A new restaurant has just opened near the Texarkana, Arkansas, convention center. A few other places have come and gone, including the former Copelands. But Krystofer Cox, general manager, believes that the local connection will be part of what ensures the success of Crossroads.
"Bill Davis, the owner, is local," said Cox. "Also, going forth, we are set up for the New Orleans style approach that was seen here previously, but want to shape the menu local tastes. As we move forward, we want active input from our customers, what they want, what they don't want. We want this menu shaped by them."
In addition, the restaurant is purely local, without devoting many thousands of dollars each month just to pay for a brand.
"Our crew is local, all the resources, devoted to making this local establishment work," he said.
"It is about great food and awesome drinks," said Laryn Furlow, bar manager.
Furlow is a veteran of the bar scene, coming complete with a huge storehouse of recipes for cocktails.
"I've even made up plenty of drinks of my own, the Pink Elephant as an example," she said. She reveals that vodka is a key base ingredient, along with orange pineapple, but as for the rest, that is her secret.
"You will just have to come down and order one, trust me, in this kind of weather, it is a refreshing burst of tropical flavor," she said.
Cox says the menu currently features some Cajun favorites, such as gumbo, etoufe, as well as other dishes like honey glazed salmon. For those feeling more adventurous, they can try the Wagu Ribeye, named for an exotic cut of Japanese beef.
"That one has been getting lots of customer attention," he said. "We've got our patio up and running, getting our fountain up, eventually, we want to have live music featured here."
The staff is working to get the word out, and folks are slowly discovering Crossroads.
"They are loving the food," he said. "Come check out Crossroads on Facebook. We've got a 10 percent off promotion there. Kaso Griffin is our head
chef."