Now, more than ever, we’re oh-so appreciative of the meals we don’t cook for ourselves. If you’ve found yourself picking up dinner at the same few restaurants a little too much lately, we’d like to introduce you to three new restaurants who are joining the ranks of the central Arkansas restaurant scene.
Show your support and try something new at Rock City Kitchen, Cypress Social and RockNRoll Sushi.
Cypress Social
It’s really happening, y’all. Cypress Social (previously Cock of the Walk in North Little Rock) is set to open Aug. 18. The restaurant is owned by JTJ Restaurants LLC, which is the parent company that owns Taziki’s and Petit & Keet. The restaurant will offer Southern-inspired fare with menu items including Delta-style hot tamales, freshly shucked oysters, peppadew cheese dip and specialty desserts dreamt up by in-house pastry chef Sara Horton.
“We have completely reimagined this iconic location. It has turned out beautifully and we can’t wait to share the experience with our guests,” saya Jim Keet, chairman of JTJ Restaurants. “We’re looking forward to welcoming guests from Maumelle, central Arkansas and the entire state to experience Cypress Social.”
The newly imagined space includes a patio and deck overlooking the lake and a multi-level bar with plenty of space to abide by social distancing guidelines. Private rooms are available for meetings and social gatherings and the facility is also available for weddings and larger events.
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RockNRoll Sushi
Downtown residents, rejoice. RockNRoll Sushi will open a second location in SoMa at the former Atlas Bar location. Lauren Frederick, commercial and residential agent and business manager at Haybar Real Estate, is working with local restaurateurs Jason Alley and Chris Kramolis to make the second location a seamless addition.
Alley and Kramolis opened their first location in Chenal during the second week of June, so they’re no strangers to COVID-19 operation restrictions. The plan is to open to the public for takeout dining on Aug. 5 and sit-down dining will hopefully happen mid-September.
The SoMa location is larger than the WLR spot, but the food will be the same. As far as the decor, the beautiful bar from Atlas is sticking around, but RockNRoll Sushi brings its own modern and eclectic vibe.
“Most other Sushi places have traditional décor,” Frederick says. “RNR has an edgy, fun, atmosphere that fits right in with SoMa.”
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Rock City Kitchen
Cuisine in downtown Little Rock just got a little bit tastier thanks to Rock City Kitchen. Restaurant owner Joe Vincent II found his passion for cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen and has led to him opening Rock City Kitchen in a micro-restaurant space in the Department of Finance and Administration building at 1515 W. 7th St. The restaurant is now open for business from 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
“This allowed us the opportunity to employ many residents of the community during a time when unemployment is high in Arkansas,” Vincent says.
Vincent completely transformed the space to add window seating, a neutral color scheme paired with warm wood accents and a wall of historic moments and popular attractions in Little Rock. The restaurant serves all-American Southern favorites with a Little Rock spin. Expect breakfast and lunch options, including breakfast sandwiches, catfish plates, burgers, chicken wings and a dessert of the day.
“I’m looking forward to focusing on growing the brand by bringing people together with the taste of Little Rock,” Vincent says. “RCK has plans to expand into providing a dinner service as well as catering in the near future.”
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