Taliano’s building has sold, other assets set for Oct. 9 auction

Fort Smith attorney Kevin Hickey has acquired the historic Sparks mansion building that for 55 years was home to Taliano’s restaurant. But an auction will be held to sell items within the building, and to sell an adjacent building that has been home to several restaurants.

Hickey, with the Fort Smith-based law firm of Hickey & Hull^[1], said he was nine when he first dined at Taliano’s.

“I had never been in a place like that. It was just magical,” Hickey said.

He now wants to bring back part of that magic.

The iconic Taliano’s closed in May^[2] when the Caldarera family decided to exit the restaurant business. Tom Caldarera Jr., opened Taliano’s Italian Restaurant at 14th and B streets in downtown Fort Smith with partner Jim Cadelli in 1970. The restaurant is in the renovated Sparks Mansion built in 1887, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Tom, who was the active owner and manager for many years, died in early 2021. Joe Caldarera, his son, managed the business until it closed.

The building was initially listed for sale at $399,000, but the Caldarera family, which includes building owner Sharon Sicard, decided on an auction to sell the building and contents, and an adjacent building – around 5,500 square feet, according to Caldarera – and its contents at 200 N. 13th St., that has been home to different restaurants. The auction, to be held by Looper Auction & Realty^[3], is set for 10 a.m., Oct. 9.

“We were just ready to move on, and the quickest way to do that is through an auction,” Caldarera told Talk Business & Politics. “We thought it would be a good draw to have an auction for all the property on the same day, that it might draw more buyers, more investors.”

Caldarera said the Taliano’s name and business is not being sold.

“I still own the business and the entity and the names and the recipes and the goodwill,” he said. “And that is not for sale. For right now that belongs to me.”

Non-attached fixtures in both buildings will be auctioned. Shawn Looper said the remaining real estate will be sold first, and then they begin selling individual items from each building.

“It will be piece by piece. That could be an all-day deal,” Looper said of the auction.

Hickey said he plans to update the building and open it as a “social house” available for wine pairings, bourbon tastings, weddings and wedding receptions, Christmas parties, bridal showers, and other events. For wine- and liquor-related events, Hickey said, part of the update will include building a bar that is “aesthetically appropriate for that building.” Hickey also said he will be at the auction and may buy some of the former Taliano’s furniture.

Another idea is to work with a caterer – Hickey says he has a person in mind – who can use the commercial kitchen for events. He doesn’t yet have an estimate on how much he may invest in the building, but is working with contractors to determine what may be needed. Hickey, who has been an attorney for 26 years, is not pulling back from his law practice and plans to hire a manager to run the business.

He’s also working on a new name.

“We’re still deciding on that (business name). But ‘social house” will be part of the name. … It’s going to be essentially a social gathering place,” Hickey said, adding that his goal is to have the operation “open and ready to go” in early 2026.

Hickey said he has always been a food fan and loves to cook for others. During the COVID pandemic, he began cooking meals and selling them to friends. The friends encouraged him to do more, and that morphed into the “Lawyer’s Table” dinners he now does for friends.

Caldarera said the family is happy Hickey now owns the building.

“I am excited, and all of my family is excited,” he said. “We’re excited about Kevin having it. We’ve known him for years, and he’s respected in the community, and it’s been very positive. It was very important to us that somebody get it and love it and do something with it.”

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