The Barstool Fund - Beech Street Bistro
Up next: Beech Street Bistro (Crossett, AR)
The Bistro is a Crossett original! As one of the few restaurants in town, the Bistro has become known for delicious home cookin’, plus Creole Crawfish pie, New Orleans Po-Boys, homemade onion rings, dumplins, and more.
Reader Email
Hi, I am Laura Huntsman, co-owner, of the Beech Street Bistro in Crossett, AR. The Beech Street Bistro opened July 2, 2018. My husband and co-owner, Chester has owned restaurants in the past and was working in food sales when we got married. He would get home from work each day before me and post pictures on Facebook of the meals he cooked each day with the heading…Today at the Beech Street Bistro. Many people commented asking when he was going to reopen a restaurant in our small town. There were only a few choices of places to eat out in our area. The restaurant business was in his blood and he dreams of one day reopening a restaurant.
Since opening we have been nominated for the People’s Choice Award by the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame for two years in a row. We were featured on KNOE’s “Feed Your Soul”, a regional TV Station showcasing area restaurants. We were selected the Top of the Pines, Best Overall Restaurant in the county by voters choice. We were listed in Kat Robinson’s book “102 More Things to Eat in Arkansas Before you Die” and recently featured in the January 2021 issue of Arkansas Living. This was all a result of lots of hard work and a great staff.
We have also faced many obstacles since we opened, Chester had hip replacement surgery about five weeks after we opened, we had a major storm take out the electricity to the town resulting in loosing everything in the cooler and freezer, and now COVID. We closed for two and a half months when the Governor ordered all dining rooms closed. We stayed open for two weeks for take-out only, but the area was so afraid of COVID they were not eating out. When the Governor allowed dining rooms to reopen at 66% capacity we reopened. Things were going great until a kitchen employee tested positive for COVID, this caused us to close for two more weeks. We were fortunate to receive a PPP Grant and a PPE Grant. Those funds have kept the doors open. The barstool fund would be of great help at this time. It would help cover increasing payroll and the lost revenue due to State Mandated reduced capacity.
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Thank you for giving back to small business at the time it is needed the most. Your Consideration of the Beech Street Bistro would be greatly appreciated.
Laura Huntsman