Chef Donnie Ferneau announced today that he will join the recently announced 1836 Club. His current restaurant, Good Food By Ferneau, will hold its last meal service on January 30th.
The 1836 Club announced their plans to renovate and take over the Packet House earlier this month. Dinner services at the club will be private; however, they will be available for special events and catering.
Ferneau says he had already planned to close Good Food before he made the decision to join The 1836 Club.
“It is something I have thought about. The customers and the neighborhood were great, the people we work with were absolutely fantastic at Good Food,” Ferneau says. “It breaks my heart to have to move on from the restaurant … I think we were just a little ahead of our time for the area. (in regards to healthy food options).”
Ferneau says he wants to keep as many of his existing staff employed as possible with 1836 Club.
“The 1836 Club is thrilled to have Donnie Ferneau and his team come on board,” said Mark Camp, co-owner of The 1836 Club. “We look forward to opening our doors and providing a much-needed space in Little Rock for business professionals to enjoy good company, food and drinks.”
Good Food will cease meal prep service immediately, while the restaurant will continue through January 30th. Ferneau says to expect a few adjustments to the restaurant’s hours ahead of closing, including the possibility of closing lunch on Tuesdays.
Ferneau’s plans for the new menu will be a return to the style of cooking that made him famous in Little Rock at his restaurant in Hillcrest. He plans to drop the healthy focused menu and focus on one that is more fitting for the location.
“I am going to get back to cooking things that I love to cook. We want to still utilize a lot of farm raised products and support local farmers,” Ferneau says. “It will not be necessarily healthy food, but we will still be able to cook for people with dietary needs.”
Ferneau says that, through the transition, his team will still be available for catering and will still hold cooking classes.
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