The late Sam Dillard never dreamed that his restaurant, Dillards Barbecue would become such a success. Mr. Dillard was born on August 12, 1913 in Rosedale, Mississippi. As a child, he delivered coal to a neighbor's house to make a little money.

At the age of 17, Mr. Dillard's mother decided that her son should attend Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. When Mr. Dillard arrived, he had little money, so he started selling candy and later expanded to selling cigarettes.

Mr. Dillard graduated from Tuskegee Institute in 1938 with a degree in Printing. After graduating from college, Mr. Dillard worked on a boat in Detroit as a cook and decided to come to Durham, North Carolina. Along with a fellow graduate, Ulysses Lambert, Mr. Dillard decided to sell chicken sandwiches. He never got to sell chicken sandwiches. Instead, he and his partner opened a chicken farm with 2,000 to 3,000 chickens at one time.

A few years later, Mr. Dillard lost his partner to World War II. In 1940, he married Geneva Lambert. On May 9, 1945, Mr. Dillard opened his first store. It was called The Neighborhood Store. He got this idea from working in a grocery store and seeing how much food they were throwing away each day. He then decided to go into business for himself. During this time, people bought food with credit. Most people paid their bills, but when some did not, Mr. Dillard did not want to continue to use credit.

In 1956, Mr. Dillard's friend, Till Bagley offered to teach him how to cook barbecue. In 1962, Mr. Dillard opened Dillard's Barbecue. It has not stopped growing. During this time, there was a lack of money and because he was a minority, it was very hard to get a bank loan. Mr. Dillard had to make sure that he had a covenient location for a restaurant and that he had low prices. Mr. Dillard also needed to make sure that he did not discriminate against anyone, so he would continue to have success that he had always had.

It took a lot of hard work to keep the family together and have a successful business. Mr. Dillard had to manage his money, and make sure that he did not buy more than he needed of each item everyday. He also had to make sure that he got there early enough to prepare food and open early enough so that it would be a covenient to his customers. Also, Mr. Dillard had to work many late hours to clean up or wait for someone to clean up for him. Dillard's Barbecue is now open at 11:00 AM and closes at 8:00PM on weekdays and Saturday.

Dillards barbecue manufactures and distributes North Carolina's Famous Barbecue Sauce. It is the official saucs of the Durham Athletic Park, home of the Durham Bulls. The family of the late Mr. Dillard agree that if it had not been for the support of the community, Dillards Barbecue would not have been as successful as it is today.

During is fifty years in business, Mr. Dillard employed people who had been through hard times. He employed single people, the homeless, drug abusers, and convicted felons. Sometimes, he would box food and give it to the homeless or poor. Sam Dillard was a caring and brillant man, and his legacy will live on, not just in his restaurant, but in all the lives that he touched.