Restaurant News: Wood Stone, The Roost, Hoppin’ John’s, and more

Summer is winding down, fall is fast approaching, and there’s been quite a bit of movement in the world of restaurant openings and closings in Fayetteville.

You know what that means? It’s time for some restaurant news!

Here’s what we know about several places that have opened, closed, or plan to soon open in Fayetteville.

» See more recent restaurant news

Wood Stone Craft Pizza

Staff photo

As we reported yesterday, Wood Stone will open a second location in Fayetteville.

Restaurant owners Jerrmy Gawthrop and Clayton Suttle have leased the old Tilted Kilt building in north Fayetteville, located at 3619 Mall Ave., and renovations are underway for the new location.

For those who aren’t familiar, Wood Stone originally opened in south Fayetteville next to Greenhouse Grille back in August of 2014. The restaurant specializes in wood-fired pizzas, craft cocktails, and craft beers.

If all goes well, the new location will be open in late fall or early winter.

Denny’s / Jimmy’s Egg

Staff photo

In case you missed it, there’s a bit of a breakfast restaurant swip/swap underway in south Fayetteville.

Denny’s moved out of their restaurant at 2589 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. after 20 years at the location, and soon after Oklahoma City-based chain Jimmy’s Egg announced they were moving in.

Jimmy’s Egg told us last month they plan to open sometime in early- to mid-September, so expect eggs to be cracked over the griddle in that location again very soon.

Pickleman’s

Staff photo

Missouri-based restaurant chain Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe recently opened on Dickson Street.

The restaurant, which specializes in sandwiches, pizzas, soups, salads, and apparently pickles, is located at 412 W. Dickson Street, in half of the building formerly home to Common Grounds (Taco Bell Cantina is in the other half of the building.)

Pickleman’s was founded in 2005 by Doug Stritzel. The restaurant now operates 20 locations in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. According to their website, they offer delivery, and stay open late until 2 a.m.

Vault

Staff photo

Some locals will open a bar in the basement of the building at 112 W. Center Street (known locally as the EJ Ball Building).

The new place will be called Vault, named for the former bank vault where it’s located, and plans to concentrate on spirits with an emphasis on an extensive selection of bourbon.

It’s owned by friends and longtime locals Chris Baribeau, Nick Hamon, and Michael Jordan.

Jordan said the bar will feature a non-pretentious modern aesthetic, and he and his partners are looking forward to sharing their own enthusiasm for bourbon and ways to enjoy it with their patrons.

Renovations on the space are underway, and the hope is that the new place will be open sometime this winter.

The Roost

Staff photo

A new bar has opened in the the former ROTC/The Grill building at 3582 AR Highway 112 in Fayetteville.

The new place is called The Roost Lounge, and it occupies the bar area and patio of the building.

We don’t know much about this one yet, but we have a message in to the owners for more details. We’ll add those here once we hear back from them.

Punjabi Kitchen

Courtesy

There’s a new Indian food truck open in east Fayetteville.

Punjabi Kitchen is located on Crossover Road, in a lot next to Bank of the Ozarks. We’re told the truck is operated by the same family that owns R&R Curry Express in Springdale.

According to their Facebook page, the truck serves tikka masala, butter chicken, chole, samosas, and other Indian cuisine.

Punjabi Kitchen is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Smudgies

Staff photo

As reported here last month, sweet new place will soon open on Dickson Street.

Locals Cory Tran and Jonathan Montgomery plan to open a dessert restaurant called Smudgies Dessert Lab at the southwest corner of Dickson Street and College Avenue (241 N. College Ave.)

The restaurant will serve all kinds of desserts, including milkshakes, concretes, doughnuts filled with ice cream, and other fun twists on classic desserts.

It’s not the first foray into sweet treats for Tran. He was also involved in opening Kream, the ice cream and doughnut restaurant located on West Avenue downtown before selling his interest to start the new place.

The building where Smudgies will be located at one point looked destined to become a Starbuck’s. The chain was reportedly eyeing the space with plans to lease it from the building owners, but that deal fell through after it was determined there wouldn’t be enough room for a drive-thru lane and a second lane behind the building.

If all goes well, Smudgies will be open for business sometime this fall.

Doomsday Coffee

Staff photo

There’s a new coffee shop and tamale restaurant open in Evelyn Hills Shopping Center.

The new place, called Doomsday Coffee, is a side project for Army veteran Jason Collins and his wife Rosie. Collins told us he has pledged a portion of his proceeds to Mission 22, an organization that seeks to end veteran suicide in the U.S.

The shop roasts their own coffee on site, Collins told us. They also serve tamales, as well as quiches, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and other pastries. The restaurant also conducts events for veterans at the VA across the street.

Doomsday Coffee is located at 1378 N College Ave., in the space most recently occupied by Chicken Depot.

Hoppin’ Johns

Staff photo

A new restaurant and bar has opened at 3290 N. Lee Ave., in the old Nibbles location next to Liquor World.

We mentioned Hoppin’ John’s in March, but we didn’t know much about it at the time.

According to the menu on their Facebook page, it looks like they’ll specialize in grilled items like steaks, chops, seafood, and other items. They also have several types of mac & cheese on the menu, so we’re thinking that’ll be a specialty as well.

Their Facebook pages lists their hours from 4-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

KD’s Chicken & Waffles

Staff photo

A chicken & waffle truck recently opened on College Avenue.

The new place, called KD’s Chicken & Waffles, is located near the entrance of Fiesta Square, in the lot near the AT&T store.

The truck serves a variety of waffles, from a regular Belgian to flavored options like banana, blueberry, chocolate, and lemon. They pair those with the customer’s choice of fried chicken, with options of wings, strips, legs, or thighs. Here’s a photo of their menu.

The truck is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from noon until midnight, and on Sunday from noon until 6 p.m.

Inta Juice

Staff photo

As reported here in July, there’s a juice bar now open in the old Taco Bell building on College Avenue.

Inta Juice closed their location on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard earlier this summer, and recently reopened in the building at 1772 N. College Ave.

The restaurant specializes in juice drinks and fruit smoothies.

Smoothie King

Staff photo

In other smoothie news, Smoothie King recently opened a location in Fayetteville.

The restaurant is at 637 E. Joyce Blvd. Suite 116, next to Pho Thahn.

They specialize in smoothies “with a purpose,” with options to “slim down, bulk up, last longer or recover faster,” etc.

Juice Palm

A new juice restaurant is coming soon to the new Uptown Fayetteville development.

Juice Palm, a new project by former Con Quesos owner Omar Kasim, will feature cold pressed juice, fruit smoothies, acai bowls, and salads.

Kasim parted ways with Con Quesos recently to open the new venture.

If all goes well, he hopes to be up and running with the new concept sometime this fall.

Grillehouse Seafood & Steaks

Staff photo

The restaurant space in the Legacy Building is vacant again.

After a couple years in the building, The Grillehouse Seafood & Steaks recently closed their doors. As the name suggests, the restaurant was a steakhouse and seafood joint.

According to their website, the restaurant still operates locations in Madison, Oxford, and Southhaven, Mississippi.

The building has previously been home to Table on the Hill and Legacy Blues. It is currently being marketed for sale or lease.

Puritan / Burton’s Creamery

Staff photo

As mentioned here in June, a new spot for coffee, beer, and ice cream will soon open in uptown Fayetteville.

Puritan Coffee & Beer (formerly Puritan Brew Co.) is set to open its second location in the new Uptown Fayetteville Apartments + Shops development in north Fayetteville.

The restaurant, coffee shop, and bar, which originally opened on Dickson Street in 2014, is well known for its coffee and extensive craft beer collection.

The new spot will also be home to a Burton’s Creamery location.

If all goes well, the new place will be up and running by the end of the year.

Wright’s Barbecue

Staff photo

A food truck that has been a staple at the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market this season will soon move into a brick-and-mortar location.

Wright’s Barbecue recently announced plans to open in the building at 2212 Main Dr. in Johnson, just north of the Northwest Arkansas Mall.

Renovations on the building are underway, and a large outdoor seating area is also under construction.

If all goes well, they hope to be up and running sometime in October. In the meantime, the food truck will be set up on the site Thursday-Saturday to serve customers.

James at the Mill / MJ Pizzeria

Courtesy

James at the Mill, the fine dining restaurant located inside the Inn at the Mill in Johnson, recently closed after more than 20 years in business.

The restaurant was created by chef Miles James, and officially opened in 1994. It was best known for James’ upscale take on southern comfort food.

James recently sold the restaurant and hotel to longtime general manager Jesse Burkes, who plans to use the restaurant space to build additional suites.

“We want to thank all our wonderful patrons through the years,” James said. “It’s been an amazing run with really nice success at both the hotel and the restaurant.”

Chef James said he hopes to spend more time with his family, as well as to work on his new venture, MJ Pizzeria. James opened the original MJ in Springdale a few years ago, and he recently announced plans to build a second location and coffee shop facility on Crossover Road in Fayetteville across the street from the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.

James said the MJ Pizzeria project planned for Fayetteville is working its way through the approval process at the city, and he hopes to begin construction soon.

» More recent restaurant news