The food world is having a moment. Several moments, actually. None of them normal. Here's what caught my eye this month — verified, fact-checked, and served with a side of chef's perspective.
Industry News · BBQ
All locations of Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ have abruptly shut down. Here's what happened, who Rodney Scott is, and why the family's original pit is still very much alive.
TyroneBCookin.com · May 5, 2026
If you follow the barbecue world at all, you probably saw the news drop on May 5, 2026: every single location of Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ has closed. All of them. At once. Some mid-service, some with zero warning to staff. Signs on the doors say "temporary" and "until further notice" — but when a restaurant chain shuts down like this, those words don't carry much weight.
Back in 2008, I reposted a list on this blog. Twenty-five reasons a chef named Niall Harbison would never open a restaurant. I asked his permission, credited him properly, and then added my own little confession at the top — that 99% of his reasons were the same reasons I wrestled with the idea myself.
Here's what I didn't mention in that post: I wrote it from a ship.