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    Little Rock Bar Hosts Grand Opening on Friday

    For months, there has been speculation about just what was going to happen at 944 North Fourth Street in the Italian Village. The spot at the corners of East Second Avenue and North Fourth Streets had been vacant for over 15 years, and as the area just east of the Short North grew with the times and populace, demand for more also built.

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    Enter Quinn Fallon, a longtime industry vet who has been everything from rocker to bartender, and who was one of the driving forces behind Andyman’s Treehouse. He first latched on to the location three years ago, but because of city restrictions, wasn’t able to procure it for what he envisioned it could be.

    Now, it’s all come together as the Little Rock Bar, a no frills, for-rockers-and-the-folks-who-love-them joint that has no neon signs, no corporate logos, and is full of the kind of kitch and local characters that immediately elevates it to Cheers status.

    “I’ve been doing this since the late 80s, and when I sold Andyman’s, I wasn’t sure what would be next,” Fallon shares. “I had always kept my eye on this property, and after I talked with a bunch of my friends in the music industry, they encouraged me to get back into the bar business.”

    The inside of the 2,00 square-foot bar is spacious, and can easily fit 80 people; the patio, which runs along Second Avenue, comfortably holds forty. The floors are cement and offer great acoustics, making it an ideal spot to enjoy live music. Fallon won’t be bringing in bands however, opting instead for the intimacy that acoustic performers bring.

    Among them, bar manager Joe Peppercorn, another seasoned rocker, and Colin Gawel of local band Watershed, who will both tend bar and entertain as the bar officially opens. But this is not a rock band bar. It’s neither a juke joint nor a sports bar.

    “When I started this, I wanted to cater to the neighborhood, and what I thought would be cool here,” adds Fallon. “I wanted something tried and true, but also a little different. I didn’t want this to be ‘just another bar’, but somewhere people here can come hang out, get a drink or two, chat, and not feel like they need to be doing anything more.”

    The bar features 30 taps that will be in constant flux save for PBR and Yuegling, which will always be available. Offerings come from several local and regional breweries, including Four String and Seventh Son. There’s also a full liquor selection and a decent number of wines.

    For those concerned with parking, there are spots along North Fourth Street, as well as East Second Avenue. In addition, patrons are invited to use the lots at Spring Cleaners and Laundry at the corners of Fourth Street and First Avenue, and the Veritas Community Church just east of the bar.

    Little Rock Bar held its soft opening on June 26th, and its official kickoff is Friday, July 12th at 7pm. For this occasion, there will be live music till at least midnight beginning with Colin Gawel, and featuring other artists like Jason Quicksall, Bree Frick, and Little Rock’s very own Quinn Fallon. There is no cover for this event, just as there’ll never be a cover at Little Rock.

    The official hours of business will be Tuesday through Saturday, 4pm-2:30am, with happy hour every day from 4pm-8pm. Tuesdays will be karaoke, with $3 drafts all day; Fridays will typically have live music.

    By this September, Fallon and his crew, who have “no money right now to buy a toaster”, also hope to have the kitchen up and running. There may also be food trucks making appearances from time to time in order to feed the happy crowd.

    So if you’re looking for a new favorite watering hole, you may just find it at Little Rock Bar. And while you’re there, be sure to get some love from Harvey, the Happy Hour Hound who makes this place feel like a home away from home.

    For more on Little Rock Bar’s performers and specials, follow them at www.facebook.com/Little-Rock-Bar.

    Photos by Ayana Wilson.

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    Ayana Wilson
    Ayana Wilsonhttps://columbusunderground.com
    Ayana Wilson is a former staff writer at Columbus Underground who covered local restaurant industry news.
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