SMITHFIELD, Va. – The historic town of Smithfield now features a new downtown dining destination, Taste of Smithfield. The restaurant, set to have its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 10, will share its new 8,700-sq.-ft. building at 217 Main St. with Smithfield's retail store, The Genuine Smithfield Ham Shoppe, which was previously located across the street.
"We're very excited about our new venture because we think it will help attract more visitors to our historic town, along with giving us a showplace for our products," said C. Larry Pope, Smithfield's president and CEO.
"We've had a long and pleasant association with the town of Smithfield, dating back to when our company was founded in 1936, and we're delighted that our new building blends in so well with the many attractive neighboring stores along Main Street," Pope said.
The Genuine Smithfield Ham Shoppe will offer a larger selection of products, including Smithfield Specialty-branded pork products, as well as other gourmet Specialty food brands such as Stonewall Kitchen, Rothschild Farms, Vosges Haut-Chocolat, and The Peanut Shop of Smithfield Gourmet Virginia Peanuts and Nuts.
The Taste of Smithfield restaurant will feature Smithfield pork products, including Smithfield Innovation Kitchen Specials and Windsor Castle Box Lunches. There is also a "grab-and-go" case with salads, sandwiches and desserts.
Pete Booker, vice president and general manager of the Smithfield Specialty Foods Group, will oversee this new joint venture combining Retail and Restaurant operations. Margaret Carroll will manage the restaurant.
"Our Taste of Smithfield Restaurant is a rousing tasting of the pig, featuring quality food items for everybody, from meaty sandwiches to ribs to burgers, and we're also offering 'For the Little Piglets' selections for children," Booker said.
"We anticipate that we will be changing our menu often to reflect new and innovative creations from our chefs," Booker added. "We even have some menu items for our vegetarian friends."
