Arkansas R.F.D.

Both communities received notice that they have an addition to their restaurants that possess a private club license.  This comes as great news to the two towns.  Both Conway and Jonesboro share similar trajectories.  They both play host to large state universities; they both have experienced rapid growth; they both reside in dry counties; and they both need private clubs in order to attract decent restaurants and provide adequate nightlife.  The simple truth is that quality of life issues are huge economic development issues.  If a business seeks to recruit young professionals to Conway or Jonesboro, for most of the country, dry counties seem backward and arcane.  Moreover, quality restaurants cement the two towns as regional market places.  Instead of traveling to little rock to spend their disposable income, citizens from an entire region of the state surrounding Conway will instead spend it in Conway.  The same is true of Jonesboro, but to a lessor extent.  Jonesboro is not as close to Memphis as Conway is to Little Rock.

As you may note in the comments section of the Conway article, these tactics are controversial; but until we reform the Blue laws in Arkansas, these two towns will take whatever relief they will get.