LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Stacy Hurst announced that nominations for the 2023 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, a program of Arkansas Heritage, will open on Oct. 1, 2022. Now in its seventh year, the program celebrates Arkansas’s unique culinary heritage.

“Food plays an integral role in our Arkansas history and heritage,” said Hurst. “Food is family; it’s home; it’s community; it spurs conversation; it creates memories. The Arkansas Food Hall of Fame facilitates storytelling around the food traditions, tastes and talent that give our state its unique food culture and customs.”

Nominations will be open at ArkFoodHOF.com from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31, 2022, with categories that recognize culturally significant restaurants, proprietors and food-themed events that celebrate food heritage from every part of our state including:

• Arkansas Food Hall of Fame – recognizing long-standing restaurants that help create our food culture
• Proprietor of the Year – honoring a chef, cook and/or restaurant owner with significant impact on our local food tastes and preferences
• Food-Themed Event – honoring a community food-themed event or festival that preserves a community’s unique food history
• Gone But Not Forgotten – remembering past establishments that set the table for our food tastes and preferences today
• People’s Choice – restaurants or food trucks, new or old, that keep our palettes whetted for more Arkansas flavors

“Arkansas is packed with flavor,” said Jimmy Bryant, director of Arkansas Heritage. “We encourage the public to share with us those restaurants, events and people who help us preserve our food history and share our food story. During October, we invite every Arkansan to submit a nomination in one or more categories for the 2023 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.”

Winners will be chosen by the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame Committee, a group of Arkansans who are historians, chefs, foodies and food authors. Committee members include Paul S. Austin, Chip Culpepper, Quantia “Key” Fletcher, Cindy Grisham, Montine McNulty, Rex Nelson, Tim Nutt, Kat Robinson, Stephanie Wade, David Ware and Stanley Young, in addition to Hurst and Bryant. Finalists will be announced in January 2023 and honorees will be inducted during a special ceremony on March 6.

More information about the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame can be found at ArkFoodHOF.com. Follow the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms by searching and using the hashtag #ArkFHOF.

Arkansas Heritage

Arkansas Heritage was created in 1975. There are eight agencies with unique heritage focuses under the umbrella of this division: Arkansas Arts Council, Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, the Delta Cultural Center in Helena, the Old State House Museum, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, the Historic Arkansas Museum and the Arkansas State Archives. Arkansas Heritage is a division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. Jimmy Bryant serves as director of the division.

Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism

The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism protects and promotes our state’s natural, cultural and historic assets, contributing to a thriving economy and high quality of life. It is made up of three divisions: Arkansas State Parks, Arkansas Heritage and Arkansas Tourism. Stacy Hurst serves as the cabinet secretary for the department.