Purple Cow location damaged in March 31 tornado plans to rebuild, reopen

Caroline Derby
·1 min read

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Nearly a year after the Mar. 31 tornado, one local restaurant is ready to get back on its feet.

The Purple Cow on Cantrell has been figuring out how they want to rebuild over the last year and recently decided upon a plan.

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Restaurant chain president Ken Vaughan said the tornado came through their dining room.

“Furniture was swirling around,” Vaughan said, “Lots of broken stuff in there.”

As the tornado came through Little Rock, employees and others at the Cantrell location were huddled into the walk-in cooler, something Vaughan said was life-saving.

“If somebody would’ve been in the dining room, they could’ve been badly injured or potentially worse,” Vaughan said.

The location has been closed for nearly a year, but now the community staple is being brought back to life.

“We wanted to do it right. It took longer than we would’ve hoped, but I think we have a really good plan in place,” Vaughan said.

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When customers walk through the doors, they’ll be met with what they know and love and also some new and improved elements. Vaughan said the exterior will be the most recognizable.

“We’re going to do more glass on the south side of the restaurant,” he said, “We’re going to keep the purple pitch roof that we have.”

Vaughan said it has been a journey and they’re excited to welcome customers back in.

“It’s an opportunity for us to come back stronger than ever, and show how resilient Arkansans are,” Vaughan said.

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They are hoping to get started on construction in April. If you’re wondering when you can get your purple milkshake, Vaughan said they’ll hopefully be open by the start of Razorback football season.

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