Rex’s in SoMa Sets Opening Date

Trevor Papsadora and Myles Roberson (Jacob Slaton for Metro Little Rock Guide)

We have a little update on Rex’s, the Little Rock restaurant we wrote about in this week’s restaurant column. Myles Roberson, owner of Rex’s with partner Trevor Papsadora, tells us they hope to open Rex’s around May 9.

As you know, Rex’s will replace Roberson and Papsadora’s The Bagel Shop, which the pair, citing declining sales, decided to close April 30. Roberson describes Rex’s as a “cozy, comfy neighborhood restaurant that invites people in, families, local residents, visitors, a really welcoming space.”

As for the menu, it’s going to be focused on “American and global comfort food,” he said.

The 1,700-SF space at 1501 Main St. in the SoMa neighborhood, is undergoing a light renovation, with a budget of between $5,000 and $10,000, Roberson said. And whereas The Bagel Shop seated about 44, Rex’s should seat about 60 to 70.

Roberson expects Rex’s to employ 10-14 workers. The Bagel Shop employs seven, excluding Roberson, who handles the business side of the operations, and Papsadora, who is the chef.

Many Arkansans will miss The Bagel Shop’s bagels, which, as Roberson detailed, are labor-intensive to make. With declining weekday sales, Roberson said, sometimes the pair donated half or more than half of the unsold bagels.

“There’s a really fun statistic,” he said. “We worked with Potluck Food Rescue and they do really great work here in the city at diverting food waste from the landfill to hungry people and people in need. And they keep track. They weigh everything that they pick up from us, and last year we donated somewhere — and this doesn’t include our weekend sales because they only pick up on weekdays — but we donated somewhere in the ballpark of 16,000 bagels.”