One of Arkansas’ most iconic restaurants, McClard’s Bar-B-Q, is passing the generational business outside of family hands, selling the Hot Springs landmark to local restaurateur Lee Beasley.
“You always hate to see a family business sell, but in this case, Lee Beasley will be a great caretaker of the McClard’s name,” Steve Arrison, Visit Hot Springs CEO, said. “He is a homegrown local who loves Hot Springs. If it had to sell, I’m so glad it was to him.”
The restaurant was established in 1928, founded by husband and wife duo Alice and Alex McClard. The two owned a tourist court in Hot Springs, managing an additional gas station and diner known for its barbecued goat on the side. After acquiring a secret hot sauce recipe from a traveler, the McClards began to build their barbecue business, which quickly took over the tourist court. The business has remained in the family for four generations until this year’s sale to Beasley, and rumor has it that the infamous hot sauce recipe is still locked away in a safe deposit-box in downtown Hot Springs.
Beasley is the owner of Bones Chophouse in Hot Springs and Little Rock, as well as the Copper Penny Irish Pub. He also acquired Hot Springs’ J&S Italian Villa around the same time as the McClard’s sale.
“Everything [Beasley] has is home-owned. There are no corporations or out-of-state people — it is all locally owned. Lee has a deep, deep love for Hot Springs — he grew up here. For him, it is really about maintaining McClard’s and making sure it goes forward, ensuring everything recipe and taste wise is the same,” Beasley spokesperson Bobby Dennis told Arkansas Money and Politics.
Arrison said McClard’s has had a strong influence on the city of Hot Springs.
“It’s the food, it’s the atmosphere, it’s the having to wait for a table,” Arrison said. “The reputation of their barbecue is nationwide, and they have had the same employees who’ve worked there since forever. McClard’s has its own atmosphere, and I think people really are drawn to that.
“It’s a highlight. People come to Hot Springs, and that is one thing they have to do: go by McClard’s and get a ‘half spread.’ It’s a Hot Springs tradition, and hopefully it will continue for another couple hundred years.”
As for the McClard family’s continued influence on the restaurant, Dennis stressed that the new owner is dedicated to working with the McClards and keeping them involved in ensuring the restaurant’s taste and tradition remain the same.
“We are committed to Hot Springs and having locally owned businesses. [Customers] can expect very few, if any, changes in the way [the McClards] have done business.”
Announcement of the sale came after the restaurant’s indefinite closure in March due to the coronavirus. In a March 20 Facebook post, McClard’s announced it would be closing due to the virus despite another initial post just four days earlier that assured customers the restaurant would be open during normal business hours and filling to-go orders.
“After careful consideration of our staff and the community, we’ve decided to close our doors indefinitely to best protect the city we love. We will be monitoring the current situation closely and will provide updates when they’re available,” the restaurant said in a statement.
The sale to Beasley was scheduled to close May 29, allowing the new owners and staff time to learn the processes and recipes for the McClard’s menu items before reopening.
