Started By
Message
Bentonville - New Hipster City.
Posted on 6/25/15 at 7:14 pm
Posted on 6/25/15 at 7:14 pm
According to Yahoo travel:
10 hottest emerging neighborhoods in America.
Fayetteville needs to step its game up, now.
10 hottest emerging neighborhoods in America.
Fayetteville needs to step its game up, now.
quote:
It seems the fate of unassuming, small-town Bentonville was to be a hub for art and culture. After the opening Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in 2011, the stylish hotel-cum-museum 21C Museum Hotel opened in 2013, which helped fuel the art flame, and this year Bentonville inaugurates its first major film festival. It’s promising enough for hip locals to move into cheap pads and embrace the alternative, laid-back lifestyle. A major food revolution is on its way, too. Chef Matthew McClure of the Hive was a James Beard award semi-finalist last year and a new hospitality group Ropeswing is going to change the way locals eat with stylish new spots. Up first is Belfry, a contemporary restaurant opening this summer in a 111-year-old historic church.
This post was edited on 6/25/15 at 7:16 pm
3
Posted on 6/25/15 at 7:46 pm to wmr
Have you been to Oven & Tap? It's pretty cool and I think you'd like it.
Instead of having a big menu, they have a really small one but it changes all the time. It allows them to focus on making a few things really well instead of making a lot of things that are just ok.
Instead of having a big menu, they have a really small one but it changes all the time. It allows them to focus on making a few things really well instead of making a lot of things that are just ok.
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:17 pm to Stonehog
Not been yet. I have to be in Bentonville one day next week for work so I was planning on hitting the square for lunch.
Posted on 6/25/15 at 8:32 pm to wmr
I know....I freaking hate it.
Posted on 6/26/15 at 7:24 am to wmr
I like bentonville. I really do. But its hipster quotient is far far smaller than Fayetteville's, which many would consider a good thing.
Ropeswing and other Bentonville groups (with Walton backing) are buying a lot of this press. They've been very effective in their PR campaign for the city, and it's defintely on the rise. That being said: it's all Field of Dreams right now as far as I'm concerned. The downtown retail scene for foot traffic and such pales in comparison to Fayeteville as does the night life and bar scene (though the restuarants have been better lately). That may change, but right now it's perception , not reality.
Ropeswing and other Bentonville groups (with Walton backing) are buying a lot of this press. They've been very effective in their PR campaign for the city, and it's defintely on the rise. That being said: it's all Field of Dreams right now as far as I'm concerned. The downtown retail scene for foot traffic and such pales in comparison to Fayeteville as does the night life and bar scene (though the restuarants have been better lately). That may change, but right now it's perception , not reality.
Posted on 6/26/15 at 10:07 am to hogfly
Benton County has only been a "wet" county for a couple of years. Within 5 years, downtown Bentonville will lack for nothing as far as upscale nightlife goes.
They haven't even built their performing arts center, yet, but it will start soon after the Fayetteville WAC is expanded. Expect the Bentonville version to be impressive and drive even more dining/art/fun to their downtown area.
We are a metro of over 500k and growing rapidly. Its time to have two nightlife neighborhoods. Past time, actually.
They haven't even built their performing arts center, yet, but it will start soon after the Fayetteville WAC is expanded. Expect the Bentonville version to be impressive and drive even more dining/art/fun to their downtown area.
We are a metro of over 500k and growing rapidly. Its time to have two nightlife neighborhoods. Past time, actually.
This post was edited on 6/26/15 at 10:08 am
Posted on 6/26/15 at 10:14 am to wmr
The problem, though, is that I'm not sure that the people there are that into nightlife. You can certainly build it (and they will because the Waltons/Ropeswing are financing it with their capital), but that doesn't guarantee the viability of the business unless the customers are there.
I'll use a retail business example (because that's what I'm mainly concerned about): the Mustache went up there to try a second location. That's a highly successful store in Fayetteville and online. They barely scraped by in Bentonville. Now if you have deep pockets backing you and keeping you afloat to offset your losses until the crowds/customers come, that's okay, but if you're an independent business trying to get by off actual sales, then you end up cutting your losses and running.
Everyone talks about how "happening" the Bentonville square is from a retail perspective, but the foot traffic is NOTHING compared to downtown Fayetteville on a daily basis. That may change as more tourists come in for Crystal Bridges, but right now that's the reality.
I'm also not sure that the average Bentonville citizen wouldn't just as soon hit up Chainville down at Pinnacle as go to a downtown area and support "local," whereas Fayetteville as a citizenry is huge into supporting local businesses.
I'll use a retail business example (because that's what I'm mainly concerned about): the Mustache went up there to try a second location. That's a highly successful store in Fayetteville and online. They barely scraped by in Bentonville. Now if you have deep pockets backing you and keeping you afloat to offset your losses until the crowds/customers come, that's okay, but if you're an independent business trying to get by off actual sales, then you end up cutting your losses and running.
Everyone talks about how "happening" the Bentonville square is from a retail perspective, but the foot traffic is NOTHING compared to downtown Fayetteville on a daily basis. That may change as more tourists come in for Crystal Bridges, but right now that's the reality.
I'm also not sure that the average Bentonville citizen wouldn't just as soon hit up Chainville down at Pinnacle as go to a downtown area and support "local," whereas Fayetteville as a citizenry is huge into supporting local businesses.
This post was edited on 6/26/15 at 10:17 am
Posted on 6/27/15 at 6:15 am to hogfly
I'm not into nightlife. I like having good restaurants, museums, and other entertainment but with 4 kids I'm not at all interested in late night bars/clubs, etc. We spend more time at the ball fields than museums, movies, concerts, etc.... Crystal Bridges is great for the kids and they enjoy it but we only get them there 3-4 times a year.
B'ville and Rogers have an older demographic than the college scene in the nam, and I like that.
Am I the only one that thinks The Hive is overrated? I'll take T&T everyday over The Hive.
B'ville and Rogers have an older demographic than the college scene in the nam, and I like that.
Am I the only one that thinks The Hive is overrated? I'll take T&T everyday over The Hive.
Posted on 6/27/15 at 7:26 am to SLC
I totally agree on the Hive. I'm pretty into food, and I respect the Beard award and all, but I've been consistently underwhelmed by the Hive and Matt McClure's food. Maybe I'm missing something....
Tusk and Trotter is better to me as well.
And back to the hipster thing: we were at Maxine's in Fayetteville last night and speculated that there were probably more hipsters sitting at the bar at that particular time than the entire city of Bentonville.
My wife said there are literally 4 hipsters in Bentonville, and they're all baristas at the Press Room.
Tusk and Trotter is better to me as well.
And back to the hipster thing: we were at Maxine's in Fayetteville last night and speculated that there were probably more hipsters sitting at the bar at that particular time than the entire city of Bentonville.
My wife said there are literally 4 hipsters in Bentonville, and they're all baristas at the Press Room.
This post was edited on 6/27/15 at 7:28 am
Posted on 6/27/15 at 7:59 am to hogfly
the press room
Posted on 6/30/15 at 5:54 pm to CtotheVrzrbck
Bentonville has wannabe hipsters if that even makes sense
Posted on 6/30/15 at 7:40 pm to Hubbhogg
Hipsters seem a cross between beatniks and metro sexuals.
Posted on 7/1/15 at 8:38 am to The Program
NM (wrong thread)
This post was edited on 7/1/15 at 8:41 am
Posted on 7/3/15 at 6:16 am to hogfly
Haven't been to The Pressroom yet, what's it like?
Posted on 7/3/15 at 8:15 am to SLC
I actually like the pressroom a lot. Good soups, salads and sandwiches.
Posted on 7/3/15 at 10:00 am to hogfly
quote:
Maxine's in Fayetteville last night and speculated that there were probably more hipsters sitting at the bar at that particular time than the entire city of Bentonville.
Maxine's is so hipster, its kind of like being a white person going to a black bar....uncomfortable if you're not a hipster.
Posted on 7/3/15 at 10:17 am to hogfly
I think the Waltons are going to force Bentonville into being a cool town. I read about them purchasing more land for their "Market District" area which will be a mixed-use project of several acres, including a culinary school, condos and restaurants.
They are also consciously building an "Arts District" south of the downtown square, and the new performing arts center will be located kind of in between the two new neighborhoods.
They are being really ambitious with Bentonville right now, and it serves their interests well. Walmart continuing to get good talent is important to their bottom line, since the family still owns most of the company.
They are also consciously building an "Arts District" south of the downtown square, and the new performing arts center will be located kind of in between the two new neighborhoods.
They are being really ambitious with Bentonville right now, and it serves their interests well. Walmart continuing to get good talent is important to their bottom line, since the family still owns most of the company.
Posted on 7/3/15 at 2:52 pm to wmr
Culinary school.
That's huge for me.
That's huge for me.
Page 1 of 1
Latest Arkansas News
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News