LEXINGTON, N.C. — The Lexington Barbecue Festival brings people from all over to enjoy some of North Carolina’s finest dishes. The boost in tourism also gives a jolt to surrounding businesses.

Rachel Skinner is a manager at Main Street Pizza and Deli. It’s a family-owned business that her grandparents started back in the 1980s.

Now, she said she’s working to build it back up after facing several challenges following the pandemic.

One is that the restaurant lost its head chef.

“She was kind of, you know, the main person (who) took care of everything. My mom and my sister and me really stepped in and the family. So it’s pretty much family-owned and -ran for a little while,” Skinner said.

And now, for the first time in 18 years, Main Street Pizza and Deli is once again ready to open its doors to barbecue festival attendees.

Skinner is hoping this will kickstart a new chapter for the family business. And everyone on the team is hoping for big business from the festival.

“We have a lot of new customers, and I just hope, you know, everyone sees our sign outside and gets the word out that we’re open and ready to serve you,” Skinner said.

The festival brings over 100,000 people to Lexington. Skinner said they have a new system and protocols put in place for this weekend, and she hopes it’s a great experience for all.

The Lexington Barbecue Festival is 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.