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Ron Ruggless
LITTLE ROCK Ark. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
Jordan Johnson, a spokesman for the Clinton Foundation, said the library has served as an “engine of change” in the riverfront area of Little Rock. The Arkansas native said the 16-block area that includes the library and other foundation buildings has spurred millions of dollars in development, including a thriving restaurant community. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
Jacob Peck, executive sous chef at Forty-Two, the restaurant in the Clinton Presidential Center, said the library has helped foster development along the entire river front area in Little Rock. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
“There have been a number of restaurants that have opened since the library,” he said. “There’s great variety that wasn’t here before.” —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
The restaurants along what has been renamed President Clinton Avenue span segments from the quick-service Boulevard Bread Co. to Hanaroo Sushi, Sims Bar-B-Que and the Capriccio Grill in the Peabody Hotel. Todd D. School, director of sales and marketing at the Peabody, said, “The library was really a catalyst for other people to come in and make investments, especially in the hospitality area.” —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
Other hotels now line the avenue, including the historic 1870s Capital Hotel, which underwent a $10 million renovation in the 1980s, and its popular Capital Bar. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
Peck oversees the library’s own restaurant, which offers a broad American menu on the first floor. It has itself become a gathering place to Little Rock’s businesspeople as well as tourists, even though guests have to go through metal detectors and security. The former president oftentimes shows up in the restaurant. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
Just three blocks from the library, nearly four dozen restaurants now cater to a wide variety of locals and tourists. The bustling River Market area’s streets are closed to vehicular traffic at 9 p.m. on weekend nights, giving pedestrians free rein along the waterfront. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
Hotels and a convention center draw tourists and visitors to the area, restaurateurs said. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
“Business has really gone up over the past 10 years,” said Matt Hogue, general manager of the 200-seat Flying Saucer restaurant. “The River Market area has definitely seen sales increases since the library opened.” —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
When Flying Saucer opened 10 years ago, Hogue added, “there was nothing going on down here. It was basically a slightly seedy warehouse district.” —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
Investors have redone many of the historic buildings in the area and produced new construction and a small waterfront arena, where recent “American Idol” winner Kris Allen, a native of nearby Conway, Ark., drew thousands of supporters to an impromptu concert. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
Despite the recession, restaurants in the area near the Clinton library and the River Market area continue to see sales hold steady, operators said. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
“The economy hasn’t affected us that badly,” Hogue said. “You can tell a little bit. People come out. They might drink the cheap beer instead of more expensive ones.” —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
The William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum was formally dedicated Nov. 18, 2004, and it is maintained, managed and staffed by the National Archives and Records Administration. The archival wing of the building houses the records and artifacts of the administration, which includes nearly 80 million pages of paper documents, 1.85 million photographs, 12,500 video tapes and more than 6,000 audio tapes. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
The William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation is housed in the renovated Choctaw Railway Station on the park grounds. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
Scott McGehee of Boulevard Bread Co. said the library and other downtown investments have given operators a foothold. —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
“It’s amazing what happens when you get people into an area,” he said. “It takes some investment to get it started, but some good food keeps them coming back.”— [email protected] —In the nearly five years since the $165 million William J. Clinton Presidential Center opened here, the riverfront area of Arkansas’ capital has experienced a restaurant boom.
