The North Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau announced Wednesday a new branding and marketing effort called “Setting the Table.”
“At its heart, the mission of Setting the Table is to position North Little Rock as a regional and national culinary tourism destination,” President and CEO Karen Trevino said in a news release. “Our goal is to amplify current culinary assets in North Little Rock, find the undiscovered gems and identify opportunities for new or improved culinary experiences.”
The effort is spearheaded by NLRCVB and overseen by an advisory committee of officials from the city, the city’s economic development group, the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Argenta Downtown Council. Velocity Group is helping develop the project framework.
In the coming months, NLRCVB said it and the advisory committee will reach out to the local community and organize task forces to address all food production, distribution, activation and engagement, policy and management, and brand and story.
“Cities that have strong culinary cultures don’t just happen by accident,” said John Owens, chamber president and CEO. “It’s a deliberate part of placemaking where the city and the community embrace the needs of the foodservice community.”
This effort is a continuation of the work the four entities have already done to promote and improve the city’s culinary scene, according to the release.
“In 2019, we committed to providing a big-vision culinary strategy that integrates and aligns Argenta Farmers Market, restaurant recruitment, food truck placement and event production,” Chris Kent, Argenta Downtown Council’s executive director, said. “COVID forced us all to pivot and reimagine our strategy, and we see our involvement in ‘Setting the Table’ as a natural progression.”
In June 2020, his organization, the NLRCVB and the city created the Argenta Outdoor Dining District, which allows restaurants to serve food and alcoholic beverages to customers outside.
And in January, they, along with the chamber and economic development office, revamped North Little Rock Restaurant Week. The week promoted “dining local” by awarding points for restaurant receipts, social check-ins at restaurants and restaurant gift card purchases.
Sign up for Daily E-news
