RESTAURANT TRANSITIONS: Drive-thru coffee place replacement for Shorty’s; Root Cafe pair sells SoMa Mockingbird

We have been fielding queries on what will replace the recently demolished Shorty Small’s at 11100 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock. Now we have an answer: Little Rock’s first outlet of 7 Brew, a drive-thru coffee establishment whose public relations personnel hyperbolize it as “[a] concept revolutionizing the coffee industry through its speed, quality products, genuine connection and kindness.” The offerings will include coffee beverages, infused energy drinks, Italian sodas, smoothies and teas. There’s an early fall target for opening.

The chain is expanding in the greater Little Rock area “and beyond,” according to a news release, with plans for “double-digit stands,” several of which are to open before the end of the year, says franchisee Brandon Sebald of Brew Crew LLC. 7 Brew has one or more locations in Conway, Russellville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Springdale, Lowell, Bentonville, Garfield and Siloam Springs. Hiring of more than 40 “brew crew members” is, or soon will be, underway. 7brew.com; facebook.com/7brewcoffee.

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Root Cafe owners Jack Sundell and Corri Bristow-Sundell have sold Mockingbird Bar & Tacos, 1220 S. Main St. in Little Rock’s SoMa neighborhood, to JLC Entertainment Holdings — owned by Johnny Campbell and ­­­Harry and Joe Einhorn — which operates a pizza restaurant in Cabot. Campbell and his partners pledge in a news release to “be great stewards of the community that surrounds us as we are with our current operations. We support numerous charitable organizations and feel as owners/operators that this is part of our calling.”

Executive Chef Stephen “Buddy” Seals, whose restaurant background includes the Capital Hotel, John Daly’s Steakhouse, Greystone Country Club and Cracker Barrel, will oversee Mockingbird’s menu, with, according to Campbell, a commitment “to providing the freshest ingredients utilizing local vendors.” Campbell says he expects Seals, while maintaining the current concept, to make some changes: “Chef Buddy is going to put his spin on things.”

  photo  Arkansas Democrat-Gazeette/ERIC E. HARRISON.Mockingbird Bar & Tacos, formerly Dos Rocas, 1220 Main St., Little Rock
 ERIC E. HARRISON 
 
 
The Sundells opened the restaurant, originally called Dos Rocas, with some partners in 2018, serving farm-to-table tacos and other locally sourced, Latin American-focused comfort food; they became sole owners in 2019, at which point they renamed and “rebranded” the place.

The sale apparently helps clear the way for the Sundells’ plans to open a second Root Cafe location in the renovated Breckenridge Village shopping center, North Rodney Parham Road and Interstate 430, “right next to the planned Deluca’s Pizzeria,” he says in the release.

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Jess’s Chicken, 10907 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock, will start serving customers on Friday — what Ryan Rooney, a spokesman for progenitor chain David’s Burgers says will probably be considered a soft opening and probably drive-thru only to start. The menu physically looks similar to that of David’s Burgers (all prices include fries and a drink; sub mac & cheese for the fries for an extra 99 cents): chicken sandwich, ($7.29); chicken nuggets, $7.29 for 10, $8.99 for 15, $4.99 for a five-nugget package for kids 12 and younger; and a chicken salad sandwich or scoop, $7.49. A snack combo — fries and small drink — is $3.29; salads, $4.99 (garden), $7.99 with nuggets or chicken salad; and soft-serve ice cream in cones, cups and/or shakes.

Google reports that an outlet of Olive Garden at 16732 Interstate 30, Benton, is set to open Sept. 12.

Also pending in Benton, an outlet of Rock n’ Roll Sushi, with, says owner Jana Helton, a Sept. 6 target date to open at 119 N. Market St. Hours will be 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. (501) 515-8286.

J&S Italian Villa, 4332 Central Ave., Hot Springs, officially reopened July 14 under its new owners, former Oaklawn hospitality vice president Saddiq Mir and his wife, Jeannie. Hours are 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. (501) 525-1121; jandsitalian.com; facebook.com/JandSItalian.

The Grumpy Rabbit, 105 Front St. SW, Lonoke, is calling attention to its connection with North Little Rock’s Me and McGee Market with a “Farm to Fork” event with market co-owner Logan Duvall and his family, on Tuesday, with a $100 prix fixe menu (“subject to change as we try to work with the McGees on product that the local farmers need to move,” says Grumpy Rabbit General Manager Kevin Darker. For example, “They had an over abundance of strawberries and we went crazy making vinaigrettes, desserts and even some homemade brandy.” There will be two seatings, at 6:30 and 6:45 p.m. (501) 438-8005; grumpyrabbitlonoke.com.

Matt McClure is stepping down nearly after 10 years as executive chef — since the doors opened in February 2013 — of The Hive, in the 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville. Micah Klasky, the restaurant’s chef de cuisine, will serve as interim executive chef.

And the QQA (formerly the Quapaw Quarter Association) holds its City Garden: Beer & Ice Cream Family Social, 5-7 p.m. Aug. 28, outdoors at Curran Hall, 615 E. Capitol Ave., Little Rock. It’ll feature George Bros. Historic Arkansas Ale from Stone’s Throw Brewing, to celebrate the German heritage of early Little Rock settlers, and ice cream from Loblolly Creamery, plus lawn activities for kids, lemonade, root beer and popcorn. The Lili’s Mexican Street Food truck will also vend comestibles. Tickets are $25 for attendees over 21, $15 for those under 21, in advance; $35 and $25 at the door. Visit Quapaw.com or tinyurl.com/ush3sndk.

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. Send email to: eharrison@adgnewsroom.com

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