Restaurants to Open in Dickson Street Area

Two new restaurants are scheduled to open in Fayetteville’s Dickson Street entertainment district by the time classes resume and football season starts at the University of Arkansas in late August. Razorbacks football games are a huge draw for the district, which is only a few blocks from newly renovated Reynolds Stadium.

Grub Christie and Jody Thornton plan to open Grub’s Bar & Grille in a 5,500-SF warehouse owned by the Walton Arts Center.

The building, which previously housed Friday’s Flowers and Gifts, is currently undergoing renovation. Friday’s moved to 241 W. Mountain St. in July 2000.

Christie and Thornton have worked in Fayetteville restaurants, but this will be their first shot at ownership.

Thornton said the restaurant will seat 291 and will have a 1,500-SF mezzanine level in addition to the 5,500-SF floor level. The restaurant, which he described as “an American grill,” will have two bars and may eventually have a patio on the north side.

Thornton said the restaurant will be “very casual.” He said food will be served until 11 p.m. and drinks until 2 a.m. nightly, except on Sundays. Thornton said the business will have about eight beers on draft in addition to bottled beers.

Four owners plan to open O’Malley’s Irish Pub in a 2,200-SF space in the historic U-Ark Bowl building on Dickson Street. The owners are Tony Mallean, Brad Nabors, Billy Porter and Mike Trout, all of whom are originally from Manhattan, Kan.

Mallean, Porter and Trout are partners in Buster Belly’s Bar & Deli, which opened on Dickson Street in the spring of 2000. Mallean oversees operation of that restaurant. Nabors will manage O’Malley’s.

Porter and Trout own an O’Malley’s Irish Pub in Manhattan.

Although it will primarily serve beer and mixed drinks, the Fayetteville O’Malley’s will have a limited food menu.