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Department of Revenue shuts down Wilber's Barbecue in Goldsboro

Wilber's has been open since 1962.

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Kathy Hanrahan, Out
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GOLDSBORO, N.C. — A popular Goldsboro barbecue joint is shut down.

The North Carolina Department of Revenue confirmed Friday that it "took action on the business located at 4172 U.S. Hwy 70 East in Goldsboro." That is the address of Wilber's Barbecue, which has been open since 1962.

A sign outside of Wilber's Barbecue stated, "Pursuant to NC G.S. 105-242(a)(2) the personal property here within has been seized for nonpayment of taxes.”

"Due to the N.C. taxpayer secrecy law, we are unable to provide details beyond what is on the posted sign," Department of Revenue spokesman Schorr Johnson said.

Under state law, the department can seize a business for nonpayment of taxes as a last resort after all other voluntary and forced tax collection measures have failed.

According to the Wayne County Clerk of Court, the Revenue Department has filed six tax liens against Wilber’s, totaling $70,647.98 in tax liability.

Johnson said that the owners could regain control of the restaurant if they pay the back taxes.

Customers were heartbroken as they stopped by the restaurant Friday only to find it closed.

"I've been coming here since I was, I don't know, 5, so 30-some years," Jeff Schauland said. "As far back as I can remember, this was the meals that we would have at my grandparents' house, and we would come out and eat every time I was here.

"It's a complete shock. I'm scared to even tell my mother,"Schauland added. "We'd freeze [the food] and take it back to California. That's how much we loved it."

Herbert Wallace said his mother has eaten at Wilber's regularly since retiring and moving from New York about 10 years ago.

"Whenever she would come in [before moving to North Carolina], she would get a bunch of barbecue to take back to New York with her. My sister would take barbecue back with her to Georgia," Wallace said.

"Man, that's going to hurt a lot of folks," he added. "People would want her to take pounds of barbecue back to Georgia."

Wilber Shirley and Carl Lyerly purchased Hill's Barbecue from Fred Hill in 1962 and renamed it Hwy. 70 Barbecue. Within a year, Lyerly sold his share in the business to Shirley, who changed the name to Wilber's Barbecue.

The restaurant, which was a 2015 WRAL.com Voter's Choice Award finalist for best Eastern N.C. barbecue, also served many dignitaries including Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Govs. Jim Hunt and Terry Sanford and U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

The odor of smoldering hickory wood still hung over the restaurant, just off the end of the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base runway, on Friday.

Longtime pitmaster Keith Ward said he started working at Wilber's when he was in high school and spent his life there.

"Mr. Shirley has been a good man to work for," Ward said. "We've been here 57 years this coming July."

Wilber's closing is the latest in a string of barbecue restaurants closing in the area. Allen and Son Barbecue quietly closed its doors in December in Chapel Hill after decades in business.
In May, Bill Ellis Barbecue suddenly closed its doors after almost 56 years in business in WIlson.

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