A new steakhouse and seafood restaurant is coming to the Halter Building in downtown Conway in February, and the person behind the operation will be familiar to the community. 

Chad McReynolds, general manager of the Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland in Roland, Oklahoma, is the owner and operator of Seven Oaks. McReynolds has been involved in Conway for several years through Toad Suck Daze. 

It was love at first sight for him. 

“I didn’t know there was city like this; I fell in love with Conway from day one,” he said. “It was amazing to me how much everyone came together and seemed to work well together for the good of the community.” 

Since then, McReynolds has been determined to become a bigger part of Conway.  

McReynolds even remarked to the audience at the 2023 Annual Meeting awards reception for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce that either as a resident or a business owner, one way or another, Conway would get McReynolds. That proclamation is coming to fruition through Seven Oaks Steak & Seafood. 

The idea of Seven Oaks is the by-product of McReynolds’ meat processing and cattle farm in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, where McReynolds was born and still resides. 

“The name Seven Oaks originates from a community in Oklahoma,” he said. “My family is from Sallisaw, and there was a community named Seven Oaks. My family still owns part of the Cherokee-alotted land from the federal government, which includes Seven Oaks.” 

McReynolds has incorporated the name into his meat processing business and cattle farm. Now, it will be the name of downtown Conway’s newest restaurant. The restaurant’s executive chef is Todd Duplantis. 

Duplantis, a Louisiana native and veteran of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marines, has more than 30 years of experience in hospitality, including 10 years as executive chef. 

“The menu we’re bringing to Conway will be an Arkansas Delta fusion with a bit of Cajun flair,” Duplantis said. “We plan to feature custom-cut steaks to-order, and some unique seafood and dessert dishes.” 

The menu will feature many original recipes, Duplantis said. 

“We’re excited to bring a new culinary experience to Conway,” he said. 

McReynolds said restaurant-goers will experience farm-to-fork in the truest sense of the word. 

“It will be locally sourced as we’re working with cattle ranchers in Oklahoma and Arkansas, in addition to our Seven Oaks cattle,” he said. “We also plan on sourcing our seafood from the gulf, and plan on taking advantage of Arkansas produce as much as possible.” 

McReynolds sees the restaurant offering casual dining with great food, but also reserving space for special occasions like anniversaries, engagements, and family get-togethers. 

“I want our place to be somewhere you are recognized when you come in, and you get incredible service in addition to great food,” he said. “You can go somewhere everyone knows you, but you have trouble getting your appetizer or a drink re-fill. Fusing service and friendliness is the key to hospitality and restaurants, and that’s what we want to bring to downtown Conway.” 

Providing that service and friendliness with locally sourced food is also important to McReynolds. 

“I think we have forgotten what good, naturally grown meat and produce taste like and what that experience is like,” he said. “We know how much we can impact our health and well-being by knowing what we’re consuming and not always the processed foods and mass distribution. ”