O?Charley?s Plans CMN Restaurant

O’Charley’s Inc. plans to build a 6,413-SF restaurant in Fayetteville’s CMN Business Park, just south of the Northwest Arkansas Mall.

The company, which is based in Nashville, Tenn., has 195 casual-dining restaurants in 16 states in the Southeast and Midwest.

O’Charley’s has submitted a large-scale development plan that will be considered by the Fayetteville Planning Commission on May 12.

The restaurant is slated for a 1.26-acre parcel of land at the intersection of Shiloh Drive and Steele Boulevard. The proposed building would seat 268 diners.

Edwards & Hotchkiss Architects is the architect, and Tennessee Design & Engineering is the engineer. Both companies are based in Brentwood, Tenn.

According to O’Charley’s Web site, the menu emphasizes fresh preparation and features several specialty items such as hand-cut and aged steaks, seafood, fresh chicken, homemade yeast rolls, a variety of fresh-cut salads with special-recipe salad dressings and caramel pie.

O’Charley’s Inc. had sales of $479.3 million last year, an 11.5 percent increase over 2001.

Old Post Office Slated for July

Bruce Bradshaw said he plans to open The Old Post Office Restaurant by the end of July in the 10,000-SF building in the center of Fayetteville’s downtown square.

Bradshaw said on May 7 that the lease contract was in the hands of Edna Bumpass’ attorney for a final review.

Bradshaw and two partners, Donna Russell and Roger Kelly, will own the business, but the Bumpass family will retain ownership of the historic building.

After the upscale restaurant opens in the upstairs portion of the building, Bradshaw said he plans to reopen The Gathering Place as a private club in the 5,000-SF basement.

In the meantime, Bradshaw and Russell have put their Springdale business, Chuckle’s Restaurant, up for sale. Bradshaw said the sale includes the 4,222-SF building at 2773 W. Sunset Ave. and first right of refusal to purchase the land. The real estate is owned by Tex and Thelma Gage of Springdale.

Ron Bumpass, the Fayetteville lawyer who oversees the property for his mother, evicted Hog City Diner from the Old Post Office on June 1, 2002, after the restaurant owners fell behind on lease payments. The main part of the building has been vacant since then, although Jammin’ Java, a coffee shop, opened in the space previously housed by Stogie’s, a cigar shop. Ron Bumpass also has an office on the third-floor of the building.

The building served as Fayetteville’s Post Office from 1911 until the 1970s. In 1979, it was opened as a fine-dining restaurant with a disco in the basement.

Jimmy Rapert, who owns JR’s Pizzeria and Lightbulb Club in Fayetteville, bought the Old Post Office Restaurant in 1995 and sold it to The Cafe Co., doing business as Hog City Diner Co., in August 1997.

Hog City Diner opened on April Fools Day, 1998. But Fayetteville residents didn’t seem to take to the downscaled hamburger restaurant in one of the city’s landmark buildings.

Mark Henry Opens Catering Business

Mark Henry, former chief of operations for the five AQ Chicken House locations in Northwest Arkansas, opened Catering Unlimited in April.

“We cater from five to 5,000 people, depending on the event,” he said.

Henry said the new business caters a variety of events including office functions, family reunions, company picnics and weddings.

Henry, a Springdale native, started AQ’s catering operation five years ago. But Catering Unlimited doesn’t cater fried chicken like AQ does.

Catering Unlimited specializes in “comfort catering,” which includes meals like smoked pork loin and roasted chicken; barbecue, including pulled pork, smoked brisket and ribs; and wedding catering, which consists primarily of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres.

Since Catering Unlimited isn’t listed with directory assistance yet, we’re going to give it a shameless plug: The telephone number is 841-1578.

36 Club Begins Monday Dinner

Peter Steinhart, chef and co-owner of Fayetteville’s 36 Club/Bistro V, began serving dinner on Monday nights in early April in the 36 Club (half of his restaurant complex on Dickson Street). Previously, the upscale restaurant served dinner on only Tuesday-Saturday nights. Now, Sunday is the only day the restaurant is closed. The 36 Club serves lunch Tuesday-Friday.

Nancy Meyer is the other owner of the 1936 Club.

Steinhart said he has also started “The Chef’s Table,” an “epicurean delight” dinner gathering at the 36 Club that will be held once every three weeks. For $75 per person, the event will include appetizers, entrees, desserts and a variety of wines throughout the evening. Seating is limited to 20.

Steinhart said the next “Chef’s Table” dinner will be held around June 4. For more information, contact Steinhart at [email protected].