Turns out it may not be all about the Benjamins.
Montego Cafe is toast.
The restaurant and club in downtown Little Rock - which is fast becoming uptown - closed its doors after 10 months of big nighttime crowds.
Seems it might have been a disagreement about who was Mr. B.I.G.
But the Sept. 16 posting on its Facebook page makes nice: “ Brad McCray and Chris Bowen have decided to part ways due to creative differences concerning the vision of this very unique establishment.
“Unfortunately sometimes partners have differing viewpoints on how to continue and expand operations. We want to collectively thank our patrons, employees and others that have supported our concept for a restaurant and entertainment venue in downtown Little Rock. Though Montego Cafe has closed, we look forward to continuing to provide restaurant and entertainment options in Little Rock.”
Alcoholic Beverage Control Director Michael Langley says there was no problem on its end, and, he volunteered, the Little Rock Police Department vice squad. Same from the health department.
The partners were Taking Care of Business it seems.
Through the first six months of 2013 they were current on paying their 2 percent restaurant tax to the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Food sales between November, when the club opened at 315 Main St., and the end of June totaled $241,449, according to the bureau. Taxes of $4,872were due, and paid. Alcohol sales are not taxed by the bureau, so they are not available.
TCB never happened at Porter’s Jazz Cafe in its one year in the multimillion-dollar-establishment, with a restaurant at street level and a club downstairs, built by Scott Reed and partners in the former Blass Department Stores warehouse.
That was a case of undermanagement of Porter’s. In the case of Montego, it may have been a case of overmanagement.
What’s next?
McCray and Bowen aren’t saying.
Word on the street is Montego Cafe, the brand, ain’t dead,and look for it to show up in another venue.
Seems Bowen - a large, genial man with a distinct Caribbean accent who had already made a name for himself as a local promoter - was pushing the envelope, and maybe wanted to push it further.
In addition to music, which ranged from hip-hop to reggae (hence the name and the Jamaican cuisine), blues to jazz, there were comics along Def Comedy Jam lines.
One poster advertised “Talking Dirty After Dark.”
So maybe there was outside pressure to tone it down. Anyone who might know, probably ain’t gonna say.
Efforts to contact Bowen and McCray were unsuccessful.
The Bob Marley banner and other reggae images - in which, by the way, McCray took pride - will come down. Yet, this spot is far from dead. Look for it to reopen later in the fall with a new look, sound and cuisine.
Reed says the news in this column last week that Montego appeared to be dead prompted four interested callers, including one from Nashville, the one in Tennessee.
If you have a tip, call Jack Weatherly at (501) 378-3518 or e-mail him at [email protected]
Business, Pages 73 on 09/22/2013