Little Rock, Arkansas – Wednesday will mark the final day of operation for Cannibal and Craft in the River Market, making it the third establishment in the neighborhood to go out of business in less than a year.
Doors are being locked all over the place in what would typically be a lively entertainment district, which is gradually becoming silent.
“It’s just kind of something we have expected and we have just grown to see this trending here,” musician Osyrus Bolly said.
Little Rock is the place where Bolly spent his childhood. He is a musician who has been hired by Cannibal and Craft in the past.
“It’s very disappointing because, as an artist, there are very few places that we can work on our craft and entertain people,” he said.
Along with the restaurant next door, The Library, and Charlee’s Good Time Drinkery, Cannibal and Craft is the third establishment in the River Market area of Little Rock to shut down within the past year.
“I just see it as a loss economically,” Bolly said. “I hope to see that this trend stops, I believe the trend will stop, but we just have to see some better planning going on and more community input.”
Osyrus expressed his disappointment that so many businesses in Little Rock are closing down, given the city’s status as a popular destination for travelers.
“We have seen it modeled in other cities. This is an entertainment district, entertainment districts all over the country are thriving and doing well,” Bolly said. “So, this is an opportunity for this to be a lesson on how we can improve the city of Little Rock’s entertainment district.”
The management has not disclosed the reason why the business is going out of business, and they have not done so at this time.