Some of you all look hungry for some restaurant news. Here’s what we know about several places that have opened, closed, or plan to soon open in Fayetteville.
Moff’s Pizza
A new pizza truck is open in the lot next to Puritan Coffee and Beer in Fayetteville.
The truck, called Moff’s Pizza, offers both slices and whole pies with house-made, hand-tossed dough by chef/owner Andrew Moffett.
The truck offers some traditional pies like cheese, pepperoni and sausage, along with seasonal speciality items.
The truck is open Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 4 p.m. until sold out, and is closed Tuesday and Wednesdays, according to the Moff’s Instagram account.
The Guisinger
A new cocktail bar from the folks behind Feed and Folly and City Park will soon open on the Fayetteville square.
The new bar, called ‘The Guisinger,’ is in the works at 1 E. Mountain St., in the space known locally as the Guisinger Music Building on the southeast corner of the square. The project is the creation of locals Lewis Chase, Matthew Sutton, and Michael Sutton in partnership with building owner Sterling Hamilton.
The bar will focus on classic cocktails like martinis, negronis, old fashioneds and others, and an extensive wine selection, Chase recently told us.
Renovations of the space are underway and moving along nicely, Chase said. If all goes well, the new bar could open sometime in February.
Damgoode Pies
Damgoode Pies may soon be relocating.
Owner Bill Karsten told us last month that he does not plan to renew his lease at 37 E. Center St. in Fayetteville, but will remain open at the location for now, and he’s actively seeking a new location elsewhere in town.
Karsten said that his lease runs through the spring of 2024. There could be some downtime between the current location and a new spot, he said.
The Fayetteville location, which is a franchisee for the restaurant that got its start in Little Rock in 2001, became the last remaining Damgoode Pies location when founder Jeff Trine closed the central Arkansas locations last fall.
Panera Bread
Bakery cafe chain Panera Bread has a second Fayetteville location in the works.
According to state records, the chain is working on a new location at 1634 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in the space most recently occupied by Boss Man Tacos.
The chain operates more than 2,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada, and is based in Sunset Hills, Missouri.
The restaurant offer sandwiches, salads, baked goods, and other items.
The company so far has not responded to our request for more information on an opening date.
Rock N Roll Sushi
A sushi restaurant chain with a rock n’ roll atmosphere is planning to soon open in Fayetteville.
Rock N’ Roll Sushi has a location in the works at 1777 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in the space formerly home to Pieology. The company announced the Fayetteville location was in the works back in September.
According to the restaurant’s website, the company was founded in Mobile, Alabama by Lance and Gerri Mach Hallmark in 2010. The company has grown to operate more than 60 locations, mostly in the southeast United States with plans to increase that number to around 75 by the end of the year.
The company currently operates four locations in central Arkansas, with a fifth location in the works in North Little Rock.
The restaurant’s menu includes a few dozen sushi rolls, along with sashimi, hibachi grill entrees, and other items. Some menu items have music-themed names, while guitars hang on the walls, and the locations play rock n’ roll music in the dining room.
If all goes well, the restaurant will be open sometime this spring.
Baked by Kori
A bakery and wine bar that got its start in Rogers is planning to soon expand to Fayetteville.
According to recent social media posts, Baked by Kori Bakery & Wine Bar is planning a Fayetteville location at 644 W. Dickson St., in the space most recently home to Auntie Anne’s / Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.
The restaurant offers cookies, brownies, cakepops, cupcakes, sourdough bread, muffins, quiche, scones, toasts, and other baked items, along with a selection of beer, wine, and mimosas.
The business was created by Kori Stanton, who opened her first location in Rogers back in January.
Stanton said the Fayetteville location will offer an expanded lunch menu, with sandwiches, quiche, soups, and other items. They will also serve granola, yogurt, and fruit cups, coffee and espresso, teas, pressed juices, and other items.
A post on the business’s Instagram account states that Stanton signed the lease on the Fayetteville location on Nov. 16, which is the same day in 2022 that she signed the lease on the Rogers location at 128 S. 2nd St.
If all goes well, Stanton said she hopes to be up and running in Fayetteville by Feb. 1.
BIG/Halo
It looks like a Dickson Street bar is changing concepts.
BIG, a bar formerly located at 422 W. Dickson St., has been closed since late last year. According to new signs that were placed on the building recently, a new concept called Halo is in the works in the space.
We haven’t been able to locate much more information on this one.
We reached out to longtime local business owner Dave Bass, who still owns the building and owned the two previous bars in this spot for more information, and we’ll update this post when we learn more.
Big Chicken
A restaurant backed by former NBA star, rapper, actor, wrestler, NBA on TNT host, and Icy Hot spokesperson Shaquille O’Neal is now open in Fayetteville.
Big Chicken, which specializes in chicken sandwiches, tenders, and other items, is in the works in the building formerly home to Dairy Queen, Hardee’s, and others at 2190 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The Fayetteville restaurant is owned by local franchisees Ay and Chris McMillan, Rusty Enfinger, Clay Moser, and Ronnie Brewer, Jr.
According to their website, the restaurant is open daily from 10 a.m. until midnight.
Fayetteville Coffee Works
A new option for coffee and bagels is open on the east side of town.
The folks behind new local brewery Fayetteville Beer Work recently opened a new business, Fayetteville Coffee Works, to share their space at 2649 E. Mission Blvd.
The restaurant will offer full coffee service along with New York-style bagels that are overnighted from the Empire State daily.
“The bagels are made in New York, baked fresh and then overnighted to us,” O’Connell said. “So these are authentic New York bagels. I grew up in upstate NY and wanted to bring in the bagels as part of my culture and a unique offering in Fayetteville.”
Fayetteville Coffee Works officially opened on Dec. 6.
They’re open Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. though the hope is to expand those hours in the future, O’Connell said.
El Charro Birrieria and Restaurant
El Charro Birreria and Restaurant has closed its Fayetteville location.
The restaurant was located at 3120 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Fayetteville, in the building formerly home to Mi Mexico restaurant next to Aldi.
The original El Charro restaurant opened at 701 N. Thompson St. in Springdale around five years ago, and that location is still in business. It serves a variety of Mexican fare, but is best known for its birria tacos.
The Springdale location is open weekdays from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Chewk’s Cookies
A new cookie truck is open in Fayetteville.
Chewk’s Cookies has been set up shop in the lot next to Puritan Coffee and Beer for a few months now.
The business started in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Fayetteville location came about when co-founder Mike Blum moved to town last year.
The truck has been closed for the holidays for the last several weeks, but plans to reopen on Jan. 15, according to an Instagram post.
Urban Cellar Winery
A winery and bottle shop that allows patrons to make their own wine has relocated to downtown Fayetteville.
Urban Cellar Winery last month reopened in the space formerly home to Jammin Java at 21 W. Mountain St. next to the Fayetteville Town Center on the square.
The new space will allow for more production space, more open hours, food offerings, a gift area, a patio, and other amenities, owner Cassidy Ginger said in a social media post back in the fall.
The winery is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
