A longtime fan of the state's barbecue traditions, Garner, 64, became known for his 'cue know-how based on his work on UNC-TV's "North Carolina Weekend." Garner would travel the state, filming segments about restaurants and eventually produced an hourlong show about the state's favorite food tradition. He also has written two books: "North Carolina Barbecue: Flavored by Time" and "Bob Garner's Guide to North Carolina Barbeque."
"He is kind of the spokesperson of North Carolina barbecue," said Greg Hatem, a downtown developer and owner of the Empire Eats restaurant group that also owns The Raleigh Times, Gravy and Sitti. "That's such an important mission of what The Pit is supposed to be.""
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