TRANSITIONS

Lacking an agreement with the landlord, Dec. 27 will be the last day of business for Igibon Japanese Food House, 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock. Owner Batulzii "Crystal" Bataa said Tuesday she'd be meeting for a final time that afternoon with the owners of the Market Place and Valley Village shopping centers, divided by Market Street off Rodney Parham, to see if they reach common ground. Both strip centers, which opened in the early '70s, have been undergoing extensive reconstruction that has made access difficult, although Bataa would not confirm food blog Rock City Eats' (rockcityeats.com) report that it's one factor in the potential closing. Hours will continue to be 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, in the meanwhile. The phone number is (501) 217-8888. We'll keep you posted.

Speaking of Market Place Shopping Center restaurant casualties, Rock 'N Tacos and Tamales across the street has closed and its phone number, (501) 812-3461, has been disconnected.

Another recent closure: the Subway outlet in the 600 block of Main Street, Little Rock. Its phone number, too -- (501) 244-2500 -- has been disconnected.

109 & Co., billed on Facebook as a "modern-day speakeasy with a strong dedication & appreciation of fine spirits," opened last week at 109 Main St., Little Rock, in the space most recently occupied by the Maduro cigar bar (which owner Michael Peace told the folks at Sync he hoped to reopen in another location sometime in 2015). The focus will be on the bar and a collection of craft cocktails, some of which are Maduro holdovers and some of which will be new. There won't be a kitchen per se, but they'll be serving "a few custom dishes from Butcher & Public as our food options." And the new establishment will be smoke-free. Hours are 5 p.m.-midnight Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 7 p.m.-midnight Sunday and Monday. The phone number is (501) 374-3710; 109andcompany.com takes you not to a website but to a Facebook page.

And staying downtown for just another moment, Piro Brick Oven & Barroom, 1318 S. Main St., Little Rock, which we recently reported is headed toward an early January soft opening with a full opening to the public sometime in mid-January, has posted this help-wanted notice on its Facebook page, facebook.com/piropizzalr: "We are looking for all positions: Bar Manager, Bartenders, Bar Backs, Servers, Hosts, and Cooks. We will be holding open interviews Dec. 11 from 1-3 p.m., and then again Dec. 17 and 18th from 1-3 p.m. Please bring a resume or fill out an application during those times ONLY."

And speaking of Facebook-posted help-wanted notices, The Pantry Crest, 722 Palm St., Little Rock, is "in need of more professional cooks. Please, if you know anyone send them our way at both locations." The original Pantry is at 11401 N. Rodney Parham Road (at Merrill Drive), just a block over from Igibon.

Ira Mittleman, former chef and owner of the Anderson House in Heber Springs and most recently chef and owner at Ira's at the Gibson Inn in Apalachicola, Fla., is the guest chef for December at E's Bistro, John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock. It's a return engagement for Mittleman, according to owner-chef Elizabeth McMullen, who notes, "As a chef he attempts to make his cuisine a unique blending of the world's flavors into something uniquely American." McMullen is extending her hours starting this week, to 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday for lunch and 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday for dinner. Call (501) 771-6900.

The Capital Hotel, 111 W. Markham St., Little Rock, has resumed its afternoon high tea in the Mezzanine, 2-4 p.m. Monday-Friday through Dec. 23. On the menu: finger sandwiches (smoked salmon rillette with mini bagels, open-faced chicken salad, egg salad and celery on a roll, cucumber sandwich with dried raisins) and the Chef's Pastry Creations (Devonshire-style cream and jelly, Parisian chocolate cake, assorted scones, mini fruit tarts, bitter chocolate tart, ice box lemon pie). Oh, and of course, your choice of tea. It's $35 plus tax and tip, $49 if you add a glass of champagne. Seating is limited to 16 people per day, with 24-hour advance notice. Call (501) 370-7068 for reservations.

Mo' Betta Gumbo Arkansas in early November replaced Bo's Bar-B-Q, which closed in August at 16925 Interstate 30 in Benton (on the service road at Exit 117), with a Cajun-Creole menu that includes Asiago Shrimp & Grits, Catfish Creole, Shrimp Etouffee, chicken-andouille and chicken-andouille-seafood gumbo, po' boys and beignets. Apparently it's an offshoot of a restaurant with the same name in Loveland, Colo. Application for a beer-and-wine permit is pending (and we can say that now because Saline County voted to go "wet" in November). Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is (501) 315-2431.

Jay Baxter reports via his Facebook page (tinyurl.com/m3g4qcj) that he was planning to open Jay's Hot Springs, in the former cottage at 538 W. Grand Ave., Hot Springs, that once housed Mollie's Restaurant, at 11 a.m. today for lunch. Hours are 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; Baxter has booked a few private holiday dinner parties and is planning something for New Year's Eve, and plans to start serving dinner in January, 4-9 p.m. Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, in time for racing season. He's looking at potentially adding more dinner hours in February. The telephone number is (501) 760-8132.

Bonefish Grill is offering a $10 "gift card" through Dec. 30, via an online link: bit.ly/12hXY3i.

And in our deja vu all over again department, Tampa, Fla.-based Melting Pot, which seven years ago billed itself as "the nation's largest fondue restaurant franchise" and now bills itself as "the world's premier fondue restaurant and polished casual dining franchise," is once again targeting the Little Rock area, seeking to open its first Arkansas outlet by "actively seeking franchisees to bring its interactive dining experience to Little Rock, naming the city as a target for future franchise development."

And yes, the company launched similar initiatives in 2005 and 2007 (the Little Rock area was one of its "top 10 potential new markets" for 2005, according to a news release at the time), neither of which produced a franchisee.

Dan Stone, vice president of franchise development, admits the company was "not successful in finding the right partner," but he's confident this time it'll work, citing "analysis and due diligence" that indicate "that Little Rock and Melting Pot would be a good fit."

He says he's also optimistic that the third time, as the saying goes, will pay for all because post-recession financing and access to capital has eased, something a potential franchisee will need more than previous restaurant experience -- that's preferred but not required, he explains.

According to the news release, "Franchisee candidates should have a credit score of 650 or higher, a minimum net worth of $750,000 and liquid assets of at least $325,000 per unit. Depending on the real estate site selected, franchisees can expect the total investment for one restaurant to be approximately $977,000 to $1,436,000. Single-unit and multi-unit franchise opportunities are available with an initial franchise fee of $45,000 per unit."

Arkansas is one of 15 states without a Melting Pot; the closest one to Arkansas used to be in Memphis, but that one has closed, mostly the result of some poor management decisions, Stone says, but the company is hoping to track down a new franchisee for that one soon.

They're also looking at opening outlets in Northwest Arkansas; Anchorage, Alaska; Hartford, Conn.; Charleston, S.C.; New York; and Houston. To learn more about ownership opportunities with The Melting Pot, contact Shak Turner, director of franchise development, at (800) 783-0867, Extension 105, email [email protected] or visit meltingpotfranchise.com.

Has a restaurant opened -- or closed -- near you in the last week or so? Does your favorite eatery have a new menu? Is there a new chef in charge? Drop us a line. Call (501) 399-3667 or (501) 378-3513, or send a note to Restaurants, Weekend Section, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Send email to:

[email protected]

Weekend on 12/11/2014

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