Scott restaurant, store burn

Cotham’s Mercantile manager Danielle Lynch embraced a grandmother and granddaughter parked beside the restaurant Tuesday morning in Scott.

The storied eatery and general store had been reduced to charred rubble behind them.

Lareeta Robinson and her young granddaughter had planned to spend the first day of summer vacation at the place where they’d become regulars.

“I know what you order to eat, but I don’t know your names,” Lynch said, softly wrapping her arms around them.

A fire late Monday destroyed the restaurant, known for its huge “Hubcap” burger and as a popular spot among politicos.

“We’re completely devastated,” said Lynch, who coowns the property along with Scotty McNair.

First responders rushed to a structure fire at 5301 Arkansas 161 South at 11:14 p.m. on Memorial Day. The building, constructed on stilts near the bank of Horseshoe Lake, was fully aflame, according to a Pulaski County sheriff’s office report.

A total loss, smoke billowed from the collapsed building even late into Tuesday afternoon. Lynch managed to save the smoke-damaged sign.

No cause had been determined Tuesday, but Scott Volunteer Fire Department officials had determined the fire started in the front of the restaurant, ruling out the kitchen as a source, according to a report.

Cotham’s opened in 1917 as a general store, catering to the many farmers near the border of Pulaski and Lonoke counties.

Through the 20th century, it also served as a military commissary and jail.

The eatery, which appeared on several popular television shows including Man vs. Food, was instantly recognizable by its worn-wood columns and corrugated metal roof.

Bill and Suzy Cotham began serving burgers and plate lunches out of the store in 1984, and it quickly gained popularity after word spread that it was a favorite spot for former President Bill Clinton and former U.S. Sens. Dale Bumpers and David Pryor. A sign hung in the dining room that read: “Les Cotham’s. Where the elite meet to eat.”

John Edwards, a former Democratic state representative from Little Rock, said that Cotham’s location about 20 minutes from the Capitol made it a perfect lunch destination. Edwards grew up around Scott, buying soft drinks and ice- cream bars from Cotham’s before it was a restaurant.

He recalled sharing meals there with Clinton, Pryor and Bumpers.

“It was just far enough outside city limits that they felt like they could interact with farmers and get the pulse of the agriculture industry,” Edwards said. “And farmers would tell them, I can assure you.”

In 1988, the restaurant served free turkey and trimmings to victims of a tornado that ripped through on Thanksgiving Day.

Larry Griffin bought the restaurant from the Cothams in 1996. Griffin and his nephew Jon Griffin later opened a sister location, Cotham’s in the City, 1401 W. Third St. in Little Rock, hoping to further attract the political class.

The Griffins sold Cotham’s Mercantile in 2001 to McNair, but Jon Griffin still owns the restaurant next to the state Capitol. He said Tuesday was one of the busiest Tuesdays after Memorial Day that he remembers.

Cotham’s Mercantile in Scott almost burned down just before his family sold it to McNair, Griffin said. A young boy saw the flames, which started from grease-soaked rags, and called 911.

“He got free food for life,” Griffin said.

A procession of cars rolled slowly by the devastation Tuesday. Several drivers parked to take photos, and one placed a bouquet of flowers on the burned grass.

“It’s a sad thing isn’t it?” former Gov. Mike Beebe said.

Beebe, a Democrat, always preferred Cotham’s plate lunches to the Hubcap burger. Robinson and her granddaughter loved the catfish.

“It had that reputation for being a place where politicians went, but I went there for the food,” Beebe said.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson also lamented the loss.

“Cotham’s is an Arkansas institution, and I’ve been there many times,” he said in a statement. “While this is a great loss, I do hope that Cotham’s can rebuild and continue its rich history in our state.”

After taking one last look at their favorite lunch spot, Robinson and her granddaughter had to decide where to eat lunch.

“Chick-fil-A, Chick-fil-A!” the young girl shouted.

Robinson looked up and forced a smile.

It won’t be the same.