Local restaurants get presidential visit

It was business as usual at Broaster Chicken & Ribs Friday, until a woman clad in a dark suit arrived.

The woman ordered more than five slabs of ribs, manager Bonnie Belaney said, and wanted the meat cut off of the bone and served with extra sauce.

"We accommodated her, but when she got ready to leave, she gave us a coin,'" Belaney said.

Upon closer inspection, Belaney realized the coin said "Presidential Food Service for the White House."

But by the time they realized just who had visited their establishment, the suited woman had driven off in what they believed was a Chevrolet Impala.

"She was out the door when we realized what it was. If we'd have realized it before we would have been asking a lot of questions," Belaney said.

Friday was the day that President Barack Obama visited the area for a speech at Camp Lejeune. The president landed at MCAS Cherry Point Friday morning in Air Force One, took Marine One to Camp Lejeune for a speech to Marines there.

But he apparently had a few White House aides already on the ground doing some reconnaissance maneuvers - at least for local cuisine.

White House spokesperson Gannet Tseggai confirmed the presidential sampling of not only Broaster Chicken, but said an aide was also dispatched to Smithfield's Chicken and Barbeque.

On Friday, a woman entered Smithfield's and went to the counter and asked where she could sit five to seven people, general manager Ken Davis said.

After ordering barbeque, beans and potato salad, she left the restaurant, but not before shaking his hand and passing along a coin that Davis assumed was a tip. He told her he couldn't take it. She told him she had to leave it.

"When she left, I looked to see what she gave me. It was a gold coin that said ‘Presidential Food Service for the White House'," Davis said.

His son looked it up online and learned that the coin means that the food went to either the president or his immediate family.

The Presidential Food Service is part of the White House Military Office, according to the White House Web site.

Its operational units include the White House Communications Agency, Presidential Airlift Group, White House Medical Unit, Camp David, Marine Helicopter Squadron One, Presidential Food Service, and the White House Transportation Agency. They are "the most visible part of the WHMO's support to the President," the Web site said.

"(It's) a little bragging rights, I call it," Davis said.

Now, Davis is waiting for the coin to be put in a shadow box that he can hang in the store.

Belaney is still excited about her close encounter with White House staff.

"We were very excited to know that they were helping the local businesses ... and excited to know that it was for the president because I never would have thought (it would happen). It was a very exciting day," Belaney said. "It just never would have been a thought in my mind. I would think that they would be at maybe the Officer's club on base or something like that."

Each employee received a coin, one of which will be hung in the store.

"The other one I'm going to try to hold onto," Belaney said.

Broaster Chicken & Ribs is located at 331 Western Blvd. in Jacksonville.

Smithfield's is located at 315 Western Blvd. A second Jacksonville location is at 1105 Gum Branch Road.

 Contact Jacksonville/Onslow County reporter Amanda Hickey at 910-219-8461 or ahickey@freedomenc.com.