the most beckon-
ing exterior, but the inside, with 1970s era vinyl booths and
hundreds of pig figurines and collectibles adorning the
atmosphere, can only be described as kitsch, comfy and
something you can find only in the South. And the owner
these days, Buddy's daughter, Janice Bundy, may be the
Paula Deen of the barbeque world with her perfectly coiffed
hair (she was a former hairdresser) and warm smile.
Mrs. Bundy is flawless and she did wake up like that.
"I've been in the barbeque business for 40 years. My hus-
band helps here and so do my two daughters, one who is a
college student at Methodist University and in the nursing
program," said Bundy.
e key to their longevity in the barbeque business,
Bundy believes, is the friendly service and quality food they
serve. eir delicious, secret sauce doesn't hurt either. "No
one has my sauce. It's a vinegar based sauce that my father
made," shared Bundy.
