$21M Judgment Follows Collapse of Heartland Bank Deal
In late 2015, Suneet Singal thought he had a great deal with Heartland Bank of Little Rock. read more >
Restaurants & Food
Black Apple Crossing Pleased with Clarification on Cider House Rules
Five years after hard cider manufacturer Black Apple Crossing was founded in downtown Springdale, it's now legal — well, even more legal — to manufacture hard cider in Arkansas. read more >
It's a Bird, It's a Plan, It's Superchicken!
Matthew Wadiak, co-founder of the meal service Blue Apron, is thinking outside the box — and outside the cage. read more >
Central Arkansas Average Weekly Earnings on Rise
Private-sector workers in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway metropolitan statistical area earned an average of $861.50 each week as of February 2019. read more >
$10.5M Sale Brings New Owners to Landings (Real Deals)
An affiliate of Maxus Properties of North Kansas City, Missouri, sold the The Landings at Rock Creek at 13200 Chenal Parkway to companies based out of Midland, Texas. read more >
Tyson Ventures Invests in Clear Labs Inc.
Tyson Ventures, the venture capital arm of Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale, has invested in Clear Labs Inc. of Menlo Park, California, a food testing and safety company, Bloomberg reports. read more >
Coca-Cola Consolidated Announces $33M West Memphis Expansion
Coca-Cola Consolidated Inc. of Charlotte, North Carolina, announced Wednesday a $33 million, 200,000-SF expansion of its West Memphis production facility. read more >
UA's CBER to Host Quarterly Business Analysis on May 16
The Center for Business and Economic Research at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas will present its regular Quarterly Business Analysis on May 16 in Fayetteville. read more >
Northwest Arkansas Eateries Enjoying Growth
Northwest Arkansas' population is becoming more diverse as it grows, and the area's restaurant industry is hitching along for the ride. "That is one of the things Arkansas brings to the table: There are unique experiences in every area," said Kalene Griffith, CEO of Visit Bentonville. read more >
Property Broker Bob Cooper Jr. Says Fort Smith Supports Its Retail
Bob Cooper Jr., the partner in Ghan & Cooper Commercial Properties, says Fort Smith is experiencing growth throughout the city. read more >
Clear the Deck: Cajun's Wharf to Close June 1
Little Rock restauranteur Mary Beth Ringgold says she will close Cajun's Wharf this summer, citing changing consumer trends and costly upkeep of the 44-year-old restaurant and live music venue. read more >
Quality Inn Property Sold in $2.1M Sale
A motel, three homes, a medical office building and a restaurant provide a six-pack of million-dollar real estate transactions. read more >
Potbelly Expanding, New Food Truck Rolling Out in NWA
Rob Nelson, owner and executive chef at Tusk & Trotter American Brasserie of Bentonville, is planning his first food truck. The owner of two Potbelly Sandwich Shop restaurants in Little Rock has a letter of intent on a site for a Potbelly in Rogers. read more >
Poppy Seed Overdose Prompts Lawsuit
The parents of a Fayetteville man who died of a morphine overdose after drinking tea he made from poppy seeds he ordered from Amazon are suing the online retailer and Sincerely Nuts Inc. of New York, which marketed and sold the 5-pound bag of poppy seeds. read more >
Hot Jobs: Solar Ranked as Fastest-Growing Occupation
Renewable energy and health care top the list of the fastest-growing jobs in the United States in 2016-26, as predicted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. read more >
Restaurants in Arkansas Fight to Keep Good Workers
Finding and keeping good restaurant workers in the current tight labor market is a big problem in Arkansas as well as nationwide. read more >
Lucky Lou's Casts Lot in River Market District
A new restaurant and bar, Lucky Lou's, is planned for 425 E. Third St. in Little Rock's River Market District, the former location of Blue Canoe Brewing Co.'s taproom. read more >
Row Between Owners Doomed Blue Canoe Brewing
Blue Canoe Brewing, the nanobrewery in east Little Rock with the taproom, is no more. A founder's lawsuit gives some hints into the troubles that doomed the five-year-old dream that began on Kickstarter. read more >
Safe Foods Subsidiary Names David Fortune its VP
La Petite Roche Technologies, a subsidiary of Safe Foods Corp. in North Little Rock, has hired David Fortune to serve as its vice president. read more >
Trying Again on Revised Overtime Rules (Missy McJunkins Duke Commentary)
The statistical reality of the the U.S. Department of Labor's overtime proposal is that Arkansas employees earn lower wages than much of the country, meaning Arkansas employers are more likely than employers in other parts of the country to feel the effects of an increase. read more >
Restaurateur Capi Peck Mixes Warmth with Strength
Despite a hospitality background, Capi Peck didn't start out to be a restaurateur. Nonetheless, she opened Trio's in 1986 and has since become a leader not just in the local restaurant industry, but also on the Little Rock Board of Directors. read more >
Rocky's Pub Eyes Sherwood Location
Rocky's Togo (pronounced “to-go”), a takeout place that succeeded Rocky's Pub, a North Little Rock restaurant with something of a cult following attributable largely to its Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, appears poised to open a full sit-down restaurant at the former Jo Jos Bar-B-Q in Sherwood. read more >
Arkansas Ranks Low in Economic Clout of Women-Owned Businesses
Arkansas ranks in the bottom 11 states in terms of the “economic clout” of women-owned businesses, according to the 2018 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report commissioned by American Express. (Eleven states were included because of ties.) read more >
Sally Mengel of Loblolly on Keeping Cool, Avoiding Burnout
Sally Mengel, who co-owns Loblolly Creamery of Little Rock with her mother, Laura Frankenstein, says she's learned both the value of delegating and of marshmallows. read more >
Cardinal Health Project Attracts $7M Transaction (Real Deals)
Cardinal Sherwood LLC of Marina Del Rey, California, bought the 71,005-SF office building at 5426 Landers Road in Sherwood. read more >
Not So Special Elections (Aaron Newell Commentary)
A generation ago Arkansans paid a sales tax of just 3 percent on the goods they purchased. Today, the state average is more than triple that. A few cities are over 12 percent. What happened? read more >
Hotel Hale Hiring; Distilleries Delayed in Spa City
It's almost spring, a good time for day trips and an update on hospitality doings in the Spa City. read more >
From Potables to Pot, ABC Chief Doralee Chandler Stays Focused
Doralee Chandler, the director of the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, says the “unknowns” in the state's new medical marijuana industry are challenging. read more >
Companies Break Ground on $10M Argenta Office Building
Taggart Architects of North Little Rock, the Arkansas Automobile Dealers Association and the North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau break ground on their $10 million, 25,000-SF office building at 600 Main St. in North Little Rock. read more >
Jim Keet to Chair Little Rock A&P Commission
The Little Rock Advertising & Promotion Commission recently named Jim Keet its chairperson and announced its newest members. read more >
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