Rumors circulated earlier this morning that Little Rock’s iconic Afterthought Bistro and Bar would be closing next Wednesday, and an employee at the bar (who didn’t want to give her name) confirmed the closure, saying that the location’s doors would be shut for 6-8 months for renovations before being occupied by any future tenants. Asked about her reaction to the news, she said, “We’re all very sad, and we’d really like to go out with a bang this next week, celebrating the bar.”

Martha Gilbert, one of the patrons that helped organize the bar’s well-attended open mic nights on Wednesdays, says she was informed by a bartender last night when she arrived that the establishment’s last day would be next Wednesday, and that open mic would need to find a new home. Cosmocean, a band slated to play there May 26, announced today they’d be cancelling their show. Gilbert also related that the restaurant space next to the kitchen space would be utilized by Afterthought’s neighbor Mylo Coffee as a bakery, although that has not yet been confirmed by the coffee shop’s owners.

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