Two buy Graffiti’s, end wait
Armando Yoblanos and Patrick Dayer have bought Graffiti’s, 7811 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, which had been up for sale since at least June 2016. Dayer, once the chef at Cafe St. Moritz, has been involved with the restaurant since at least the late ’90s, and has connections to Paul Bash of Continental Cuisine, who opened the restaurant 32 years ago after the passing of Restaurant Jacques & Suzanne. Brokerage firm CBI Central Arkansas put the sale together; managing partner Connor Grimes says the sale price remains under wraps at the behest of the parties involved. He expects there will be no changes for some months while the new owners figure out ways to maintain the existing client base and work to bring in new customers. The restaurant phone number is (501) 224-9079.
Another restaurant-related sale to report, a little farther east on the same thoroughfare: Tri B Realty Inc. last month sold the building that houses the Blue Cake Co., 6800 Cantrell Road, for $815,000 to LaPalapa LLC, led by Desiderio Juarez, who also operates Casa Manana West at 18321 Cantrell Road. (LaPalapa was that restaurant’s original name.) Blue Cake co-owner Steve Lewandowski tells Business section writer David Smith that Juarez has only bought the building and property, but not the business.
Vesuvio Bistro, 1315 Breckenridge Drive, Little Rock, which has been closed this week for renovations, is set to reopen today — if the new pizza oven cooperates, says owner Bill Criswell — and will start serving lunch. In addition to pizza, Criswell says the new menu will replace some things that haven’t been selling well with items “that are going to be more popular,” and they’ll be changing up the list of grilled dishes more-or-less monthly to make them more seasonable. And they’re making that menu a little less expensive, he says. What the Facebook page describes as “updated atmosphere” includes some stained barn wood on some of the walls to give the place a little more casual feel, and they’ve added a draft beer system so they can serve beer with pizza. The place also has a new logo, and Criswell says the website, vesuviobistro.com, is going to get a much-needed update. The phone number is (501) 2250500.
Conway diners are mourning the passing of The Fish House, 116 S. Harkrider St., Conway, which had been op-
erating since 1993. There’s a big “For Lease” sign out front, the listed phone number — (501) 327-9901 — returns a perpetual busy signal and the restaurant’s Facebook page appears to have disappeared. The Log Cabin Democrat reports the state closed it down for nonpayment of taxes.
Chick-fil-A’s first Maumelle outlet opens today at 113 Commons Drive. The 4,907-square-foot restaurant seats 134 indoors, with an additional 16 on the patio. Hours are 6 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Saturday. The phone number is (501) 851-1810.
Corey Tullier and Hunter Yeager have taken over the kitchen at 610 Center Bar & Grill, 610 Center St., Little Rock, to create what they’re calling Lagniappe@610, with an extended, Cajun-accented menu of burgers, sandwiches, chicken strips and wings, daily lunch specials and “Lagniappe Lunch & Dinner Favorites,” including red beans and rice with sausage, “Corey’s Special” (fried boudin patties in a bowl of gumbo), chicken and waffles, a sausage po’boy and spaghetti and meatballs. Be aware: While 610 is nonsmoking during lunch and brunch, cigarettes et al. light up after 4 p.m., so by state law they can’t let in anybody under 21. Hours are 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, 6-10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday (11 a.m.-2 p.m. for brunch). The phone number is (501) 3744678.
And speaking of Cajun specialties, the Baton Rougebased Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar chain/franchise operation (co-owned by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees) is planning to open five Arkansas restaurants, three in the Little Rock area and two in Northwest Arkansas. They’ve signed an “Area Development Agreement” with Chris McJunkins, owner of three Louisiana Walk-On’s locations (in Shreveport and Bossier City and one about to break ground in West Monroe). A company spokesman says location scouting has started but there are no specific sites. The chain has 15 outlets in Louisiana and Texas. The menu and more information are available at walk-ons.com.
Signs of the times: A banner on the front of what used to be Say McIntosh Restaurant and Sweet Potato Pie Factory, 2801 W. Seventh St., Little Rock, announcing something called Vault is coming. We’ve weren’t able to come up with any other information by Tuesday’s deadline.
A sign in front of the now-defunct Applebee’s, 6 Mabelvale Plaza Lane, Little Rock, proclaims that “Anita’s breakfast lunch dinner” is coming soon. We came up with two additional nuggets: Julio A. Ortega has filed an application, which the agency listed Sept. 1, to Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control for a “Restaurant Mixed Drink Maximum” license for Anita’s Cantina & Grill at that address, and a tweet from the Little Rock Police Department letting people know that they should forward any objections to the issuance of such a license to the AABC, 1515 W. Seventh St., Little Rock, or call (501) 682-1105.
Meanwhile, that same AABC Sept. 1 filing list includes an application by Andina Cafe & Coffee Roastery owner Nita M. Westbrook for a “Small Restaurant Spirituous, Cafe or Restaurant Wine” license for her establishment, 433 E. Third St., Little Rock, and one for “Restaurant Beer & Wine — On Premises Only” for Three Fold Noodles and Dumpling Co.’s new location, 615 Main St., Little Rock, set to open Monday.
Students at the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, 13000 Interstate 30, Little Rock, who are learning the production and management of a bakery and cafe are making the goodies they turn out — including scones, muffins, croissants, hand pies, cookies, brownies, bars, cupcakes, mousse tortes, creme brulee, cheesecake, macarons, petit fours, truffles, rolls, baguettes, pan loaves and braids — available to the general public at La Patisserie, 8 a.m.2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday while classes are in session, approximately 10 weeks per semester. What items will be available will depend on what the young bakers have produced; soups and sandwiches will also be available. Prices are suggested donations to a fund that helps cover costs and fees associated with sending students to compete in cooking and culinary knowledge competitions. Call (501) 812-2860.
The latest, and possibly the final, chapter, of the ongoing drama between restaurateur John Walker Jr. and the owners of the building where he was operating Jerky’s Spicy Chicken and More, 521 Center St., Little Rock, is a Sept. 12 eviction notice from the Pulaski County sheriff’s office posted on the restaurant’s front door, demanding that Walker “or any/all occupants” must be off the property within 24 hours. The restaurant had been closed for some months prior; Walker and building owners Sixth Street LLC and property managers Rental Realty Inc. had been tussling for many more months prior over unresolved plumbing and HVAC problems.
The frozen yogurt-ice cream bar and grab-and-go kiosk were still not ready, but owner-chef Kiyen Kim made good on his promise to get Kamikaito by Kiyen’s, Sixth and Main streets, North Little Rock, open on Sept. 14. The menu, which had been under wraps until the opening, expands from the one he offers at Kiyen’s Seafood Steak and Sushi, 17200 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, the number of upscale appetizers (including specialty items with upscale prices) and cuts back on the number of Asian-fusion entrees. There’s a wide range of sushi and hibachi options. Hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. And we have a phone number: (501) 891-6172.
The phone number — (501) 358-6998 — now works at John Daly’s Steakhouse, 912 Front St., Conway, where a manager tells us they’re looking at holding soft opening meals next week and expects they’ll be open to the public the following weekend. They’re still looking at operating hours of 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily for lunch and 4:30 p.m. “until” for dinner Monday-Saturday.
And Feltner’s Whatta-Burger, 1410 N. Arkansas Ave., Russellville, announced over the weekend via its Facebook page, facebook.com/FeltnersWhattaBurger, will mark its golden anniversary — “On Thanksgiving Day, we will have been in operation for 50 years!!!” — by “rolling prices back to the original 1967 menu board price, giving away door prizes for everyone and even a few huge prizes!” The phone number: (479) 968-1410.