One of my favorite places in Richmond County is celebrating a milestone today — 45 years in business.
Hudson Brothers Deli was opened by brothers Rex and Ray Hudson on Sept. 26, 1980 next door to its current location on Lee Street in downtown Rockingham, where it has been for 40 years.
When Ray suggested getting into the bar business, Rex suggested adding sandwiches, drawing from his experience working at a sub shop in Greenville while attending East Carolina University.
When they moved into the former funeral home, they cut holes in the floor to create a balcony where the crowd upstairs could still see what was going on downstairs.
The second floor also included a game room that Rex Hudson said would “give the adults a chance to sit down and have a conversation and enjoy each other’s company while the kids went upstairs and played.”
“We’ve seen a lot of ‘Deli Babies,’” Hudson told the RO when the establishment reopened after renovations in 2018 . “We call them that because their mothers and fathers come here and eat our sandwiches … and before it’s over, they have a baby eating our pickles and subs.
“We’ve seen a lot of families come in and that’s what keeps us going,” he added. “As long as we can keep the community supported and they keep supporting us, we’ll be here 'til their grandkids are coming.”
A bottle of beer, glass of wine and shot of liquor sit on the bar at Hudson Brothers Deli.
William R. Toler
As far as the bar goes, Hudson Brothers started selling just beer and later added wine to the adult beverage menu. When mixed beverages were finally allowed in 2002, Rex Hudson said he was the first in the county to get a permit.
I moved to Richmond County in June of 2014 and was practically a hermit — staying home and only going to work or Walmart when needed.
Despite working a half-block away, I never ventured inside — partly because it was hard for me to tell if it was open due to the dark windows.
That changed in November of 2015.
I had gone to another bar to see blind drummer Stephen Wyand sit in on a few songs with local band Black Powder. It was there and then that I met Diane Whitfield, now the manager of Hudson Brothers.
She fawned over the photos I had taken during the show and invited me to go to Hudson Brothers the following week to see a band that included a blind bass player.
The band was Hardwired and the bassist was Hamlet native Bub Barrett.
Hardwired performs at Hudson Brothers Deli in November 2015. From left: Philip Neal on guitar; Mark McRae on drums; Bub Barrett on bass.
William R. Toler
From then on, I was hooked.
Former manager Robin Roberts was instrumental — pun intended — in making the establishment the go-to for live, local music.
I started going to Hudson Brothers every Friday night for the music, often photographing the bands with either my Nikon or cellphone.
Falling in with the local music community, I eventually moved from behind the camera to behind the mic, occasionally being called up to play or sing a song or two.
The bar and restuarant is celebrating its 45th anniversary tonight, carrying on its live music tradition with the Beach Fever Band, which includes members from Richmond and Scotland counties.
The Beach Fever Band performs at Hudson Brothers Deli in 2025.
William R. Toler
I concluded a 2023 column about Hudson Brothers with the following:
“The next time you’re sitting home on a Friday evening and think, ‘There’s nothing to do,’ head over to Hudson Brothers and support a local business and the local music scene.
“You might even run into your friendly neighborhood editor.”
Congratulations to Rex and his crew for four decades of serving the people of Richmond County.
Award-winning journalist William R. Toler is managing editor of the Richmond Observer.
