This week marks the second anniversary -- exactly two years almost to the day -- of the first announcement via the website, theshackisback.com, about the pending resurrection of The Shack in a papered-over storefront at 402 E. Third St. in Little Rock's River Market District that previously, very briefly, housed the stationary incarnation of Michael Juliano's Hot Dog Mike. And now we have the scoop, direct from co-owner Tim Chappell (also owner, by the way, of nearby Gusano's Chicago-Style Pizzeria), on just what and a good idea of when.
First of all -- the shock! -- it won't actually be called The Shack.
Chappell says Jimmy Moses, the real estate mogul and perhaps the driving force behind downtown Little Rock development, put him together with Joe Finch, who has, over the years, operated about a dozen barbecue restaurants around the state, and who had possession of The Shack brand name, about bringing back The Shack -- or more specifically, Shack recipes -- to the River Market.
"Once Joe and I started homing in on the menu, we decided [all would] probably be better served" if they opened it instead as Hickory Joe's, one of Finch's restaurant brands, using the original Shack sauce recipe and serving Shack sandwiches. (That sauce, by the way, is being commercially bottled in Benton and is for retail sale at nearby Dugan's Pub/Stratton's Market and Andina Cafe.) The establishment will have some indoor seating, but will function mostly as a part-deli grab-and-go, serving barbecue and hickory-smoked meats. "Speed is the key word here," Chappell explains. "We'll have the fastest food offering in the River Market; we'll be cooking the food slowly but serving in a fast manner." They'll have a gas-operated "really nice high-end hickory smoker" on the premises but they won't have a fryer, so you won't get fries with your barbecue (but Chappell says they expect to serve baked potatoes that you can load up with barbecue).
Chappell says they've added some additional retail space to the west side of the Hot Dog Mike storefront that will basically double the available square footage. It'll take a couple more months to iron out the construction documents and permits and buy the equipment. Thereafter, construction will go "pretty fast," with a target opening -- in another six months. Finch, by the way, talks about The Shack and its sauce on YouTube: tinyurl.com/finchshack.
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Food-truck operation Waffle Wagon is locking its wheels and retiring its irons. Owners Melissa Melton and Matt Clark posted May 6 on their Facebook page: "We are closing our window for good. Good, not bad. We have shared three glorious years with you guys. ... It's been a wild ride and a pleasure serving you. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting this crazy dream. Thanks for bringing it on down to Waffletown. Catch you on the flip side." Their explanatory reply to a query on the same post: "It just became much too much. We are ready to enjoy some downtime." The phone number, (501) 319-3132, has not yet been disconnected, but all our calls were routed through to a voice-mail box.
Speaking of mobile food service, Honey Pies is the latest such establishment to move into regular quarters, with a target opening in the next couple of months in a 600-square-foot storefront -- formerly Bruno's Little Italy's second dining room -- in the Colonnade Shopping Center, 315 N. Bowman Road, Little Rock. (Neighbors include Lulu's Latin Rotisserie & Grill and Bash Burger Co. -- another recent food-truck-to-storefront transition -- and a Little Caesars outlet.) Owner Sharon Woodson says her operation isn't exactly a food truck -- more like a table and a canopy she sets up where food trucks gather, and she's making the move based on family needs (with a 6-year-old, a little stability is a good thing). She says she'll start small -- pies and coffee -- and eventually a fully operational, full-service bakery, ice cream parlor and coffeehouse. Hours, tentatively, will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday but much will depend, Woodson says, on how the employee situation works out. The business phone number will remain is (501) 613-7950; the Facebook page: facebook.com/myhoneypies.
And still speaking of food trucks, Three Sams BBQ and Catering, 10508 Mann Road, Mabelvale, felled by fire in March, has been vending from a food truck in the parking lot during reconstruction. Mostly it appears it has been open Saturdays but check the Facebook page -- tinyurl.com/zcvq7s9 -- for availability. We got a busy signal in three days of tries at the phone number, (501) 407-0345.
And speaking of landmark eateries in temporary quarters while also rebuilding from a March fire, Stoby's has opened a temporary drive-through location, Stoby's Express, 1310 Prince St., Conway, featuring items that were available before the restaurant had a grill, including sandwiches, salads, soups and its award-winning cheese dip. Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday; you can place to-go orders at (501) 327-6161. Keep up with details and get a look at "Stoby's Classic Menu" at stobys.com.
Pasta Jack's West has opened in the former Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes storefront, 14810 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. Hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The phone number: (501) 868-5225.
A Starbucks outlet opened last weekend at the Outlets of Little Rock, 11201 Bass Pro Parkway, Little Rock, where Interstates 30 and 430 meet. Hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 580-6716.
Restaurateur Jay Baxter, who has been based in Hot Springs, apologetically backed off a Facebook posting that he has moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, but he apparently is moving somewhere, and is apparently looking to sell his Jay's Pizza in the River Market's Ottenheimer Market Hall, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. He has posted on his Facebook page: "Move forces sale!!! Great Pizza Plus Place in the Little Rock River Market. Serious offers can message me."
Shiem Swift, owner of former tenant The Veg, says he has a couple more hoops through which to jump while negotiating a lease agreement with the folks who owned and/or operated the former Fresh: An Urban Eatery in a one-time gas station at 1706 W. Third St., Little Rock. But things are looking good, he adds. In the meanwhile, Swift and his folks have kept busy -- they've been sharing food-truck space with Rick's Beignets, parking at the Food Truck Stop @ 801, West Eighth and Chester streets, Little Rock (and working out of a pop-up tent with a hibachi when Rick is using the truck), and parking at night a couple of days a week for late-night service outside the White Water Tavern, 2500 W. Seventh St., Little Rock. They've also been taking orders for doughnuts and vegan pizzas via their phone number, (501) 838-3634, and putting on vegan dinner parties.
Refined Ale Brewery, 23rd and Cedar streets, Little Rock -- Arkansas' first and only black-owned brewery, says CEO Windell E. Gray and also "Arkansas' finest chemical-free craft brewery" -- has obtained permission from the Alcohol Beverage Control to open and sell its bottled products, noon-5 p.m. seven days a week. The brewery, which opened March 1, 2009, produces, under its own brand, Red Label and Golden Light beers and a malt liquor, and under the Arkansas Premium Craft brand an Irish-style stout and a pale ale. You can also get food and from-scratch desserts from the next-door Wayne's Catering. Call (501) 280-0556 or visit the Facebook page.
The Park Hill Business and Merchant Association will hold its third "Patio on Park Hill," 5-8 p.m. today in the Lakehill Shopping Center, in the 3800 block of John F. Kennedy Boulevard, North Little Rock. Several food trucks, including Black Hound BBQ, WunderBus, Southern Gourmasian, Slader's Alaskan Dumpling Co., Katmandu Mo Mo, Hot Rod Wieners, Loblolly Creamery and Brown Sugar BakeShop, will be participating. Snow cones, wine and local beer will be available; three area bands will perform. Visit parkhillbusiness.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, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Send email to:
Email:
eharrison@arkansasonline.com
Weekend on 05/12/2016