Toothpicks Slated for Old Bordino’s Spot

Neal Crawford plans to open Toothpicks Saloon & Chop House by mid-September in 3,200 SF of space that previously housed Bordino’s Italian restaurant on Fayetteville’s Dickson Street.

Joe Fennel sold Jose’s Mexican Restaurant to Crawford last year and moved Bordino’s from the building at 324 W. Dickson St. to a new 13,000-SF building at the corner of Dickson and Campbell streets.

Crawford said Toothpicks will specialize in aged steaks and Memphis-style barbecue.

“I’d like to say we’re going to try to duplicate Coy’s Place on Dickson Street, but it’s more of a Western theme, Western fusion,” Crawford said. Coy’s Place, which was owned by Coy Kaylor, was a well-known Fayetteville restaurant from 1980 to 1997.

Crawford said Tim Freeman will serve as kitchen manager at Toothpicks, which will have about 75 seats.

The new restaurant will feature family recipes. Crawford said he is shooting for high-end steaks and entrees at reasonable prices (in the $18 to $20 range).

“It’s nothing like you’d find at a chain restaurant,” he said. “We’re tearing down a barn and using old barn wood inside. Our front door is from Egypt. It’s 250 years old.”

Jose’s brought in $700,300 in gross sales for the first six months of fiscal 2005, which began in December 2004. Bordino’s sales were $619,600 during the same period.