Country Club opens new bar and grill
Last week some POA members had a preview of their newest amenity when BV Bar and Grill held a dining dress rehearsal. The building opened later in the week with little fanfare.
Located on the lower floor of the Bella Vista Country Club, BV Bar and Grill is open to the public. It’s located in the space that once housed Cafe Amici but, unlike Cafe Amici, the new business is run by the POA.
The menu resembles a sports bar with sandwiches, burgers and salads; most priced below $10. There are also full dinners, including country fried chicken and London broil for $15 or less.
“We have been fortunate to hire some very qualified employees for our new restaurant, but they are still getting familiar with this new operation,” POA general manager Tom Judson said, “I ask for our customers’ patience in the first few weeks as we refine the operation and provide the level of service our property owners have come to expect from the POA.”
On the other side of a common area, featuring a huge, original fireplace, the Country Club Pro Shop has a new home. Golf gear, including logo shirts from all five golf courses, is available. A new outside staircase will allow golfers to pick up their cart below the pro shop and drive back to their vehicles to pick up their golf clubs.
The building, designed by E. Fay Jones, first opened in 1968. It was 30,000 square feet and cost more than $1 million. The dining room was formal and there was often dancing in the large common room in the center of the building. But the building closed in 2002 and the board considered tearing it down.
In 2006, as Bella Vista voted to become a city, the POA administration needed to move its offices.
The Country Club building was renovated and one wing became offices. The restaurant was operated by a lessee.
The latest renovation also added space to the lobby, where a welcome center, staffed by a membership-services employee is located. During a tour of the renovation last month, Judson explained that membership services receives questions about everything from pool passes to real estate taxes. It makes sense to have a knowledgeable employee running the welcome center. Some membership services functions will be available at the Welcome Center.
Human resources is located just beyond the Welcome Center and, past that, is the board meeting room which was updated with a touch screen, new flooring and furnishings. The office wing was not renovated.