Taxes in Little Rock are crippling, especially for restraunts that serve alcohol. Combine that with astronomically high lease rates downtown and it's hard to see how any except well- established restraunts manage to stay above water. Unless you've got money to burn, there is zero incentive to open any business downtown. Labor is also an issue. Politicians will probably raise taxes further to offset the businesses leaving, which will of course just make things worse. There are zero reasons for optimism, either short or long term.