Why the South Hot Springs Central Avenue Corridor Is Growing

Downtown Hot Springs got a new ice cream shop this summer. The business behind it has been serving the south side of town for years.

Scoops Homemade Ice Cream opened its second location at 829 Central Ave. on July 1, 2026, tucked in next to Deluca's Pizza in the middle of the downtown tourist strip. Owner Greg Hatcher told the Sentinel-Record he'd been driving through downtown and noticed "almost every single spot was full," and figured visitors passing through wouldn't know to look for the original Scoops further south on Central. That original store, at 4043 Central Ave. near the Walmart Supercenter, is the one that's been quietly building the customer base for over a decade. Scoops now has locations on south Central Avenue and downtown.

That's the piece of this year worth understanding if you live on this end of town. The south side has established businesses alongside new restaurants and commercial projects this year.

Established Businesses Along Central Avenue

Central Avenue south of downtown has several established local dining options: Bubba's Catfish-2-Go at 5411 Central Ave., open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner service, Andy's Restaurant on Albert Pike Road, and Smokin' In Style BBQ a few doors down the same road, known for a brisket that's built its bark over hours in the smoker rather than a flash-fried shortcut. None of these are new. That's the point. These are established dining options along the south side.

The new activity this year is layering on top of that base, not replacing it.

The New Kitchen at 5431 Central

In June 2026, JB Southern Creole Bar & Grill opened at 5431 Central Ave., a few blocks south of Bubba's. Arkansas Business reported the restaurant is owned and operated by Lee Beasley and business partner Dean Jennings, the same two who ran the former JB ChopHouse, also known locally as Bone's ChopHouse. If you remember eating at ChopHouse in its later years, this is the same operators, the same neighborhood, a different menu.

Beasley & Jennings LLC acquired the deed to that property in December 2024, taking over a 3,062-square-foot space that had most recently housed Crazy Samurai.

What 62,000 Cars a Day Buys

The corridor's commercial activity is also reflected in a renovation at the signalized intersection of Albert Pike Road and Airport Road. A former church space of roughly 31,000 square feet is in the middle of a multi-million-dollar renovation, according to a spring 2026 commercial listing for the property. New pylon signage, upgraded parking, refreshed landscaping. The intersection carries an estimated 62,000 vehicles a day, which is a serious number for a corner that isn't downtown and isn't lakefront. Current co-tenants in the same retail run include 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee, U Storage, Little Caesars, and Pulse Fitness, the kind of everyday mix that only shows up where the daily traffic is already local rather than passing through on the way to somewhere else.

The traffic count, renovation, and recent restaurant opening are examples of business activity along south Central Avenue this year.

DeGray Without Pretending It's Close

The other piece of this year worth knowing about sits about 30 miles south of the city on Highway 70. DeGray Lake Resort State Park sits on the north shore of a 13,800-acre lake in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, and it's Arkansas's only resort state park, meaning it pairs a full state park with an in-park lodge, marina, and golf course. Thirty miles isn't a five-minute errand, but it's close enough to plan around rather than build a whole weekend trip for.

A few dates worth having on hand if you're on this side of town:

• September 13, 2026: the DeGray Lake Triathlon takes place at the park near Caddo Valley, with Olympic, Sprint, Duathlon, and Aquabike formats, all starting from the Spillway Dam boat ramp.
• Winter months: the park runs Eagle Watch Tours on DeGray Lake, along with guided hikes, birding tours, and interpretive programs that run throughout the year.
• Year-round: the Iron Mountain Trail System nearby offers more than 24 miles of singletrack for mountain bikers, a draw distinct from the water-based programming at the lake itself.

None of that requires a weekend getaway mentality. It's the kind of Saturday-morning drive you make once you know the dates, not a trip you have to plan around a hotel.

Business Activity Along South Central Avenue

This year has brought new business activity to both downtown and south Central Avenue. Scoops added a downtown location, and JB Southern Creole opened on Central Avenue South.

For residents along this stretch, these openings and projects add to the local business landscape.

If you're curious what any of this means for your own corner of the south side, from what a renovated intersection down the road might do to everyday convenience to how a new restaurant two blocks over tends to ripple through a neighborhood over time, the team at 501 House to Home has been watching this exact stretch of Hot Springs for over two decades. Reach out anytime you want a local read on what's changing around you, no obligation attached.