orange.png

ZaZa’s John Beachboard and Scott McGehee plan to open a new restaurant in August in the Promenade at Chenal. Big Orange: Burgers, Salads and Milkshakes is headed for a 3,450-square-foot space originally constructed for the chain Blanc Burgers at 17809 Chenal Parkway, next door to Bravo Cucina. The restaurant will offer a balance of healthy and indulgent fare, McGehee said. That means a dozen burger options, made with a choice of beef, veggie or turkey patties; a fish sandwich; a chicken sandwich McGehee promises will be the best in town; a broad, ZaZa-style salad menu, and a dozen gourmet milkshakes and floats. There’ll be 12 to 20 beers on tap, a broad wine selection and a lot of old-fashioned soda, too. The restaurant will be open daily for lunch and dinner and Saturday and Sunday for brunch, where McGehee said he’s focused on serving the best biscuits and pancakes in town.

Big Orange will try to bridge the gap between causal, sit-down dining and the fast casual setting of ZaZa. That means employing kitchen technology that will allow the restaurant to cook a burger in five minutes and point of sale, handheld computer systems that allow waiters to send orders immediately to the kitchen and swipe credit cards when its time for the bill.

Advertisement

While there will be burgers with “unique and exceptional ingredients” that cost more than those at your favorite dive, McGehee said he didn’t want to be a place that only served high-priced burgers. Expect at least one $5.50 to $6 option.

For the milkshakes, he said he and Beachboard were looking into purchasing a batch freezer to make their own custard-based ice cream.

Advertisement

There’ll be a number of tie-ins to the Big Orange name, McGehee said: A large Spanish orange juicer. An Orange Julius-type drink. Orange walls. And more.

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article Over and out (I think) Next article The late early line