The Meteor in Bentonville (Courtesy photo)A popular cafe and bike shop is coming to Fayetteville.
The Meteor, which operates locations in Austin, Texas and Bentonville, will open its third cafe at the South Yard development under construction at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South School Avenue in south Fayetteville.
The cafes serve specialty coffee, natural wine, craft beer, house-made baked goods and other foods, like breakfast tacos, burgers, and sourdough-crust pizza. Meteor locations also include a bike shop with a boutique retail environment that specializes in service along with a selection of bikes, apparel, and accessories.
Doug Zell, co-founder of the company, said the Meteor strives to be the front porch of the cycling and active-lifestyle communities, which makes South Yard a good location since it’s situated right off the Razorback Greenway. Zell also said Fayetteville’s commitment to building a sustainable active transportation network is a perfect fit for the company’s business plan.
“That, combined with Fayetteville’s appreciation of delicious, locally sourced food served in an unfussy environment, great wine and beer, and expertly prepared coffee, made the option to open our third location at South Yard an easy decision,” Zell said.
Zell, who is also the founder of Intelligentsia Coffee, co-founded The Meteor with Chris St. Peter, a former attorney who serves as managing director of the cafe brand. The two are avid cyclists and close friends.
Courtesy photo
St. Peter said Fayetteville’s distinct personality will complement The Meteor’s unique blend of services, which include one-of-a-kind spaces at each of its locations.
“Fayetteville has a rich cycling history,” said St. Peter. “We are excited to have the opportunity to serve experienced cyclists, newcomers, commuters, cruisers, or anyone else who wants to ride a bike, or who just wants great food and wine in a charming, intriguing atmosphere.”
South Yard is located on the former Farmers Cooperative site, and is a project by local developers Specialized Real Estate Group.
“We have been very intentional in making South Yard a neighborhood that inspires people to connect with nature and neighbors,” said Jeremy Hudson, CEO of Specialized Real Estate Group. “South Yard is located next to one of most heavily traveled areas on the Razorback Greenway and just a block from Fayetteville’s Cultural Arts Corridor. The Meteor will become a staple for commuters biking to work and school, as well as a stop for people walking or biking through The Ramble.”
South Yard features a reuse of four existing buildings on the property, and will include a variety of restaurant and retail uses, along with a hotel, apartments and a park.
Memphis-based Central BBQ was the first to announce plans to open at South Yard. Shortly after, Yellow Rocket Concepts unveiled plans for a Fayetteville Taco & Tamale restaurant on the property.
Portions of South Yard are expected to open in late 2022, with the restaurants and retail businesses scheduled to open sometime in spring 2023.
