UA Little Rock Raises $160K During Phenomenal 19th Taste of Little Rock Celebration
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock raised nearly $160,000 for student scholarships during its 19th annual Taste of Little Rock event featuring some of the best restaurants in the city.
Taste of Little Rock, presented by Regions Bank and Pepsi, UA Little Rock’s highly anticipated culinary and social event raises funds for the UA Little Rock Alumni Scholarship Fund, providing thousands of scholarship dollars every year to deserving UA Little Rock students. The April 2 event was attended by more than 1,000 people.
“The Taste of Little Rock is an experience like no other,” said Rhonda Aaron, president of the UA Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors. “It is an amazing opportunity to not only enjoy the city’s best restaurants but network and celebrate those that contribute to the future of the university. This year’s event was absolutely phenomenal. I’m privileged to work with such a dedicated team!”
Taste of Little Rock celebrated Travis “Tre’ Day” Rowan, a well-known Arkansas radio personality who is lauded for his good works towards his alma mater, as this year’s honoree. Rowan serves as the assistant program director of Power 92 – Little Rock, the host of the No. 1 rated afternoon drive show in Arkansas, “Take it to the House,” and the creator and host of the podcast, “Through My Two Blue.”
“This was the biggest and best Taste of Little Rock yet!” Rowan said. “Everyone I shook hands with and spoke with at Taste of Little Rock seemed to be having a great time with amazing food and fantastic fellowships. It truly was a great honor. I always love giving back to my alma mater and being this year’s honoree allowed me to do it in different ways, which was also extremely exciting for me. Taste of Little Rock 2024 was a big hit!”
The enchanted evening featured fabulous food and refreshments from nearly 40 amazing local restaurants, including Afrobites, Andy’s, Baldwin’s BBQ, Bawarchi Indian Cuisine, Big Bad Breakfast, Cantina Laredo, CBRz Catering, Ceci’s Chicken & Waffles on Wheels, Certified Pies, Chicken Salad Chick, Chisley’s Unique Seasoning, Community Bakery, Count Porkula, Delicious Temptations, Doe’s Eat Place, Doubletree by Hilton, Eat My Catfish, The Grind Coffee Bistro, Faded Rose, Fazoli’s, LePops, Loblolly, Newk’s Eatery, SAPS Creole Cuisine, Sarge’s Famous Pickles, Smackey’s, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Tacos Godoy, Tacos 4 Life, Taste of Goodlyfe, Tea Anytime, Terri Lynn’s BBQ, Trio’s, UnWine Pastries, Whole Hog Café, Wright’s BBQ, and The XPerience Kitchen + Lounge.
Pam Ball, a 1976 graduate of UA Little Rock, and her friend Jane Kaufman, a 1987 graduate of UA Little Rock, are hardcore Taste of Little Rock fans who have attended the event every year.
“I’ve been to every Taste of Little Rock so far, and I love it! I get to meet new people and talk to people I hardly get to see,” Ball said. “I love to try new food. I like to come here because there are so many restaurants to try without driving all over town. I look forward to it every year!”
Dustin and Christina Utley, owners of Fazoli’s, were excited to be showcasing their food at Taste of Little Rock for the second time since they took over the restaurant in 2022.
“It’s great for us to get out and mingle, meet new people, and for people to see what we have to offer,” Dustin Utley said. “The community has given us a lot, and we want to give back. We also love supporting college scholarships.”
UA Little Rock is also thankful to all the amazing sponsors who are helping to support UA Little Rock and its students! The UA Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors are serving as a gold sponsor, while the silver sponsors include Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Entergy, Stephanie and Brooks Caruthers, Klassik Entertainment, Loris and Jay Fullerton, Lost Forty, Mays, Byrd & O’Guinn, PLLC, Natural State Private Wealth Management, TMB Capital Partners, Simmons Bank, Songbyrd Development Enterprises, LLC, Southern Glazer’s, and USAble Life.
Gerald and Veronica Gregory, owners of Songbyrd Development Enterprises, one of the night’s silver sponsors, were there to support UA Little Rock, local businesses, and student scholarships.
“This staple event is one of the main reasons I’ve gotten involved with the UA Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors. This event gives back to students through scholarships. Being a graduate of the university, I want to do everything I can to support students and local businesses,” said Gerald Gregory, adding that their favorite restaurants of the night were Wright’s BBQ and AfroBites.
Despite the amazing assortment of food selections, Dr. Michael Moore, director of undergraduate research at UA Little Rock, said the fellowship and chance to catch up was his favorite part of the evening.
“One of the greatest things about UA Little Rock is the people, and we love the chance to get together to see all these wonderful people,” Moore said. “We have the most amazing students in the world, and this is a great way to support our students. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Stephanie Caruthers, a partner at Trio’s and a long-time member of the Taste of Little Rock Committee, described the event as phenomenal.
“The most exciting time of the evening is when people are waiting to come in the door and the restaurants are making last-minute preparations,” Caruthers said. “You can feel the energy in the room as it fills up with excited people. Taste of Little Rock supports a great cause, and that is what makes it so great to be a part of as a committee member and restaurant owner.”
Every gift made to the university through December 2026 will be a part of the Centennial Campaign, the university’s largest fundraising campaign in history. To learn more or to give, visit ualr.edu/centennial.
