The Parsonage is on the move

One of the most popular restaurants in downtown Jonesboro is moving to another location in the area. The Parsonage 322 will be the anchor restaurant in Northeast Arkansas’ first ever Food Hall, according to Young Investment Co. The new building on South Main Market will be located at 305 S. Main Street. Young Investment Co. has signed a lease contract to bring Chef John Myers and his award winning restaurant to the Hall.

John and his wife, Ramey, opened their farm-to-table concept to downtown Jonesboro in January 2016 when they opened the doors of The Parsonage 322 on Main Street. Myers hopes to open their new doors on May 1.

“Very excited about introducing some new menu items in addition to new ideas for our Friday night specials. We are always in such a hurry. Chef John’s menu and experience reminds us of a time where we sit as a family to talk and enjoy a healthy, fresh, homemade meal,” Clay Young, with Young Investments said. “His craft is timeless and everything he creates is made with love.”

“We cannot imagine being anywhere other than Downtown Jonesboro. We have become family with our customers and want to continue to give them the hospitality and quality that they expect and deserve,” Ramey added.

Young Investment Co. is an urban development specialist in Arkansas. The company specializes in revitalizing historic districts and engaging in full restorative projects block-by-block. Young founded Young Investment Co. in 1999 and has since been instrumental in over 38 buildings spanning over eight city blocks and the creation of over 22 restaurant concepts, over 100 residential developments, and over 42 commercial projects.

“Over the last 20 years, we have been contacted to restore downtowns across Arkansas and America. Everyone recognizes one unified truth – we must save and restore our historic districts as it sends a message to everyone that comes to visit where we live. It says that we care about who we are and where we came from.”

Development in the downtown Jonesboro region has been ongoing for several years. The downtown core area includes Main, Church and Union streets. About 5,000 vehicles pass through this corridor each day. There are at least 125 businesses, and up to 200 people are employed in the core area, according to the Jonesboro Downtown Association.

A number of festivals and special events drive pedestrian traffic in the core. About 45,000 people attend art shows, sponsored by The Foundation of Arts, held in the core each year, and the city’s annual barbeque festival can lure up to 20,000 people depending upon the main musical act, she said. Every third Thursday of the month from late spring into the fall, Main Street is closed to traffic after 5 p.m. Artisans, crafters, and others are able to sell their wares on the street. This pedestrian traffic generates millions of dollars in the core, according to JDA.