Restaurant Transitions: Openings set in Little Rock for Bruno’s Deli, Soul Fish Cafe, Asia Buffet

Asia Buffet Sushi, Grill, BBQ now has a mid-July target date to open in west Little Rock’s Market Place Shopping Center.
Asia Buffet Sushi, Grill, BBQ now has a mid-July target date to open in west Little Rock’s Market Place Shopping Center.

Bruno's Little Italy co-owner Gio Bruno says Tuesday is now the target for the opening of the next-door Bruno's Deli, a grab-and-go lunch expansion in the former Dundee's men's wear space, 308 Main St., Little Rock. Lunch hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday, possibly later to sell meats and cheeses, etc. Phone: (501) 313-4452.

And the end of July is now the target for the opening of -- next door to the north of Bruno's Deli -- the first Little Rock outlet of Memphis-based, three-restaurant mini-chain Soul Fish Cafe. Hours will be 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily; the phone number, (501) 396-9175.

After eight years at the Capital Hotel, Lee Ingold has taken over this week as general manager of Cache in Little Rock's River Market District. He told the food blog Rock City Eats that he isn't having to make many staff changes: "My biggest goal is to support the great talent already here and pull it all together so that everyone is working toward common goals." Ingold spent 20 years in food, beverage and hospitality in New Orleans before coming to the hotel in 2008.

Owner Bill Gu says he's looking at two or three weeks, pending inspections, for the opening of his Asia Buffet Sushi, Grill, BBQ, going into four storefronts -- suites 26B-29B -- in the eastern half of the Market Place Shopping Center, 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock. Gu also operates the Hibachi Sushi Buffet, 4334 Central Ave., in Hot Springs. The buffet and menu will primarily offer gourmet Chinese food, a Mongolian grill, Chinese-style barbecue and sushi. We'll keep you posted.

BASH Burger Co., in the Colonnade Shopping Center, 315 N. Bowman Road, Little Rock, is shifting its hours, now opening seven days a week -- lunch only (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. The phone number: (501) 904-2694.

The Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza location at 7412 North Hills Blvd. at John F. Kennedy Boulevard (Arkansas 107), has closed and the phone number, (501) 834-1514, is now disconnected. Corporate officials confirmed the closure of the franchise-owned outlet but had no specifics, speculating on the possibility that "often a store closes because it is at the end of its lease term and has decided not to relocate or continue the business in that location." Meanwhile, says Jayson Tipp, Papa Murphy's chief development officer and senior vice president of technology, a Conway location should open within the next couple of weeks; three others are in different stages of development -- one on Chenal Parkway in Little Rock that should open before Thanksgiving, and stores in Searcy and Jacksonville opening toward the end of the year. In the meanwhile, you can pick up partially prepared Papa Murphy's pies for home finishing at outlets in the Ashley Square Shopping Center, 9120 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, (501) 225-7272, and 5311 Arkansas 5 N., Bryant, (501) 943-4149.

A plumbing permit has been issued for an outlet of the Wichita, Kan.-based Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers at 4305 E. McCain Blvd., North Little Rock, which would place it in the parking lot of the center that contains Best Buy and a Jason's Deli. A check of the website, freddysusa.com, doesn't yet show it happening, but it does show existing outlets in Fayetteville and Rogers. We're awaiting callbacks for corporate confirmation.

A month of third-birthday festivities for nano-brewery Stone's Throw Brewing, 908 Rock St., Little Rock, begins Friday with the annual release of their Anniversary Stout (replicating the first beer brewed at Stone's Throw on July 4, 2013), culminating with the third Block on Rock Birthday Bash, 4-10 p.m. July 30. And, in between, there will be special beer releases each Friday -- July 8, an "interpretation" of an 1841 Little Rock beer that was developed with the Historic Arkansas Museum; July 15, the 2015 Anniversary Stout aged in a Rock Town Distillery rye whiskey barrel; aged in the same barrel, the July 22 offering, 2015 Big Dam Horn O'Plenty Imperial Oktoberfest; and, July 29, a barrel soured version of Amarillo Warrior Imperial IPA. The Third Block on Rock Birthday Bash, commemorating the opening of Stone's Throw's taproom, Aug. 1, 2013, will occupy two blocks of Rock Street, from Seventh to Ninth streets, for a music stage and food trucks. The brewery will donate 25 percent of the proceeds to Preserve Arkansas. Normal hours for Stone's Throw's taproom and biergarten are 4-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. Visit stonesthrowbeer.com.

Chef Shuttle will deliver orders from 30 Hot Springs eateries Saturday-Monday directly to your boat or at least to Gregg Orr Marine, 4903 Central Ave., Hot Springs, through a partnership with the marina and RaftUp. Get a 30-day RaftUp download code and instructions detailing the lake delivery process at raftup.com/chefshuttle. Find the "Lake Hamilton" button on chefshuttle.com (where you'll also find a list of participating restaurants) to select delivery date and time, choose menu items and check out with credit or debit cards.

And Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin has selected John Munday and Marshall Smith, chef and sous chef, respectively, of Little Rock's Samantha's Tap Room & Wood Grill to represent Arkansas in Louisiana's 13th annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off, Aug. 6 in New Orleans. The Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and the Louisiana Restaurant Association, which are hosting the competition, invited the nation's lieutenant governors to make the selections, which explains how Griffin got involved. The competition will put what a news release calls "top executive-level chefs from across the country" before a panel of "nationally recognized chefs and media members," who will "declare the winner 'King or Queen of American Seafood 2016.'" The chefs will cover their own expenses, including travel, accommodations and the cost of ingredients. (Griffin, the news release notes, will "personally pay for any costs associated with his attendance at the cook-off or related events.") Visit greatamericanseafoodcookoff.com for more details. Interested in attending? Call Katie Grygar in Griffin's office at (501) 682-2144.

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, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Send email to:

eharrison@arkansasonline.com

Weekend on 06/30/2016

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