TRANSITIONS

Wendy McCrory, owner of the Little Rock location of Memphis-based Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken (she also owns the one on Front Street in Memphis and the one in Collierville, Tenn.), says she’s hoping to at least have a soft opening by or during Riverfest - that’s Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26 - in the thick of Riverfest-ivities, in the used-to-be Redbone’s Downtown (and before that the Flying Burrito Co.), 300 President Clinton Ave., in the River Market District.

It’ll offer “the same menu, same recipes, same chicken, everything” as in highly popular Memphis-area restaurants, with the possibility of seasonal specials, McCrory says, “which we have not [done] in the past,” like sweet-potato fries, “greens when we can get them fresh,” cucumber salad, catfish and homemade jalapeno hush puppies. (She has been using the Collierville place as a test kitchen as well as training facility for a burgeoning franchise operation.) A soft opening would involve a limited menu, McCrory says, including some variety of chicken; the idea is to open slowly and get everything perfect rather than right now. (The restaurant was originally scheduled to open in March, so she’s been practicing what she preaches.)

The restaurant will also serve beer in 40-ounce bottles but will not have a full bar. Standard operating hours across the mini-chain are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, but McCrory acknowledges that, especially during festivals and festivities, they might jigger the closing hours depending on River Market foot traffic. We will keep you posted.

And speaking of chicken mini-chains, the first Little Rock outlet of Fayetteville-based Slim Chickens opens Monday at 4500 W.Markham St., in the former BackYard Burgers across from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and directly across the side street from a combined KFC/ Taco Bell. Hours are 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily; the phone number is (501) 907-0111. The website, slimchickens.com, describes its product as “fresh, hand-breaded tenders and great, cooked-to-order wings, served with delicious homemade sauces made from the freshest ingredients.” There are two locations in Fayetteville and one each in Conway, Jonesboro and Rogers (plus three more in Oklahoma).

A sharp-eyed observer in Otter Creek spotted a sign outside what used to be Grampa’s Catfish, 9219 Stagecoach Road, Little Rock, which closed just over a year ago, that USA Catfish is now hiring at that location. The phone company doesn’t yet have a listed number and we can offer no other details, but we’ll keep you posted.

We reported last week that new taqueria and bar The Fold, 3501 Old Cantrell Road, expected to crack its doors for a soft opening Sunday to take advantage of Cinco de Mayo. Also centering on Cinco de Mayo, the first Little Rock branch of Austin, Texas-based Tex-Mex chain Chuy’s will hold a soft opening Sunday and a fundraiser Monday before it opens Tuesday in the Chenal Marketplace, 16001 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock.

So, you ask, will Mamacita’s Bar & Grill, in the onetime Satellite Cafe space, 5923 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, also be opening on or about Cinco de Mayo? We’re asking that question too, or would, if we could be if we could get somebody to answer the phone by deadline. At least we now have a listed telephone number, (501) 916-2421, which is a vast improvement over where we were last week. No word whatsoever, however, on the Mamacita’s on Prince Street in Conway.

Always the entrepreneur, Michael Juiliano, aka Hot Dog Mike, is looking to open a permanent, fixed location in a downtown Little Rock storefront, to be announced, and is looking to crowd source the funding there for, according to the website gofundme.com/2pmulw. It would free Mike, whose current business model involves schlepping a cart about the city, from the challenges of weather, parking, traffic, visibility, zoning restrictions, workspace and safety, among others. He plans to keep it simple; menu will feature “everyday favorite options and featured specials that are hard to do on the cart and open up more opportunity for using local products,” according to Juiliano’s post, with the prospect of hiring some folks, expanding catering operations and being able to offer delivery to downtown businesses and homes. And, of course, “Hot Dog Mike and his cart(s) will still be available for catering and appearances.”

And speaking of entrepreneurial restaurateurs, Mark Abernathy of Loca Luna and Red Door will be at the Kentucky Derby, representing Arkansas and Oaklawn Park at today’s Taste of Derby, where he will join chefs from other prominent racetrack states. He’ll be preparing enough muscadine-glazed Petit Jean pork belly over War Eagle stone-ground cheese grits with caramelized onion collard greens to feed about 1,500 at a high-profile fundraiser for hunger relief, Abernathy says, and “I’ll be returning with a $1,500 donation for the Arkansas Food Bank.”

Arkansas Local Food Network will offer up “Southern Roots: An Evening of Local Food and Farmers,” 6-9 p.m. May 31 at South on Main, 1300 S. Main St, Little Rock. That, as you may recall, is the new restaurant that Chef Matt Bell, former sous chef at Ashley’s at the Capital Hotel, has been working on in what used to be the bar area of what used to be Juanita’s but is now the headquarters of the Oxford American. If the restaurant has not opened to the public by the end of the month, the event will offer a sneak preview of Bell’s Southern-inspired menu designed around locally grown ingredients. It will also showcase beer from recently opened Flyway and Stone’s Throw breweries and a signature cocktail using liquors from Rocktown Distillery. The Amy Garland Band will perform and there will be a silent auction. Tickets are $50 before May 10, $60 thereafter, available via arlocalfoodnetwork.org or arlocalfoodnetwork.eventbrite.com.

Has a restaurant opened - or closed - near you in the last week or so? Does your favorite eatery have a new menu? Is there a new chef in charge? Drop us a line. Call (501) 399-3667 or (501) 378-3513, or send a note to Restaurants, Weekend Section, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 121 E. Capitol Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72201. Send e-mail to: eharrison@arkansasonline.com