LAURINBURG — Despite a devastating fire in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic that continued from 2020 through 2022, General McArthur’s restaurant is still dishing out good southern food.

They’re just doing it a different way and under a new manager.

Brent McArthur, son of the restaurant’s founder Colon, manages day-to-day operations now. Instead of a sit-down restaurant, they sell takeout plates for lunch on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Colon McArthur, who learned to cook after being drafted into the Army in 1968, opened General McArthur’s on Oct. 1, 1987. It quickly became a favorite in the county and beyond.

The elder McArthur said, “When we had the sit-down restaurant, we served about 1,500 people a week. People from all over NC and SC would come. People on the way to the beach would stop in. They still do, but it’s not the same. I miss the people. We had such a good clientele.”

With the takeout business, the McArthurs estimate they serve 500-600 plates weekly on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

The elder McArthur decided to retire in Sept. of 2022.

“I just kinda lost interest in it. After the fire and after COVID …” he said.

“Then inflation and the biggest problem nowadays is finding people to work,” he shrugged and continued.

Son Brent says it was up in the air for a while as to whether the restaurant would continue.

“With food prices so high now, it makes it tough to operate. But I enjoy doing it, and I wanted to keep serving the community,” Brent said.

The offerings change weekly, and daily menu options are always posted to Facebook. Choices range from bbq, fried chicken, meatloaf, stew beef, chicken and pastry and more for entrees. Sides include items like collards, macaroni and cheese, butter beans, corn, slaw, and numerous other vegetables. Collard sandwiches and bbq sandwiches are always available. For dessert, there’s peach cobbler or banana pudding.

In addition to takeout, they still do catering and operate the General Store there as well. The store sells fresh-cooked then frozen meals and vegetables to go. They also have bags of fatback and containers of fatback grease.

Serving hours are Thursday and Friday 10 am- 1 pm and Sunday 10 am – 2 pm at 13661 Barnes Bridge Road.