Held April 8 at the Jack Stephens Center, the university鈥檚 signature culinary event featured more than 35 local restaurants and vendors. The event broke previous attendance records, welcoming more than 1,000 alumni, friends, employees, students, and community members. 

鈥淭his night is about celebrating our alumni and the connection they maintain with the university that helped shape their futures,鈥� said Kristi Smith, associate vice chancellor for alumni and development at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淗alf of this year鈥檚 tickets were purchased by alumni, showing that we met our goal of strengthening alumni engagement. It鈥檚 inspiring to see so many alumni return not only to enjoy the evening’s food offerings, but to invest in the success of today鈥檚 and tomorrow鈥檚 students through scholarships.鈥�

This year鈥檚 special 20th anniversary celebration honored RJ Martino, a 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock alumnus whose success in business and entrepreneurship was rooted in his time at the university鈥攎aking him a true Trojan success story. Martino, founder of iProv, Scale Technology, Enterprise Accounting Partners, and the Martino Law Firm, expressed his gratitude for the recognition and the important role alumni play in giving back to the university community.

鈥淚t鈥檚 truly humbling to be recognized by 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, a place that played such an important role in my life,鈥� Martino said. 鈥淭he mentorship, education, and opportunities I found here shaped who I am today. It was incredible to see so many alumni at the event鈥攚hether they were sponsoring, attending, or running one of the amazing restaurants featured at Taste of Little Rock.鈥�

Alumni involvement extended beyond attendance and donations. Several of the featured restaurants were owned or operated by 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock graduates, underscoring the university鈥檚 impact on the local food economy. Some of the alumni-owned restaurants include Certified Pies, owned by Samantha Stewart, and the XPerience Kitchen and Lounge, owned by Bobby Forrest Jr. 

鈥淚 think students need the opportunities provided by the scholarships raised by events like Taste of Little Rock,鈥� said Stewart, a 2013 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淚 am happy my business can help students pursue any opportunities they want to pursue.鈥�

Longtime participant,  and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock alumnae Stephanie Caruthers, co-chair of the Taste of Little Rock Committee the managing partner of Trio鈥檚, highlighted the strong alumni presence among restaurateurs.

鈥淚鈥檓 so excited to celebrate 20 years of Taste of Little Rock, a truly special event that brings our community together to support 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock,鈥� Caruthers said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to believe I鈥檝e been involved in every one, either as a participating restaurant or part of the organizing team. As an alumna, being part of this event has deepened my connection to the university and made me incredibly proud to help future students achieve their educational goals. Every dollar raised here makes a real difference.鈥�

鈥淚 think this is the best Taste of Little Rock we鈥檝e ever had,鈥� added Loris Fullerton, a 1974 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and fellow co-chair of the event committee. 鈥淓veryone is ready to celebrate the wonderful food of Little Rock and offer lots of scholarships to our amazing students. Taste of Little Rock is an amazing event that the alumni do to stay involved with the university and serve as great ambassadors for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.鈥�

For alumni like Becky Flynn, a member of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors, the event is about more than just good food. It鈥檚 also an opportunity to champion student success.聽

“I think this event is so important to raise awareness and funding for student scholarships at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock,” said Flynn, deputy director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation with the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. “As alumni, it鈥檚 important that we engage with the broader community to share all the exciting things happening on campus and for our students, things that will benefit our community and our future.”

Taste of Little Rock is a major fundraiser for the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Association Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to students pursuing their degrees. Thanks to alumni contributions and community sponsorships, the event exceeded its fundraising goal, ensuring more students will have access to scholarships in the coming year. In 2024, funds raised from Taste of Little Rock made it possible to award more than $200,000 in scholarships to nearly 40 students.聽

鈥淭he generosity of our alumni and supporters is what makes this event such a success year after year,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淓very ticket purchased and every sponsorship secured directly supports students, creating a legacy of giving that will benefit 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock for generations to come.鈥�

The success of this year鈥檚 Taste of Little Rock resulted in a night that not only generated vital scholarship for students, but also broke attendance records for previous events.

鈥淭aste of Little Rock celebrated a milestone 20th year with record-breaking attendance, enthusiastic alumni support, and more than 40 local restaurants showcasing their best dishes,鈥� said Guy Choate, president of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors. 鈥淭he event raised thousands of dollars for student scholarships, reinforcing its reputation as one of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 signature community fundraisers.鈥漎ou can find out more information about the Alumni Association by visiting their website and find out more about giving opportunities that support student success by visiting the , which is 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 milestone fundraising campaign that will celebrate the university鈥檚 100^th anniversary in 2027.

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Taste of Little Rock, presented by Regions Bank and Pepsi, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 highly anticipated culinary and social event raises funds for the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Scholarship Fund, providing thousands of scholarship dollars every year to deserving 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students. The April 2 event was attended by more than 1,000 people.

鈥淭he Taste of Little Rock is an experience like no other,鈥� said Rhonda Aaron, president of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors. 鈥淚t is an amazing opportunity to not only enjoy the city鈥檚 best restaurants but network and celebrate those that contribute to the future of the university. This year鈥檚 event was absolutely phenomenal. I鈥檓 privileged to work with such a dedicated team!鈥�

Taste of Little Rock celebrated , a well-known Arkansas radio personality who is lauded for his good works towards his alma mater, as this year鈥檚 honoree. Rowan serves as the assistant program director of Power 92 鈥� Little Rock, the host of the No. 1 rated afternoon drive show in Arkansas, 鈥淭ake it to the House,鈥� and the creator and host of the podcast, 鈥淭hrough My Two Blue.鈥�

鈥淭his was the biggest and best Taste of Little Rock yet!鈥� Rowan said. 鈥淓veryone 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!鈥�

The enchanted evening featured fabulous food and refreshments from nearly 40 amazing local restaurants, including Afrobites, Andy鈥檚, Baldwin鈥檚 BBQ, Bawarchi Indian Cuisine, Big Bad Breakfast, Cantina Laredo, CBRz Catering, Ceci鈥檚 Chicken & Waffles on Wheels, Certified Pies, Chicken Salad Chick, Chisley鈥檚 Unique Seasoning,  Community Bakery, Count Porkula, Delicious Temptations, Doe鈥檚 Eat Place, Doubletree by Hilton, Eat My Catfish, The Grind Coffee Bistro, Faded Rose, Fazoli鈥檚, LePops, Loblolly, Newk鈥檚 Eatery, SAPS Creole Cuisine, Sarge鈥檚 Famous Pickles, Smackey鈥檚, Sullivan鈥檚 Steakhouse, Tacos Godoy, Tacos 4 Life, Taste of Goodlyfe, Tea Anytime, Terri Lynn鈥檚 BBQ, Trio鈥檚, UnWine Pastries, Whole Hog Caf茅, Wright鈥檚 BBQ, and The XPerience Kitchen + Lounge.

Pam Ball, a 1976 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, and her friend Jane Kaufman, a 1987 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, are hardcore Taste of Little Rock fans who have attended the event every year.

鈥淚鈥檝e 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,鈥� Ball said. 鈥淚 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!鈥�

Dustin and Christina Utley, owners of Fazoli鈥檚, were excited to be showcasing their food at Taste of Little Rock for the second time since they took over the restaurant in 2022.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great for us to get out and mingle, meet new people, and for people to see what we have to offer,鈥� Dustin Utley said. 鈥淭he community has given us a lot, and we want to give back. We also love supporting college scholarships.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is also thankful to all the amazing sponsors who are helping to support 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and its students! The 糖心Vlog传媒 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鈥橤uinn, PLLC, Natural State Private Wealth Management, TMB Capital Partners, Simmons Bank, Songbyrd Development Enterprises, LLC, Southern Glazer鈥檚, and USAble Life.

Gerald and Veronica Gregory, owners of Songbyrd Development Enterprises, one of the night鈥檚 silver sponsors, were there to support 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, local businesses, and student scholarships.

鈥淭his staple event is one of the main reasons I鈥檝e gotten involved with the 糖心Vlog传媒 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,鈥� said Gerald Gregory, adding that their favorite restaurants of the night were Wright鈥檚 BBQ and AfroBites.

Despite the amazing assortment of food selections, Dr. Michael Moore, director of undergraduate research at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, said the fellowship and chance to catch up was his favorite part of the evening.

鈥淥ne of the greatest things about 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is the people, and we love the chance to get together to see all these wonderful people,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淲e have the most amazing students in the world, and this is a great way to support our students. It鈥檚 the best of both worlds.鈥�

Stephanie Caruthers, a partner at Trio鈥檚 and a long-time member of the Taste of Little Rock Committee, described the event as phenomenal.

鈥淭he most exciting time of the evening is when people are waiting to come in the door and the restaurants are making last-minute preparations,鈥� Caruthers said. 鈥淵ou 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.鈥�

Every gift made to the university through December 2026 will be a part of the Centennial Campaign, the university鈥檚 largest fundraising campaign in history. To learn more or to give, visit .

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