Restaurant Transitions: New sushi restaurant in Argenta waiting to open; new Pei Wei; taco chain expands

Conway-based Tacos 4 Life, which recently announced it was opening locations in Little Rock and Benton, reached a milestone: 2 million donated meals.
Conway-based Tacos 4 Life, which recently announced it was opening locations in Little Rock and Benton, reached a milestone: 2 million donated meals.

The original Oct. 1 target opening date has passed, and owner-chef Kiyen Kim, who also brought you Kiyens Seafood Steak and Sushi, 17200 Chenal Parkway, Little Rock, says he's waiting on the city permitting process before he opens the doors of his Kamikaito by Kiyens in the former Good Food by Ferneau/Argenta Market space, Sixth and Main streets, North Little Rock. Kim says the menu will be similar to the one at Kiyens -- sushi, hibachi meals and Asian-fusion entrees (kiyens.com) for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, possibly a little higher-end to match the neighborhood, but denies early rumors that he has been planning things like Korean-style pizza or Asian-fusion hot dogs. The new establishment does not, as far as we can tell, yet have a listed phone number; the one at the west Little Rock restaurant is (501) 821-7272.

Conway-based Tacos 4 Life, which said not too long ago a Little Rock location would open in early 2017 in the Shackleford Crossings Shopping Center, 2600 block of Shackleford Road, between Longhorn Steakhouse and the Boomerang Carwash, last week also unveiled plans for a Benton location, set to open in the spring, at 7821 Alcoa Road, across Interstate 30 from the Alcoa Exchange center. The burgeoning mini-chain has a mission to help end world hunger through its Meal 4 Meal model -- donating one meal for every meal purchased -- which, as of Monday, had reached 2 million donated meals. Tacos 4 Life pulled in 1.6 million of that; the remainder, 412,681 meals, comes from by Pitza 42, co-owners Austin and Ashton Samuelson's first Meal 4 Meal restaurant, which the Samuelsons converted into the second Conway Tacos 4 Life location in March 2015. The company also has a location in Fayetteville. Visit tacos4life.com.

One of our sharp-eyed observers reports the Pizza Hut at 1801 T.P. White Drive, Jacksonville, had "no signs, no lights, and no employees" on a very recent Saturday night. A call to the listed phone number, (501) 982-6731, took us to an automated ordering system.

And speaking of pizza, Villa Italian Kitchen in the Outlets of Little Rock center, 11201 Bass Pro Parkway, Little Rock, will hold its seventh annual "Have a Slice Day," Oct. 24, marking National Pizza Month. Customers who download an online coupon via the chain's Facebook page -- facebook.com/VillaItalianKitchen -- or freesliceday.com can get a free slice of its Neapolitan cheese pizza. The phone number: (501) 455-9100.

The west Little Rock Pei Wei outlet at Promenade at Chenal, 17000 block of Chenal Parkway, will open Monday with an 11-11:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony presented by the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce.

The Thea Foundation is converting its fundraiser called, for the last three years, the Governor's Culinary Challenge into the Blue Plate Special, 6-9 p.m. Monday on the Mezzanine level of the Capital Hotel, 111 W. Markham St., Little Rock. Ten chefs -- dessert consultant Zara Abassi Wilkerson, Gilbert Alaquinez (Forty-Two), Matthew Bell (South on Main), Stephen Burrow (Skye's Bistro at Stratton's Market), Marc Guizol (Capital Bar & Grill), Payne Harding (Cache), Brian Kearns (Simply the Best Catering/Canvas), Jeff Owen (Ciao Baci), Capi Peck (Trio's) and Shiem Swift (The Veg) -- and two mixologists -- David Burnette (South on Main) and Luiggi Uzcategui (Big Orange Midtown) -- will be concocting food and drinks to benefit the foundation's scholarship program. The event will also attract poets, musicians and media personalities. Tickets are $75. Visit http://tinyurl.com/z5vebok.

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:

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Weekend on 10/13/2016

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