Mount Olive, North Carolina
Whenever I’m traveling across the country, my adopted hometown is always associated with pickles. The town where I live and work has no mountains or olives, but is home to the world’s largest producer of pickled cucumbers and peppers. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mount Olive Pickles, as the company was started in Mount Olive in 2026. Last summer, a brand-new spot opened downtown called the Pickle Parlor. The Pickle Parlor serves as a museum for Mount Olive Pickles, a gift shop, and a tasting room. If you know someone who is absolutely crazy about pickles, this has become a must-visit location in the area.
The Pickle Parlor replaced the old gift shop at the historic pickle plant at the corner of Cucumber and Vine. The gift shop operated at the plant for many years, but it didn’t offer pickle connoisseurs the opportunity to learn about the company’s history and the impact it’s had on this local area. The history of Mount Olive dates back to the mid-1800s, when it began as a railroad town on the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad. When this railroad was built, it was officially the longest railroad in the world, connecting the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina, on the Cape Fear River, to Weldon, North Carolina, the furthest point upstream where boats could ship on the Roanoke River. Mount Olive was named after the Mount of Olives mentioned in the Bible. Over time, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and today it is part of CSX. The railroad allowed nearby farmers to ship their produce to markets in the northeastern United States within a day. The area became very popular for growing produce, and it remains a major agricultural region in southeastern North Carolina. In the 1920s, Shikrey Baddour, a local Lebanese immigrant, suggested pickling many of the cucumbers that were rotting in local fields. While his plan did not exactly work, many citizens in Mount Olive came together in 1926 to incorporate Mount Olive Pickles. The descendants of these original town people have inherited the stock for the pickle plant, and the company is still privately held today.
When I have guests come to town, I’ll take them to the Pickle Parlor, as it is an excellent opportunity for people to see the impact of Mount Olive Pickles on the local area. As I travel across the United States, it is always comforting to know that I can go into most grocery stores and find something that reminds me of home. If you decide to visit the Pickle Parlor, it’s no cost to enter, but I’m certain that you will leave with some pickle-themed merchandise. The Pickle Parlor is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and is located downtown at 109 N. Center Street.
