Sister restaurant of Taliano’s (formerly known as Emmy’s) is soon to be transformed into a new bar and restaurant in Fort Smith.
Taliano’s needs no introduction, as Fort Smith’s oldest family-owned restaurant, proudly serving the River Valley for 52 years. Joe Caldarera the owner/operator has participated in the local hospitality scene and community in numerous ways formally serving as the President of the Arkansas Restaurant Association and board member for the non-profit 64.6 Downtown.
It was Joe who approached Bike Rack Brewing Co. and Vinnie’s Pies for the collaboration in mind. His vision is to continue his quest for passion for family, friends, and fine food. He
comments “I could not be more excited about this new collaboration. I have been in the hospitality business in the River Valley my whole life and I know the market well. This will be a much-needed and welcome concept for the whole community, and specifically for the vibrant downtown Fort Smith area.”
The end result will be a restaurant with an indoor open-plan bar and dining area, seating up to 75 guests. Located in the heart of downtown Fort Smith next to Talianos, the idea is to create a nostalgic ‘mom and pop’ style hangout, where you can dine casually with the best quality pizza and an array of craft beer on tap.
Joe goes on to say “I have known Jeff with Bike Rack for nearly three decades and have recently gotten to know Vinnie & Ursula and I am continually impressed with their commitment to hard work, their product, and for customer satisfaction. These brands closely align with the values that have made Taliano’s a success for over half a century.”
Bike Rack Brewing Co, one of Northwest Arkansas’ longest-standing breweries, currently has 16 taps in its main location at 8th Street Market, Bentonville. Co-founder Jeff Charlson and his wife Brooke comment “Bike Rack Brewing Co. is thrilled to expand our presence and our brand into downtown Fort Smith through a partnership with Joe. The new Fort Smith Bike Rack location will feature Vinnie’s Pies, a full-service bar and an extensive line-up of Bike Rack beers.”
Vinnie’s Pies has not been in Fort Smith long. Opening at the beginning of 2023 out of the Bakery District in a food truck, husband and wife team Vinnie from New Jersey and Ursula from England, opened with a mission to bring a slice of the East Coast to Arkansas.
Co-founder and pizza man ‘Vinnie’ learned to make pizza in New Jersey, was taught the ropes, by an Italian family-run business, at the age of 17 and has been making pizzas for almost 10 years.
Vinnie said “We moved here in between chapters of our life, and we couldn’t find any dedicated East Coast-style pizza in the area. For fun, we started making pizzas in our backyard for friends and family on a donation basis, and it just organically snowballed from there! We’re so grateful for the support we have rallied in such a short time, and we can’t wait to take things to the next level”.
The menu will have an ‘American-Italian’ influence, capturing the New York/ New Jersey Italian food culture. Born out of convenience, immigration, and just plain good taste.
“The idea is to create a shareable menu, from the pizzas, and appetizers to the sides. There won’t be any personal pies, but we’ll have some fun options for kids, and excited to introduce a 22” pie, made for families and friends.” adds Ursula.
The restaurant plans a Fall-Winter 2023 launch. The team behind it is excitedly waiting to invite you into the new restaurant and treat you to a pizza alongside a craft beer menu and mixed drinks menu. In the meantime, you can join their mailing list to be the first to know the launch date and receive an opening week offer which they promise to be as big as their pizza!
