David’s Burgers has closed its downtown location in the River Market’s Ottenheimer Hall food court and will be subleasing its space to its market neighbor, Platnum BBQ.
Angia and Kevin Cox have been running Platnum BBQ from the southeast section of the food court since 2017. The Arkansas Times called Platnum “the hottest new thing in barbecue” in a 2018 review, which praised its catfish, pulled pork and smoked chicken. Here’s a picture I took of a fantastic short rib platter with mac and cheese and collard greens that had me drooling on Wednesday because I forgot to eat lunch.
Kevin Cox — who said Platnum is mainly his wife Angia’s business — “I just come in and assist her” — said his family is excited about the opportunity to expand the business and that it’s been a long time coming.
“It allows us to have more control over the line because we started outgrowing our space probably three years ago,” Cox said. “Now we don’t have to be packed in like sardines, we can move around a little bit.”
The move is a win-win for both businesses, according to David’s Burgers’ owner and founder David Alan Bubbus Jr., who said it’s been difficult for his company to manage the River Market outpost because of a combination of inflation, low margins and the company’s dedication to “keep our prices low for our customers.” For that reason, Bubbus said, the company’s business model calls for high customer volume daily.
“We need restaurants to [serve] 1,000 customers a day to really make them work,” he said.
In the years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the company has pulled employees from the River Market store to help with staffing issues at other locations. You might remember that David’s River Market location didn’t reopen from its pandemic closure until June 2022, more than a year after Ottenheimer Hall reopened. Last year the company announced on Facebook that the River Market store would be closed for the entire month of December. It reopened in January. David’s currently has nine stores operating in Arkansas, and a 10th will open later this year in Searcy, Bubbus said.
Platnum will be expanding their operating hours in the new space to include Friday and Saturday nights until around 8 p.m., and the soul food Sunday curbside service they’ve been offering from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. will transition to dine-in. They also plan on offering all-you-can-eat catfish during specific hours on Fridays, Cox said.
Bubbus called Platnum’s food “absolutely dynamite” and said the location will better suit their business. David’s has invested quite a bit of money into renovating the River Market space, he said, and he hopes to make a return on the investment. For the time being, David’s furniture and a lot of its equipment will be included in the sublease while Platnum settles into its new digs. When David’s Searcy store opens in late November or early December, they’ll move some of the furniture out. Bubbus said Gina Gemberling and Brian Oaks from the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, as well as At-Large City Director Dean Kumpuris were instrumental in making this happen.
“The city could’ve denied the sublease and they didn’t,” Bubbus said. “They were very business-friendly in helping get this done, and I’m very grateful.”
City leaders have also taken part in discussions about much needed upgrades to the market itself, which opened in 1996. In January 2023, the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau announced the city’s first tourism master plan, which proposes a reimagined Ottenheimer Hall with live music, extended hours and destination dining with alcoholic beverages available for purchase. In June 2023, city officials approved nearly $750,000 for a new master plan to revitalize the downtown area with the hope of doubling its population in the next 10 years. One of the plan’s proposals is to take advantage of the city’s riverfront, which could bring more dining options. At present, the Clinton Presidential Center’s 42 bar and table is the only downtown restaurant offering riverside views, and it shut down its dinner service last month.
In the meantime, Platnum’s health inspection is slated for next week, and Cox said he expects to be open in the former David’s space soon. What does this mean for Platnum’s current space in the market? Cox said their 19 year-old daughter has a vision for it, and it will stay in the family.
“We’re not 100% sure what we’re going to do with the other spot yet, but there’s some news to come, I can tell you that,” Cox said.