You’ve probably heard that Jim Keet and Louis Petit’s planned Petit & Keet Bar & Grill, which Keet had hoped to open last November, is taking much longer than planned, what with a $1 million complete renovation of the restaurant building considered necessary. That building is the former 1620 Savoy at 1620 Market St. in west Little Rock.
But what you may not have heard is 1). the name of the chef and 2) the reason for the big remodel.
The chef, Keet tells us, is Mateo Vannucci, originally from the Benton/Bryant area. Vannucci trained at the Escoffier Culinary School in Austin, Texas, and is the executive sous chef at Bravo Cucina Italiana restaurant.
The reason for the big remodel, a change from Keet and Petit’s original plan for a modest makeover of the 1620 space, was an analysis of the market potential for private parties, Keet said. That study showed that there are a lot of professional groups that would like to meet in west Little Rock but have limited choices of venues, he said. “We’re confident that this is the right strategic decision, not only for the short term but also the long term,” Keet said.
Look for Petit & Keet to open by May.