Attorney General Tim Griffin is closer to becoming a landlord, and his commitment to spend $1.8 million in tax dollars to help a tenant has raised at least a few eyebrows.
Griffin leases floors two through 12 in the Boyle Building, at Capitol and Main, but he is subletting space on the first floor to chef Jennifer Maune, possibly best known for her second-place finish in 2023 on Gordon Ramsay’s cooking show “MasterChef: United States of America.”
Maune was at a press conference in May 2025 with Griffin as the two announced her plans to bring to the space Restaurant Fleur, a French-American eatery that will open for lunch and dinner. She also plans to have coffee and pastry shops. The restaurant was initially scheduled to open in January 2026, but that date has been pushed to this fall because of construction delays.
Following a $35 million renovation, Griffin announced he was moving his offices into the Boyle Building, which had sat dormant for a quarter century. Griffin leases the space from Moses Tucker Partners, but he has said the plan has always been for the state to eventually purchase the building outright.
A story in Arkansas Business on Monday said Maune expects to see a total investment of $6 million in her new enterprise, and that the AG’s office was kicking in $1.8 million on the project.
Jeff LeMaster, AG spokesperson, was quoted in the story as saying the outlay was part of the total renovation of the building.
“…(W)e are doing whatever is necessary to deliver the space in good condition for any tenant to take possession,” he said. “Beyond that it is up to the tenant.”
Social media commenters were quick to take a dim view of the spending of tax dollars on a private project.
“My private café inside the park plaza mall just went out of business and I did not receive any taxpayer money,” wrote Robert Addison on Facebook.
“Maybe she should open restaurants at all of the private schools that are getting millions in taxpayer dollars,” wrote David Franks.
And from Tyler Scott Rogers, there’s this: “Wild someone who has a cumulative 6 months experience working in restaurants have the state paying for them to open one. I’ve spent twenty years in the industry, and still can’t find backing to open a restaurant.”
