Little Rock restaurant South on Main being sold

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — The owners of South on Main are selling the Little Rock restaurant.

The Oxford American, which has a programming partnership with South on Main, announced Thursday that the restaurant at 1304 Main St. will be under new ownership beginning the first week of February. The release says that chef Matt Bell and his wife Amy, who own and operate the restaurant, are moving out of Arkansas. Bell has accepted a position as executive chef at 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Nashville, according to reports.

The new owners of South on Main have not been named.

The Oxford American said that concerts at the restaurant will proceed as scheduled. Ryan Harris, the literary magazine's executive director, said the Bells helped make South on Main a "special destination for exceptional culinary and concert experiences." The restaurant opened in 2013.

"We're grateful for their investment in the Central Arkansas community and their partnership with the Oxford American," Harris said in the release. "They will be missed."

The Oxford American did not immediately return a call seeking further information Friday.

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated who owns the building where South on Main is located.