Guinness World Record holder honors achievement for future New Bern generations

Tina Adkins, Sun Journal
·3 min read
Tommy Moore and wife Barbara are pictured with the historic marker donated to the city and placed in Union Point Park.
Tommy Moore and wife Barbara are pictured with the historic marker donated to the city and placed in Union Point Park.

In 2010, New Bern celebrated its 300th anniversary and during the historic event held during the Fourth of July holiday, the city became famous for something else as well.

Tommy Moore, former owner of Moore's BBQ, set a Guinness World Record for the largest open sandwich — a barbecue sandwich of course.

Nearly 3,000 spectators attended the event held at Union Point Park and following the announcement of the world record, they were treated to a taste of barbecue.

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In honor of this historic achievement, Moore and his family have donated a marker to be placed in Union Point Park to commemorate the event.

The marker is set to be placed on July 4 and includes a copy of the world record certificate and a certificate from Ripley's Believe It or Not, as well as newspaper articles and pictures from the day.

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Moore said he donated the marker because he wants people to realize that they were a big part of the event.

"I want them to come see the marker and remember some of the history of that day," Moore said. "I also wanted to leave a legacy for my children Bryan and Jennifer and grandchildren Mia and Logan that they can share with their children."

The sandwich included a bun made using 561 pounds of dough which included 350 pounds of flour, 10 gallons of milk and 17 gallons of water. It weighed 1,015 pounds and took six and a half hours to cook. Three hundred pounds of barbecue and slaw were then added bringing the total weight of the sandwich to 1,337 pounds, serving nearly 3,000 people.

"The whole thing would not have been possible without the help of family and friends," Moore said.

Betty Murphy Thomas, a marketing and public relations director, close friend and former classmate of Moore, was instrumental to the Moore family in making this happen.

Thomas, who has also helped three other companies obtain Guinness World Records suggested the idea to Moore.

She said through conversations she knew Moore wanted to do something to really honor New Bern and she thought this was a perfect idea to go in conjunction with the city's 300th-anniversary celebration.

Thomas said the Moore Family donated all the time and expense toward the Guinness World Records Event and the new Historic Marker.

Moore has always been a strong supporter of New Bern and is a recipient of the state's Order of the Long Leaf Pine award for his service.

Moore sold Moore's BBQ in 2016. The restaurant was started by his parents John and Dot Moore in 1945 with its first location in James City. It has been located on Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd. since 1973.

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The marker will be available for public viewing daily at Union Point Park.

“Historical means famous, significant, celebration, momentous, memorable, unforgettable and headliner,” Thomas said. "People will always remember the day New Bern received a Guinness World Record and now the story will be told for generations to come. Tourist, residents and natives will enjoy reading every word on this beautiful historic Marker dedicated to the town of New Bern from the Moore family."

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Guinness World Record holder donates marker to city of New Bern