A new restaurant plans to open in the old Ed and Kay’s Restaurant building at 15228 Interstate 30 North in Benton. I drove by recently and noticed Oltman’s Roofing fixing the place up, so I called to see what they knew. They introduced me to Diana Young, the new restaurant owner, and she has some plans that locals should enjoy. Other than new roofing, renovations will include some blue siding that will change the exterior look of the property. The name “Blue Heaven” comes from this color change.
Young says they are “gutting” the inside, to make it all look new. There will also be a privacy fence added to the back of the property, so families can gather and play games like baggo there.
Along with the undeniable history of the Ed and Kay’s building, part of the experience will come from a long-time favorite in Little Rock. Some of the kitchen equipment came from the auction after the recent closing of Cajun’s Wharf on Cantrell Road in the Riverdale area.
In regards to the food, Young says it will still be home cooking but she wants to do something new while staying true to the past. “People have been asking for those old recipes like the chicken fried steak and of course the mile-high pies, so we’re bringing them back. But we also will add fresh options.” She says there will be more grilled items on the menu alongside the fried favorites.
In the future, there are plans for farm-to-table eats. “We have purchased the land next to the restaurant and we’ll have a garden there so customers can enjoy fresh vegetables with their meal,” stated Young.
It’s usually difficult for a new restaurant to pinpoint an opening date until they are much closer, but Young says she has been praying for it to be ready in four months. Maybe we will see Blue Heaven near Thanksgiving. I’ll keep us updated.
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