There’s been a recent flurry of activity in the Fayetteville restaurant world.
A few places are moving, two restaurant chains are opening their first locations in town, and some local businesses are expanding.
Here’s what we know:
Bouchee French Bistro
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It looks like another business has joined Grey Dog Vintage Boutique and Hawaiian Brian’s on the list of places that have used the Yacht Club on College Avenue to springboard into a brick and mortar location in Fayetteville.
Bouchee French Bistro, a restaurant opened by locals Vince Pianalto and partners Sammy Townsend and Justin Calverin at the Yacht Club this summer, will soon move into a space inside East Square Plaza on the Fayetteville square.
The restaurant will take up a portion of the space most recently occupied by BHK Kafe (local boutique Savoir-Faire has moved into the rest of that space). Pianalto said the restaurant will continue to concentrate on French tartine sandwiches, pastries and quiches, though he may expand the menu slightly now that he’ll have more space than he did in the food trailer.
Pianalto said he hopes to have the restaurant up and running by early December.
Jammin Java Sterling Frisco
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Fayetteville-based coffee chain Jammin’ Java is planning to open a new location inside the Sterling Frisco apartment complex at the corner of Lafayette Street and West Avenue.
Jammin Java, which operates stores on the Fayetteville square, in the Northwest Arkansas Mall, and in Branson, Mo., recently opened a location inside Tanglewood Branch Beer Co. in south Fayetteville. Officials are also planning a satellite location inside the Old Post Office building to serve customers during the Lights of the Ozarks display this year.
Owner Brandon Karn said he’s hoping to have the Sterling Frisco location open by mid-December.
Bliss Cupcake Cafe
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Bliss Cupcake Cafe will soon move its original location just off the square to a new spot about 90 yards to the east, inside the Old Post Office building next to Country Outfitter.
The restaurant will occupy the space that once served as a bar area on the west side of the building.
Owner Max Moore said renovations are moving quickly, and that he hopes to be up and running in the new location as early as Nov. 26.
Slim Chickens
It’s still early in the process, but Slim Chickens is looking to build a new restaurant to serve west Fayetteville residents.
The restaurant owners were recently given the green light from planning commissioners and city council members to move forward with plans for a new restaurant on Wedington Drive in an undeveloped lot across from Neighborhood Market.
The restaurant would be the fourth for Slim Chickens in Fayetteville, which also has locations on College Avenue, Joyce Boulevard and inside Founders Hall on the University of Arkansas campus.
Dixie Cafe
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Little Rock-based restaurant chain Dixie Cafe has closed its uptown location at 3875 N. Shiloh Drive in north Fayetteville.
Exterior restaurant signs were removed on Monday, and were replaced with notes posted on the windows announcing the closure.
Officials have not yet responded to a request for comments, so we’re not sure whether the restaurant will be relocated or if it’s gone for good.
Plans were eventually submitted to the city for a Discount Tire location that will occupy this space.
The Chancellor Bar & Grill
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Union Kitchen + Drinks has closed inside the Chancellor Hotel in Fayetteville, and the restaurant is currently being operated as The Chancellor Bar and Grill by hotel management.
According to hotel general manager Jay Johnson, he and his staff are in the early stages of developing a new restaurant concept for the space. When we spoke to him last, he was leaning toward a southern food-themed menu.
Johnson said he hopes to have the new restaurant name and concept ready to unveil in early 2014.
Deluxe Burger
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The latest restaurant from Theo’s and East Side Grille owner Scott Bowman is set to soon make its debut.
Bowman, who recently closed his Union Kitchen + Drinks restaurant in the Chancellor Hotel told the NWA Business Journal he plans to focus his efforts on developing his new Deluxe Burger concept.
Bowman told the journal he plans to open the first Deluxe Burger at 550 W. Dickson Street, in the space formerly occupied by Rowdy Beaver sometime “around Thanksgiving,” and that he will rapidly expand the concept with a Pinnacle Hills location in Rogers and three other regional stores.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is planning a location in Fayetteville.
Clinton Bennett, managing broker with real estate firm CB Richard Ellis, confirmed recently that the Wichita, Kan.-based chain will soon build a new restaurant at the southwest corner of Wedington Drive and Salem Road.
It would be the second Northwest Arkansas location for Freddy’s, which specializes in cooked-to-order steakburgers, hot dogs and fresh-churned frozen custard. A Rogers location is set to soon open at 4507 W. Walnut Street.
Dunkin’ Donuts
Dunkin’ Donuts is planning a new restaurant at 1805 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, near the corner of Beechwood Avenue, in front of the University House (formerly The Domain) apartment complex and across the street from KFC.
Plans call for a 2,600-square-foot restaurant with a 27-car parking lot.
The Fayetteville store is the third of seven planned Dunkin’ Donuts locations in the region.
The Hopper Food Truck
A new food truck has popped up in the area.
The Hopper, a project by locals Cody Nethers, Zane Placke and Willie Benson, focuses on an ever changing menu of locally-sourced foods. The truck doesn’t have a permanent home in Fayetteville, but they’ve been spotted frequently in the evenings outside Ozark Cleaners on Block Avenue.
As far as we can tell, the plan, like the restaurant’s name, is to hop around town for events and festivals, so the best way to keep up with the menu and location is probably to check the Hopper’s Facebook page.
