After approving a private club request for an incoming pizza place in December, the Searcy City Council has set a public hearing for another new restaurant.
The hearing for the private club permit for Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, which is under construction at 1444 Janet St. near Texas Roadhouse, will be held April 9 at City Hall.
The name of the applicant is Louis Steven Gray on behalf of Cheddar's Casual Cafe Inc., doing business as Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen. According to the application, Gray has been a restaurant manager for approximately 30 years, including 18 years at establishments serving alcoholic beverages. For the past 13 years, Gray has been with Cheddar's Casual Cafe Inc.
Cheddar Casual Cafe Inc
The restaurant was founded in Arlington, Texas, in 1979 by Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers. The restaurant chain started out as Cheddar's then changed to Cheddar's Casual Cafe and then to Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen in 2015. The restaurant offers a variety of menu items, including "American comfort food, burgers, steaks and seafood."
If the council passes an ordinance after the hearing, Gray will be able to apply for a private club permit with the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division. The most recent private club permit ordinance passed by the council was for Bella's Pizza, which will be located at 106 E. Market Ave., where the Cookie Basket used to be.
No restaurants in Searcy were allowed to serve alcohol until 2017 when three applied for permits before a new state law went into effect that required applicants to first seek approval from their local governing body. Those requests were granted by the ABC board despite some council members and others opposing the applications.
Good and Doug Rogers
Since then, the council has approved multiple applications, including for six restaurants still in operation and two, including Bella's Pizza, that have not opened in Searcy yet.
American comfort food, burgers, steaks and seafood.
Why this lands now
Menus are the clearest record of what diners actually wanted, since every change reflects something that did or did not sell.
The short version
- After approving a private club request for an incoming pizza place in December, the Searcy City Council has set a public hearing for another new restaurant
- The name of the applicant is Louis Steven Gray on behalf of Cheddar's Casual Cafe Inc., doing business as Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen
- The restaurant was founded in Arlington, Texas, in 1979 by Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers
- If the council passes an ordinance after the hearing, Gray will be able to apply for a private club permit with the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Division
- No restaurants in Searcy were allowed to serve alcohol until 2017 when three applied for permits before a new state law went into effect that required applicants to first seek approval from their local governing body
By the numbers
- According to the application, Gray has been a restaurant manager for approximately 30 years, including 18 years at establishments serving alcoholic beverages
- For the past 13 years, Gray has been with Cheddar's Casual Cafe Inc
- The restaurant chain started out as Cheddar's then changed to Cheddar's Casual Cafe and then to Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen in 2015
Common questions
Why does it matter?
No restaurants in Searcy were allowed to serve alcohol until 2017 when three applied for permits before a new state law went into effect that required applicants to first seek approval from their local governing body.
What happens next?
The hearing for the private club permit for Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, which is under construction at 1444 Janet St. near Texas Roadhouse, will be held April 9 at City Hall.
All told
The details will firm up over the coming months. What is already clear is that this is unlikely to be the last we hear of it.