Restaurant transitions: The Afterthought closed, sold to Mylo owner; Dave & Buster's targets June opening

Wednesday was the last day for the Afterthought Bistro & Bar on Kavanaugh Boulevard in Little Rock’s Hillcrest. It has been sold to Stephanos Mylonas, who owns the next-door Mylo Coffee Co.
Wednesday was the last day for the Afterthought Bistro & Bar on Kavanaugh Boulevard in Little Rock’s Hillcrest. It has been sold to Stephanos Mylonas, who owns the next-door Mylo Coffee Co.

Wednesday was the last day of operation for The Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd., at the center of Little Rock's Hillcrest neighborhood. Owner/manager Richard Muse says he has sold the business to his neighbor, Stephanos Mylonas, who operates Mylo Coffee Co. next door. Mylonas says things are at too early a stage to discuss specifics on what he plans to do with the space, but he'll put out a full release when he's ready. In the meanwhile, we've been told by outgoing Afterthought personnel that he plans to use some of the former restaurant to expand the seating for Mylo's -- probably the Afterthought's private party room. Anything else regarding how Mylonas plans to use the remaining space -- the restaurant main dining room and the current block-end bar -- including whether it involves a bar and/or music venue would at this point be pure speculation.

The landmark building has been a restaurant since 1977, when John Smithers opened a medium- to high-end French place called That Little Restaurant; the bar, named the Afterthought, came along shortly thereafter, so (cleverly) named because it literally was an afterthought. Italian restaurant La Scala succeeded That Little Restaurant in 1984, closing in 2003; since then it has been a trio of eclectic-menu restaurants -- Beechwood Grill, Vieux Carre and, most recently, the ownership extending the Afterthought name across both parts of the business. Recent changes, including bringing in former Salut! Bistro chef Michael Jones, who gave the menu a very positive revamp, apparently were not enough, or didn't happen early enough, to keep the place alive. Jones, by the way, says he has "a lot private clients, so that will hold me over" until he lands something else.

...

Grampa's Catfish, 100 Shadow Oaks Drive, North Little Rock, on the cusp of Sherwood, which has been closed for at least a couple of years, is apparently on the cusp of reopening. That's according to the website grampasnlr.com, which states, "Much like the beloved catfish, Grampa's has been laying at the bottom of the pond waiting for the right time to return to our loyal customers. Check back soon for an opportunity to help us bring back an old favorite." And it directs fans to the Facebook page, facebook.com/grampasnlr, where on Friday this post appeared: "Hopefully one day next week we can make a big announcement with great news! We're waiting on a couple of things to fall correctly into place first."

As occasionally happens, we missed the reopening a couple of months ago of the Shipley's Donuts outlet, 2127 Main St., North Little Rock. Hours are 3 a.m. (or so the staff tells us)-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 3 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. The phone number is (501) 753-9526.

And speaking of North Little Rock doughnuts, we're not quite sure what's up with the Daylight Donuts kiosk in the Park Hill Shopping Center, 4030 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock. One of our sharp-eyed colleagues reports it's possibly in transition to becoming a Sno-Cone joint; a weekend drive-by when the store was closed showed the signs still said Daylight Donuts, but also with Sno-Cone stickers on the windows. The phone number, (501) 753-7299, is still in operation but we only got a voicemail answer over three days of attempted contact.

EJ's Eats & Drinks, 523 Center St., Little Rock, is expanding its 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday brunch menu, adding omelets, pancakes and additional sandwiches and additional Benedicts. Weekday hours are 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call (501) 666-3700 or visit ejslittlerock.com or their Facebook page.

Food trucks expected for this week's Food Truck Friday, 10:45 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., Capitol Avenue and Main Street: Bryant's BBQ, El Buen Gusto, Hot Rod Wieners, Katmandu Mo Mo and The New Cheesecake Company. Check out additional details at the Facebook page, facebook.com/MainStreetFoodTruckFestival, or tinyurl.com/foodtruck2.

So-called "Gypsy Chef" Yana Gilbuena will put on a reprise of her SALO sa BATO (SALO at Little Rock), a four-course communal Filipino dinner, featuring local meats and Arkansas produce (and beer from Lost Forty Brewing), served on banana leaves and "kamayan" style (a Filipino dining etiquette, sans utensils; hands only), 7 p.m. Sunday at the former 1620 Savoy, 1620 Market St., Little Rock. Tickets are $50. Visit tinyurl.com/bato-salo for tickets.

Arkansas' first Dave & Buster's, so far on target to open in June at the Grove at Gateway Town Center, 10900 Bass Pro Drive, Little Rock, last week opened an employment office, looking to hire at least 200 "enthusiastic individuals" as servers, bartenders, hosts and service support staff. Stop in 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday at the Hampton Inn and Suites West Little Rock, 1301 S. Shackleford Road, Little Rock. Or complete an application online at daveandbusters.com/careers, where you can also find details on benefits.

Ryan Hamra has signed a deal with Potbelly Sandwich Shop that gives him the exclusive franchise for all of Arkansas. He'll open at least four more outlets around the state, in addition to the one he already operates in the Park Avenue Shopping Center (where its neighbors include Newk's Eatery and Panera Bread as well as Target) on University Avenue in Little Rock. He'll open the next one in Little Rock as well -- location still TBA -- sometime before the end of 2016. "I'm diligently searching day and night" for locations, he says. And expansion plans definitely include Northwest Arkansas. While his contract specifies that he open at least one outlet per year for four years, "if I find a location that's right, I'm going to jump on it right away." Unlike many chain/franchise operations that require the same or similar footprints in all their stores, Potbelly wants its franchisees to tie the setup to the neighborhood where it's located -- the Potbelly shop on University Avenue has a lot of Catholic High items incorporated in its decor, for example. (In Northwest Arkansas, Hamra says, any place will have to be "heavily tattooed in Razorback.") Visit Potbelly.com. Hamra also holds the area franchise for Blue Coast Burrito, which currently has only one central Arkansas outlet, 4613 McCain Blvd., North Little Rock.

The Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Taste of the Rock food and beverage showcase fundraiser, 5:30-7:30 p.m. today in the River Market pavilions, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock. Participating restaurants, suppliers and vendors of comestibles (and chamber members): @ the Corner, Aretha's Beverages, bigUms Catering Co., Blue Coast Burrito, Boston's Restaurant & Sports Bar, C&S Deli, Cache Restaurant, Cafe 201 at Crowne Plaza Little Rock, Cantina Laredo, Capital Hotel, Chick-fil-A Midtown, Chuy's, Cinnabon, David's Burgers, Doubletree Little Rock, Dugan's Pub, Flying Fish, Honey Pies, J. Gumbo's, Las Palmas III, Lindt Chocolate Shop, Little Rock Marriott, McAlister's, Mickey's Cakes & Sweets, Moe's Southwest Grill, Newk's Eatery, Olive Garden, Panera Bread, Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Santo Coyote Mexican Food & Tequila Bar, Two Sisters Catering, U.S. Foods, Whole Foods Inc., YaYa's Euro Bistro and Zoes Kitchen. Tickets are $15 in advance -- available at littlerockchamber.com/events; call (501) 374-2001; $20 at the gate. You must be 21 to attend and they will check IDs. Leftover food will be donated to Women & Children First.

And Stone's Throw Brewing is marking American Craft Beer Week, a nationwide celebration of U.S. small and independent craft brewers, with events through Sunday, some in its taproom (402 E. Ninth St., Little Rock), others at venues around central Arkansas in Little Rock and Hot Springs:

• Today: 5-7 p.m., Smoke and Brew at Eggshells Kitchen Co., 5501 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock; 6:30 p.m.: Arkansas Brewing History Arkie Pub Trivia in the taproom

• Friday: Starting at 11 a.m., Flying Saucer, 323 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, 18th anniversary, rare-brew tapping of cellared 2015 Anniversary Stout, aged in Rock Town Distillery rye whiskey barrels; 4-10 p.m., New Brew Friday, release of Waterloo Wit in the taproom

• Saturday: 1 p.m., free Stone's Throw Brewing tour; 2-6 p.m., Wit Hot American Summer at Mellow Mushroom, 16103 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock; 6-9 p.m.: 2016 Hot Springs Craft Beer Festival, Hot Springs Convention Center, 134 Convention Center Blvd., Hot Springs. General admission pass: $30, $15 "designated driver." hscraftbeerfest.com.

• Sunday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: ACBW BeerBrunch with Sweet Soul in the taproom.

Taproom hours 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. Call (501) 244-9154 or visit stonesthrowbeer.com or the Facebook page.

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 05/19/2016

Upcoming Events