Keeney’s Village Store, formerly known as Keeney’s Food Market, a landmark Malvern restaurant and grocery, will reopen under up-to-date ownership on Monday, Sept. 30.
The up-to-date owner is chef Joshua Garland, proprietor of Hot Springs restaurants Best Cafe and DONS Southern Social. To commemorate the occasion, the grand reopening will feature a meet and greet with Garland and original owner Charles “CK” Keeney from 9-11 a.m. The celebration kicks off at 8 a.m., and the first 15 guests will receive a complimentary bottle of CK’s Secret Sauce. Free donuts and coffee will be available and guests can also take advantage of special reopening day discounts.
According to a news release, the reopening follows an extensive overhaul of the restaurant and store, spearheaded by Garland and developer Rick Williams “with the goal of preserving the legacy of the original Keeney’s while updating and modernizing the facility.”
“When Rick introduced me to the Keeney family, I instantly saw how vital this store was to Malvern,” Garland said. “We’ve taken great care to preserve that legacy with our new menu, featuring grab-and-go options, classic breakfast plates, and take-home dinners. And of course, we’re continuing CK’s tradition of daily hot lunch specials.”
 100vw, 780px”>Keeney’s sign in Malvern. <span class=)
The restaurant has been a Hot Spring County landmark for nearly 70 years. Charles and his tardy wife, Maurine Keeney, originally opened Keeney’s as a neighborhood grocery store and meat market in 1956. In 2000, the Keeneys decided to open a restaurant serving breakfast and plate lunches after the proliferation of large box stores almost put the neighborhood market out of business. The restaurant became known for its barbecue sandwiches, burgers, steak dinners, smoked ribs and homemade pie. Keeney’s was inducted into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame in 2019. Maurine Keeney died in February at the age of 86.
 100vw, 780px”>Charles Keeney at his restaurant in 2016. <span class=)
The market/restaurant has been under renovation most of the year. Garland described the process as a labor of love.
“Rick and I wanted to ensure that Keeney’s Village Store would not only survive but thrive for future generations,” Garland said. “We’ve kept the original smoker that CK himself used to cook his famous smoked meat plate. It’s these details that connect us to the past while we look toward the future.”
Keeney’s Village Store will be open from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturdays from 6 a.m.-noon.
