Restaurant transitions: IHOP 'rebranding'; museum teams up with some eateries to celebrate state's birthday; Rock Town Distillery grand opening

Employees pose in front of the IHOP at West Markham Street and University Avenue in Little Rock in 2003. The building was demolished this week to make way for a new one.
Employees pose in front of the IHOP at West Markham Street and University Avenue in Little Rock in 2003. The building was demolished this week to make way for a new one.

For those who had been on the edge of their seats waiting for just what IHOP, which used to be the International House of Pancakes, was up to, the official "shoe" dropped on Monday. Yes, the chain is "rebranding," and yes, it'll be flipping the lower-case "p" at the end of its logo to become a lower-case "b," and yes, it's to promote its new line of seven burgers they're adding to the menu. But it's only temporary, says IHOP President Darren Rebelez, to persuade customers that there's a reason to eat something other than breakfast there. (That's in case you haven't noticed that there have been burgers on the menu. Since 1958.) And no, most IHOPs won't be "chain-ging" their signs.

To mark Arkansas' 182nd birthday on Friday, the Old State House Museum Associates group has teamed up with several Little Rock businesses, including seven restaurants (all but one of them members of the Yellow Rocket family). Except as noted, they'll donate $1 per specific item purchased to help support museum programs and services:

• ZaZa Fine Salad + Wood-Oven Pizza Co., 5600 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Arkansas Blackberry Gelato

• Big Orange West, Promenade at Chenal, 17809 Chenal Parkway, and Big Orange Midtown, MidTowne Shopping Center, 207 N. University Ave.: Big Orange Cheese Dip served "Arkansas Style" with Chipperbeck Potato Chips.

• Lost Forty Brewing, 501 Byrd St.: each Love Honey Bock.

• Heights Taco & Tamale Co., 5805 Kavanaugh Blvd.: 5 Families Cheese Dip.

• Local Lime, Promenade at Chenal: Queso Blanco.

• The Pizzeria, 4910 Kavanaugh Blvd.: $2 per Blackberry Bramble Beer Cocktail.

Call (501) 324-9685 or visit oldstatehouse.com.

Rock Town Distillery will pair its eighth anniversary celebration with its grand opening in its new diggings, 1201 Main St., Little Rock, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. June 23, including periodic free tours, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; food trucks in the parking lot; and cocktails and local craft beer in the new tasting room. That's the only place you'll be able to get the distillery's 8th Anniversary Whiskey, a 4-year-old, 100 proof, Bottled in Bond Straight Rye, which goes on sale at 11 a.m. that day. At 6:30 p.m., founder and head distiller Phil Brandon will host a seated tasting that will include that rye and Rock Town's Arkansas Bourbon Whiskey, Arkansas Four Grain Sour Mash Bourbon and Single Barrel Bourbon. Space is extremely limited; cost is $60 per person. Make reservations online at tinyurl.com/rocktown623; call (501) 907-5244.

Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe, 8200 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, will give a percentage of what it takes in, 5-9 p.m. Tuesday to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas, this month's recipient of the restaurant chain's ongoing Year of Giving largesse.

Construction on the 2,800-square-foot restaurant is set to begin in July, with a fall target opening, for the first Arkansas location of Chicken Salad Chick, an Auburn, Ala.,-based fast-casual chain built around chicken salad, 2821 Parkwood Road, in the Township Centre off Red Wolf Boulevard in Jonesboro. The chicken salad part of the menu, available at chickensaladchick.com, includes the "Dixie Chick" (which the menu bills as its "most offensive salad" and "definitely for the onion lover"), "Olivia's Old South" (with sweet pickles and egg), "Sassy Scotty" (with ranch, bacon, and shredded cheddar), "Fancy Nancy" (with Fuji apples, seedless grapes, and pecans), "Fruity Fran" (with Fuji apples, seedless grapes and pineapple), "Buffalo Barclay" ("Craving wings? This is definitely the choice for you") and Jalapeno Holly ("Whew!! The name says it all, diced jalapenos galore").

Chef Bonner Cameron of Bistro Catering and Gourmet Take Away in Bryant will serve up samples of "healthy, simple, good food," 6-8 p.m. Friday at New South Produce Cooperative, 101 Market Plaza, on the east side of North Little Rock The dishes will derive from New South produce, cheese and meats "harvested and raised by Arkansas farmers." Tickets are $25; to make reservations, call (501) 213-0179 or (479) 880-6875.

Upcoming Events