HOT SPRINGS -- With two culinary ventures in the works, Jason Taylor and Randy Womack hope to create "an irresistible entry" into downtown Hot Springs.
The Hot Springs residents are building a restaurant -- Vault -- at 723 Central Ave. and have plans for another at 812 Central Ave.
Taylor and Womack said they hope the eateries can help draw more activity to downtown Hot Springs in the evening.
"Our hope is for downtown to stay alive at night so that all the other downtown merchants and other people want to stay open," Taylor said.
Taylor's desire to add to Hot Springs' night life was born from his frequent trips out of state as a wholesale tractor dealer. He said he was captivated by the night scene in towns such as Nashville, Tenn., and Austin, Texas.
Dr. Daron Praetzel, a local surgeon, shared Taylor's vision, and the pair purchased the two properties and the space at 528 Central Ave. in 2015. They plan to lease the latter location to Bubba Brew's.
Taylor originally planned to lease the other two properties, but when that proved unsuccessful, he decided to create his own dining spaces. In doing so, he partnered with Womack, the former manager and sommelier of the recently closed Central Park Fusion.
"Jason's whole point is to make it interesting and attractive in such a way that people in this particular area have never really seen," Womack said. "We want to do something that resonates very unique."
The name Vault was inspired by the restaurant's location in the former Citizens National Bank Building, once known as the First Federal Building. The upscale restaurant will feature a VIP area in what used to be the bank's vault.
The second planned restaurant, in the former JCPenney building at 812 Central Ave., will be a "higher-end, high-energy sports bar" with a lounge, live music and open air seating, Taylor said.
Once opened, Taylor and Womack plan to run the restaurants as owner and general manager. The two said they are pushing to get Vault open, but they did not give a definite opening date.
Taylor said he hopes to create an experience with his restaurants that will be unique to all of central Arkansas and will keep tourists, as well as local customers, in the downtown area longer each day.
"When people come to Hot Springs, they know they need to come downtown because Bathhouse Row is here, and maybe they need to get a massage, and they want to see the Arlington [Resort Hotel]," Womack said. "I want them to say, 'We're going here for lunch, we're going here for dinner, we're going here for after dinner, and here for a show.'"
Taylor and Womack said they hope to create a ripple effect for other downtown businesses that might be inclined to stay open later to reap the benefits of late-night crowds.
"There's millions of people who visit this city every year," Taylor said. "There's no reason why everyone can't win."
Metro on 06/04/2017