It’s been way too long since we rounded up some restaurant news for y’all.
Here’s what we know about the places that have recently opened, closed, or are planning to soon open in Fayetteville.
Big Biscuit
( Big Biscuit)A regional restaurant chain that specializes in breakfast foods like biscuits, waffles, pancakes, Benedicts, omelettes, eggs, sandwiches, and other fare is still in the works in Fayetteville.
Construction on the project has slowed recently, but Kansas City area-based restaurant chain The Big Biscuit is still planning to open at at 2985 N. College Ave., in the building formerly home to Hardee’s in Fiesta Square, officials told us this week.
Big Biscuit was founded in 2000, and currently operates 23 locations in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. The Fayetteville location would be the company’s first restaurant in Arkansas.
The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch from open to close. The breakfast menu includes biscuits and gravy dishes, along with a handful of pancakes, waffles, and french toast platters, plus several options for omelets, ‘scram-bowls,’ and more. Lunch offerings include Black Angus burgers, 24-hour brined fried chicken dishes, salads, and others.
A representative with the company this week told us they now hope to open in late December or early-to-mid January.
Cheba Hut
( Cheba Hut)We got a bit of an update on another long anticipated project on College Avenue as well.
Progress has been seemingly slow recently on the Marijuana-themed sandwich shop Cheba Hut in the works at 1947 N. College Ave., but a spokesperson from the chain said the project is still very much alive.
“(Franchisees) Tom and Kendra Smith are hustling right now,” said Seth Larsen, Chief Relationship Officer at Cheba Hut. “Looking at Q4 open. Flagship location will be a solid addition to Fayetteville.”
The chain opened their first Arkansas location in Little Rock on April 20 of 2022.
The Colorado-based chain specializes in submarine sandwiches named after marijuana strains, like “Jamaican Red,” “White Widow,” “The Kind,” “G-13,” along with “munchies” and “cottonmouth cures.”
Cheba Hut got its start in 1998, and has been growing rapidly in recent years. According to their website, there are nearly 50 Cheba Hut restaurants currently open in around 14 states, including Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Texas, Wisconsin, and others.
Flyway Brewing
( Flyway Brewing)A North Little Rock-based brewery is getting close to opening their planned Fayetteville location.
Flyway Brewing owner Matt Foster told us back in the spring that his business plans to soon move into the building at 1550 E Zion Rd, formerly home to Apple Blossom Brewing. The new location which will be its first location outside of central Arkansas.
Foster said Flyway will utilize the existing brewing system in the building. They’ll also take advantage of the full kitchen to continue to offer food at the location, he said.
“We’ll have a killer brewing system and facility, and the big kitchen will allow us to continue to refine the compelling food program we have at our brewery in Argenta,” he said. “We have some serious talent lined up to lead and to guide operations there.”
Flyway got its start, Foster said, brewing tiny batches of their Free Range Brown Ale in the back of Loblolly Creamery to provide a single house beer for the South on Main restaurant in Little Rock.
A couple years later, he built Flyway Brewing in North Little Rock’s Argenta district in 2015, offering food and local brews at that location. The company is distributed in Arkansas by Central Moon Distributing Company.
Foster said locals can expect to find all of their favorite year-round and seasonal brews they are used to from Flyway, along with some beers that will be exclusive to the Fayetteville location.“So many people have helped us get to where we are today, and we’re just thrilled to have this opportunity to bring even more great beer and great food to Northwest Arkansas,” he said. “It’s gonna be fun.”
Phillip Schaaf, a managing partner of the Fayetteville restaurant, said if all goes well, the brewery will be up and running early this fall.
Senor Munchies
( Staff photo)We don’t know much about this one just yet, but it looks like a new restaurant has popped up 2227 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Signs for the new restaurant, called Senor Munchies Bar & Grill, were recently added to the building.
According to the company’s Facebook page, they serve Mexican and Tex Mex food.
They don’t appear to be open just yet. We reached out to them via email, and we’ll update this post with more info when we hear back.
Boulevard Bread Co.
( Staff photo)A plan to open a Fayetteville location for Little Rock-based Boulevard Bread Company is off the table for now.
Signs that had been in place at the building at 2069 N. Crossover Road were recently removed, and the owners confirmed their plans have hit a snag.
“Unfortunately we have had to pull out of this specific project at that location,” said company owner Christina McGehee in an email to the Flyer on Thursday. “We had several unforeseen issues/come up with the entire project and regrettably this was the best solution. It was not anything negative, but a few things out of our control from a cost perspective.”
It would have been the first location outside of central Arkansas for the company that still operates three restaurants in Little Rock.
The Fayetteville location was set to be a franchise from Johnathan Buford and Joshua Begley, Buford told us back in January.
McGehee said the company isn’t ruling out a Fayetteville restaurant in the future.
“This idea is not off the table for the future, but is a definite pause for now,” she said.
Waystone Pizza Co.
( Staff photo)A new restaurant called Waystone Pizza is now open at 1200 N. Garland Ave., in the space formerly home to Mojo’s Pints & Pies.
The restaurant is the creation of locals Brian and Nicole Duncan, and much like its predecessor, serves specialty pizzas, craft cocktails, salads, and sandwiches.
You can check out their menu here.
Music and other events will continue at the space as well, the owners told us over the summer.
According to their Facebook page, they pare open Sunday-Thursday from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.
City Park
( Staff photo)A new outdoor restaurant and beer garden from the folks behind Feed & Folly is now open in Fayetteville.
The fully-outdoor restaurant, called City Park, is located in the former AT&T truck station at 1332 N. Leverett Ave. It officially opened for business on Wednesday, July 12.
Owner Lewis Chase told us the restaurant opened in the first of two planned phases. The first phase includes the covered seating area, a container bar offering adult and other beverages, along with food offerings like street tacos, smash burgers, barbecue, salad bowls, breakfast, coffee, and appetizers for hungry folks who have worked up an appetite walking or biking the nearby Razorback Greenway trail.
In addition to the food, City Park also serves 13 local beers on tap with a few draft cocktail options as well as frozen margaritas from a shipping container bar on the property.
The second phase of the restaurant that is currently under design and development, is scheduled to open sometime next year and will include a yard area filled with games and additional seating, and a new connection to the trail across the adjacent Scull Creek, Chase said.
According to the hours listed on Google, City Park is open Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m.
Crepes Paulette
( Courtesy)A beloved crêperie that got its start in the northern part of the region will soon expand into Fayetteville.
The owners of Bentonville-based restaurant Crêpes Paulette back in the spring announced plans to open a Fayetteville location at 2341 N. College Ave., in the space formerly home to Snack Lab.
The menu for the new restaurant focuses on a variety of sweet and savory crêpes, along with soups, coffee drinks, and other items.
Paula told us this week that if all goes well, they hope to be hosting soft opening events in September.
Fayetteville Taco & Tamale
( ai3 Inc/Yellow Rocket Concepts)A popular central Arkansas restaurant group will soon open their first Fayetteville location.
Yellow Rocket Concepts is close to opening a version of one of their Mexican food concepts, Fayetteville Taco & Tamale
The group operates a handful of restaurants around the region, including the Big Orange and Local Lime restaurants in Rogers, and the Bentonville Taco & Tamale that opened up north last year.
The Fayetteville concept is a version of the chain’s taco and tamale restaurant that originally opened in Little Rock in 2015. The restaurant joins Memphis-based Central BBQ as the second commercial tenant to be announced at the new South Yard development, located on the property formerly home to Farmers Cooperative at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South School Avenue.
The restaurant has been sharing construction photos on Instagram and telling commenters that they plan to open sometime in September.
Noodles & Company
( Noodles & Company)National fast-casual brand Noodles & Company plans to open new franchise locations in Fayetteville, Rogers and Bentonville.
The restaurant chain last week announced an expansion that includes a total of four locations in Northwest Arkansas as part of a franchise partnership with Pavan and Navi Sandhu.
The couple last year opened a Culver’s franchise in Rogers, which was the first of that brand’s locations in Arkansas.
Founded in Denver Colo. in 1995, Noodles & Company has over 460 locations across 30 states.Aside from the new Arkansas locations, the company this week announced a plan to add 20 new restaurants in the Dallas market as part of a plan focused on expansions in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Oklahoma.
The company is known for a wide variety of pasta dishes like macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, Asian and Italian noodle bowls and stuffed pasta. The menu also includes soups, salads, potstickers, meatballs, breads and desserts.
Urban Cellar Winery
( Flyer photo / Todd Gill)A winery and bottle shop that allows patrons to make their own wine will soon move to downtown Fayetteville.
Urban Cellar Winery will plans to move into the space formerly home to Jammin Java at 21 W. Mountain St. next to Fayetteville Town Center on the square, according to a recent post on Instagram.
The new space will allow for more production space, more open hours, food offerings, a gift area, a patio, and other amenities, according to the post by owner Cassidy Ginger.
Urban Cellar opened at 2901 E. Zion Road in 2021, and offers wine-making workshops, events, a tasting bar, and more. The grapes aren’t grown on site, but are brought in to the building to be made into wine during the workshops.
Patrons can even make their own labels for their creations.
The business is also undergoing a rebranding exercise, and may change their name with the move. They have been polling their customers to get feedback on a handful of potential new names. Options mentioned include keeping the name, or changing it to Cellar Winery, Cellar Wine Co., Urban Cellar, or Fayetteville Wine Co.
Renovations on the space are underway. If all goes well, the plan is to be up and running in the new space sometime this fall.
Creme
( Flyer photo)A new ice cream shop is open in Fayetteville.
The new shop, called Creme Ice Cream Co., officially opened on Saturday, July 8 at 2730 N. College Ave., in the space formerly home to Z’s Pizza.
The shop will specialize in exotic flavored ice creams, along with Italian ice, and some alcohol-infused ice cream for adults, owner Nicholas Mendoza told us in an email this week.
According to the hours listed on the website, the shop is open daily from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.
Powerhouse Seafood
( Flyer photo)Kilowatts. Party on the Patio. The Hall of Foam. Crab Rolls and Oysters Rockefeller.
All of these and other traditions associated with long-running Fayetteville restaurant Powerhouse Seafood went dark this summer when the business closed for good this summer.
“Powerhouse Seafood & Grill will be closing our doors at the end of this month,” read an announcement posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page back in June. “It’s been a good run and we appreciate all of our guests so much.”
The restaurant opened in the 1990s in a former electric power station, and grew into a Fayetteville staple over the years. Known for its seafood and steak dishes, potent signature frozen drink dubbed “The Kilowatt,” and large outdoor space and stage that were the setting for popular Party on the Patio live music nights through much of the 1990s and early 2000s, the restaurant was the setting for countless memorable evenings (and a few nights where the details are a little fuzzy due to those Kilowatts) and events over the years for Fayetteville residents.
Razorback game days were packed, and the restaurant was a regular on the Top 10 list for sales back in the day.
The restaurant officially closed on June 30.
Driven Mini Donuts
( Flyer photo)A new mini donut trailer opened last weekend in Fayetteville.
Driven Mini Donuts is set up at the Yacht Club on College Avenue, located at 617 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville.
The trailer offers a morning menu featuring miniature donuts sold in four-packs or by the dozen in a variety of flavors, from standard chocolate, vanilla, and powdered sugar to unique flavors like s’mores, cotton candy, mudslide, orange dream, and others.
They also offer some flavored milks including strawberry, chocolate, rootbeer, and cotton candy to wash them down. Their evening menu offers the same donuts, plus ice cream.
We haven’t yet found the company’s regular hours, but if we do, we’ll post them here.
For a bit more information, or to check out some donut pics, see Driven Mini Donuts on Instagram.
Mildred’s Kitchen
( Flyer photo)A couple new food trucks have set up shop in Fayetteville recently.
One of them, Mrs. Mildred’s Kitchen, officially opened at the 514 Filling Station, located at 514 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard earlier this month.
Mrs. Mildred’s offers Texas-style barbecue plates, including brisket, ribs, chicken legs, and more. Here’s a link to their menu. Neither truck lists their hours online.
A bit more information about Mrs. Mildred’s Kitchen is available here.
Philly Guyz Steaks & Zeps
( Flyer photo)Around the same time Ms. Mildred’s Kitchen opened, another food truck opened at 514 Filling Station.
Philly Guyz Steaks & Zeps is located just across the lot from Ms. Mildreds.
As the name suggests, Philly Guyz specializes in cheese steaks, zeps, and other sandwiches.
Their menu can be found here.
Calle Latin Cuisine
( Flyer photo)A Latin restaurant that has been in the works on Block Avenue is getting closer to opening.
The new place, called Calle Latin Cuisine, is working on renovating the building formerly home to Flying Possum Leather, and more recently Distinctive Dwelling, at 33 N. Block Ave.
The business was registered with the state by locals Fredi Valle and Fernando Castillo.
Extensive renovations on the space have been ongoing for a couple years now.
We reached out via Facebook, and were told the restaurant is still at least 2-3 months from being ready to open.
Wild Brush Revival
( Flyer photo)A new business that offers group painting classes and a wine bar is coming to Block Avenue soon.
The business, called Wild Brush Revival, will be located at 106 N. Block Ave., in the space formerly home to Dark Star visuals.
A previous version of the business by owner Leslie Wright, who was an art teacher in the public school system, called Wild Brush Studio was open in McKinney, Texas, but closed in 2021.
Wright since relocated to Fayetteville, and has been working on reopening the business here in town.
The new business in Fayetteville will focus on painting workshops, parties, and group events, and will offer wine-by-the-glass, wine cocktails, beer, and non-alcoholic refreshments, Wright said. Small charcuterie cups and boxes, and cookie samplers will also be served.
If all goes well, Wright said she hopes to be up and running in Fayetteville around mid-October this year.
