The owners of the Count Porkula food truck estimate it'll be two to four weeks before they open their operation in the Rail Yard, the new East Village development at 1212 E. Sixth St., Little Rock. They're also creating a Food Truck Court there. In a recent Facebook post, by the way, they joyously proclaim that the food truck was a huge hit Sept. 9 at the Main Street Food Truck Festival: "We came, we fed, we had fun, we SOLD OUT!" The phone number is (501) 804-9561.
All three locations of American Pie Pizza -- 10912 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock, (501) 225-1900, and two in North Little Rock: 9709 Maumelle Blvd., (501) 758-8800, and 4830 North Hills Blvd., (501) 753-0081 -- are now serving a cauliflower crust to accommodate low-carb and gluten-free customers.
Something is going into the long-vacant Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que building, in the Westchase Plaza shopping center, 225 N. Shackleford Road, Little Rock: One of our eagle-eyed correspondents spotted a Dumpster out front. By deadline, the folks at the North Little Rock-based Ashley Group, which controls the building, aren't yet identifying the tenant. The Little Rock location of Minnesota-based barbecue chain quietly closed Jan. 1, 2015.
The new location of Chili's Grill & Bar opened Monday as scheduled at 12505 W. Markham St., Little Rock, near the confluence of West Markham Street and Chenal Parkway. (The freestanding Luby's Cafeteria that used to be there was razed to make room.) The restaurant moved west from the Village at Pleasant Valley, 10700 N. Rodney Parham Road, which is set to house a central Arkansas outlet of the Northwest Arkansas-based Grub's Bar & Grille mini-chain. Hours: 10:45 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 10:45 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday. The phone number is (501) 404-9700.
We don't yet have a target opening date, but interior work continues on the Starbucks, 2815 Cantrell Road, Little Rock, on the former site of Shogun Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, which closed in April and was demolished to make room.
Taqueria Amigos Mexican Restaurant is now open at 96 Municipal Drive, Jacksonville. Hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. The phone number is (501) 983-2193; the Facebook page, facebook.com/mexicanamigosrestaurant.
When we reported the closure of Home Plate Diner, 2615 N. Prickett Road, Bryant, we noted a voicemail message left on the phone number, (501) 847-3331, suggested there was a potential buyer. Now we know who it is: India Cafe, from the people who formerly operated Desi Den. In fact, "DESI DEN is Now INDIA CAFE" is the name of their Facebook page (tinyurl.com/yabwgeae).
And Potluck Food Rescue hosts its annual fall fundraiser, "Driving Away Hunger" (formerly "Buffet on Broadway"), 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at Potluck's headquarters, 621 W. Broadway, North Little Rock. This fundraiser seeks to raise $25,000 toward the purchase of a new fleet vehicles. The event includes music from the Wildflower Revue and dinner, provided by the Arkansas Heart Hospital food truck, Food From the Heart. Loblolly Creamery will be scooping ice cream and Flyway Brewing and Diamond Bear will be tapping beer; wine and other refreshments will be available. Support comes from the Heart Hospital, First Financial Bank and Ben E. Keith. It'll go on rain or shine; tickets are $75. Call (501) 371-0303, email potluckfoodrescue@att.net or visit potluckfoodrescue.org.