Shopping/Dining: What is Little Rock still lacking?

[bchris02]

I think there was a thread for this way back, but it is old and the scene has changed dramatically since that thread.

In your opinion, what major chains is LR still lacking that could REALISTICALLY come to LR and haven't been announced? I don't want to see Nordstrom or Gucci because there is no way those stores would come here. Lets keep it on our level. The ones I can think of right off hand are:

Retail - World Market (Ft. Smith of all places is getting one), Restoration Hardware, Macy's, Borders, Coach.

Restaurants - There are a some chains that are lacking and I think that if NWA has it, LR should at least be considered. Buffalo Wild Wings, Cheesecake Factory, and Ruth's Chris would be among my preference list. That said, I would most like to see the city's ethnic cuisine broadened. We badly need a Thai restaurant (Are we the largest U.S. city without one?) It would be nice to see more Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, maybe a Lebanese, and maybe a German as well.

Any thoughts?

[jmb0479]

In your opinion, what major chains is LR still lacking that could REALISTICALLY come to LR and haven't been announced?

Retail - World Market (Ft. Smith of all places is getting one),

[lowarkhog]

Costco....Fry's would be nice.

[tangle]

Trader Joe's

CostCo

World Market

REI

IKEA (so not likely, and yet, I still want my flat-pack furniture and cheap trendy textiles)

I love electronics stores, but Frys gives me a headache. A few storefronts of whitebox stores would make me much happier.

I wish we had another regular-folks grocery store chain shaking up the Kroger/Wal-Mart stranglehold. I can't even count Harvest Foods. Publix? Harris Teeter? Safeway? While I'm in pipe-dream land, something like Your Dekalb Farmer's Market. And a viable food co-op. ASN is making great strides, but it's no Oklahoma Food Co-op.

I'm not dying to have any specific chain restaurants in our market. We lack Korean barbecue, African, Greek, a range of middle-eastern, and real bistro dining. I know that we've at least two places that position themselves as bistros, but they aren't priced like it.

Clearly, a lot of my shopping obsession revolves around food.

[LRU1967]

Brooks Bros.

Johnston & Murphy

Coach

[abdintp]

We need more coffee shops.

Since I hate Starbucks and have been boycotting The Cafe Formerly Known As Sufficient Grounds for quite some time, my options in LR are very limited.

Why don't we have more coffee shops?

[lowarkhog]

REI

[LRguy21]

A Fossil, Pacsun, Urban Outfitters or H&M, Macys, Jamba Juice would all be nice and ones that i think could work in the LR area.

I recently visited PHP in rogers. TALK ABOUT NICE! its to bad that SC didnt become more like that. Hopefully the one in chenal will be like PHP.

What is the largest retail or Restaurant chain LR doesnt have?

[Aporkalypse]

I think there was a thread for this way back, but it is old and the scene has changed dramatically since that thread.

In your opinion, what major chains is LR still lacking that could REALISTICALLY come to LR and haven't been announced? I don't want to see Nordstrom or Gucci because there is no way those stores would come here. Lets keep it on our level. The ones I can think of right off hand are:

Retail - World Market (Ft. Smith of all places is getting one), Restoration Hardware, Macy's, Borders, Coach.

Restaurants - There are a some chains that are lacking and I think that if NWA has it, LR should at least be considered. Buffalo Wild Wings, Cheesecake Factory, and Ruth's Chris would be among my preference list. That said, I would most like to see the city's ethnic cuisine broadened. We badly need a Thai restaurant (Are we the largest U.S. city without one?) It would be nice to see more Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, maybe a Lebanese, and maybe a German as well.

Any thoughts?

[bchris02]

A Fossil, Pacsun, Urban Outfitters or H&M, Macys, Jamba Juice would all be nice and ones that i think could work in the LR area.

I recently visited PHP in rogers. TALK ABOUT NICE! its to bad that SC didnt become more like that. Hopefully the one in chenal will be like PHP.

What is the largest retail or Restaurant chain LR doesnt have?

[hartford]

First of all let me say that I am so glad that Panera is finally coming because it would have been on the top of my list of needed restaurants in LR. That said, here is my list of hopeful future offerings:

Boston Market

J Alexanders

La Madelines

Cheesecake Factory

Melting Pot

Carrabbas

Chick Fil A (west LR/chenal location)

As far as retail goes, I agree with some of the above posts:

Restoration Hardware

World Market

Costco

[abdintp]

Never heard of H&M.

[EJC]

I would definitely enjoy an H&M.

H&M is kind of like the IKEA of clothes: (kind of) cheap, fashionable, and not well made.

[slyder1]

I'm sure most of you know, but the Springfield franchisee of Panera Bread (formerly St. Louis Bread Co.) will be opening 4 restaurants in Little Rock here shortly. Not sure if there's any there already...

edit: After reading above I saw it was already mentioned... sorry.

I thought I would throw some more in here that I've heard about as well. Rivals Sports Bar, opening here in Springfield, is a mock of the ESPN ZONE restaurants and the owner (Swisshelm Co.) said that Little Rock, KC, STL, and Tulsa are next on the radar. We are pretty excited about it up here.

Here's a description of the restaurant;

Plans call for a 9,000-square-foot, sports-themed restaurant and bar styled after ESPN Zone restaurants. Rivals should have a full menu and about 40 televisions, 35 games machines, an electronic scores ticker, glass-enclosed skybox mezzanine and two tree houses that will seat 10 people, according to Swisshelm.

[candacet]

I LOVE Houlihans stuffed mushrooms...smile

I would love a Crate and Barrel

Pappadeaux

MAC Store

Marble Slab Creamery

Club Libby Lu for my niece

Borders

Dylan's Candy Bar

Janie and Jack

Steve Madden

Nine West

The Body Shop

L'Occitane

Torrid

I went to the Apple Store in Houston...I loved it, it was so busy.

[ndark]

I LOVE Houlihans stuffed mushrooms...smile

I would love a Crate and Barrel

Pappadeaux

MAC Store

Marble Slab Creamery

Club Libby Lu for my niece

Borders

Dylan's Candy Bar

Janie and Jack

Steve Madden

Nine West

The Body Shop

L'Occitane

Torrid

I went to the Apple Store in Houston...I loved it, it was so busy.

[candacet]

An Apple store is going in at the Promenade in Chenal.

[bchris02]

I LOVE Houlihans stuffed mushrooms...smile

I would love a Crate and Barrel

Pappadeaux

MAC Store

Marble Slab Creamery

Club Libby Lu for my niece

Borders

Dylan's Candy Bar

Janie and Jack

Steve Madden

Nine West

The Body Shop

L'Occitane

Torrid

I went to the Apple Store in Houston...I loved it, it was so busy.

[turboturtle]

The best way to determine is something is likely to come to Little Rock is its existing presence in NWA, since they usually get new to the state retailers and restaurants first. If Tulsa or OKC don't have it, its probably never coming to LR.

[bchris02]

The best way to determine is something is likely to come to Little Rock is its existing presence in NWA, since they usually get new to the state retailers and restaurants first. If Tulsa or OKC don't have it, its probably never coming to LR.

In addition to Apple, how does the Container Store fit into you categorical statement?

[hartford]

I said usually. Most of the rest of the Midtowne tenants, i.e. Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Lewis and Clark, etc were in NWA first. The Container Store is a surprising exception to all of that, because they aren't in NWA, Tulsa, OKC, or Memphis.

[Architect]

I said usually. Most of the rest of the Midtowne tenants, i.e. Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Lewis and Clark, etc were in NWA first. The Container Store is a surprising exception to all of that, because they aren't in NWA, Tulsa, OKC, or Memphis.

[bchris02]

Like Hartford said, you are incorrect. These opened in Little Rock first (save for L&C which is local) - and I'm guessing we'll see even more of this when Promenade unveils their tenants, confirmed examples being Apple, J Crew, etc.

[turboturtle]

I said usually. Most of the rest of the Midtowne tenants, i.e. Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Lewis and Clark, etc were in NWA first. The Container Store is a surprising exception to all of that, because they aren't in NWA, Tulsa, OKC, or Memphis.

[VistaLakes01]

Hi, I'm from the Orlando forum and just passing through. I was wondering why NWA would get things before Little Rock? Is it a larger metro area? Is it touristy because of Wal-Mart HQ? Little Rock appears to be the big city in Arkansas and also the capital. So if there is no Macy's, what are the major department stores in Little Rock and which is considered to be the most upscale? Don't waste your time wishing for a PacSun, that's just an average kid's mall store, nothing special at all. I suppose you must have Abercrombie, Banana Republic since they are not mentioned. How about Lucky Brand Jeans. Panera gets bland and tiresome when there's one on every corner, how about CPK (California Pizza Kitchen)? Do you have Chipolte, they sure beat Taco Bell and are expanding like crazy and I believe they are owned by McDonalds as well as Donato's Pizza. Speaking of Mickey D's, do you have any McDonalds that are Bistro Gourmets? They are McDonald's split in half with one side traditional and the other more of a "Panera" menu.