Fayetteville Chef Helping Plan New Restaurant
by October 8, 2007 12:00 am 69 views
Chain restaurants have found tough traction in Fayetteville with the recent closings of O’Charley’s, Smokey Bones and Fuddruckers, but successful local operators are continuing to make moves.
We hear Juan Barcenas, best known for his work as the chef at Bordino’s and the owner of Picasso’s Pizza, is helping the group who recently bought the former Sassafras restaurant on College Avenue.
Sassafras is being remodeled as LuLu’s Fish Shack by new owners Andy Hague, Jason Collins, Scott Bowman and Matt Christie.
Bowman is the owner of Theo’s off Dickson Street in downtown Fayetteville and Christie is best known as the namesake of Grub’s Bar & Grill. The group is targeting an opening around Nov. 1.
Hague tells us Barcenas has been helping the group plan its menu along with the other details of a restaurant opening and he will stay on for at least 8 months to 10 months, but Hague hopes he can convince him to stay even longer.
Hague said the best description of LuLu’s would be “beach cuisine” in a relaxed atmosphere that welcomes both flip-flops and formal wear.
In another restaurant move, Steve Brooks, formerly the chef at Blessings Golf Club, has taken over the space at Signature Plaza in northeast Fayetteville that was formerly home to Chloe’s, which closed on July 2.
The new restaurant is called Soul.