Rogers Chef Skips to Bentonville

Skip McHardy has left his job as chef at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, and we hear he has landed at Wal-Mart’s headquarters in Bentonville.

We haven’t been able to locate him, though, so we’re not sure what he’s doing at Wal-Mart. A receptionist at Pinnacle Country Club said McHardy had “burned out” on the restaurant business for the time being.

McHardy had only been at Pinnacle for a couple of months. Previously, he was chef and co-owner of The Kitchen Table in Bentonville, one of the most popular upscale restaurants in Northwest Arkansas. McHardy and his wife, Pody, opened The Kitchen Table in 1998. He closed the restaurant in mid-March and took the job at Pinnacle in late April.

Brenda French has taken over as chef at Pinnacle, although her official title is senior kitchen manager. French came to Pinnacle in March to serve as the banquet chef and took over McHardy’s duties when he left in June.

French, a native of Ferriday, La., previously worked for Ameristar Casinos in Vicksburg, Miss.

French said she has made several changes since McHardy left. She said she has increased the items offered for Sunday brunch from 10 to 50, which has resulted in an increase of Sunday brunch participants — from about 25 to 100.

French said she’s currently reworking the menu to offer other new items.