Destination Little Rock How Cypress Social is creating a ‘must-visit’ restaurant— Arkansas style By Michael J. Pallerino

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f the vibe, flow, and stylistic touches and finishes of the reclaimed cypress wood along the walls that give Cypress Social its name don’t grab your attention, the food will.

The sister restaurant to the JTJ Restaurant Group’s Petit & Keet is what diners call a destination restaurant.

Inviting dining room area. Welcoming bar and three-tier outdoor deck, complete with lake and fountain. A parlor room. Even the pandemic couldn’t stop the coming of Little Rock, Arkansas’ latest next big thing. The 330-seat restaurant takes diners on a trip through some of the South’s biggest food staples, including the “Starters” section, highlighted by chargrilled oysters, fried green tomatoes, Delta-style hot tamales, and peppadew cheese dip, to the “Mains,” featuring a classic mix of shrimp & grits, fried catfish, Duroc pork chop, and the famed Butcher’s Steak, a grilled, 8-ounce teres major cut. We sat down with Jake Keet, VP of Operations for JTJ Restaurant, to get his thoughts on today’s restaurant landscape heading into 2021 and beyond, as well as what makes Cypress Social the place to be.

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Give us a snapshot of the Cypress Social brand.

Cypress Social is the second in a series of unique destination restaurants from the Keet family, Louis Petit, and Brent and Tyler

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION — DECEMBER 2020