Restaurant Development in NW Arkansas

[Mith242]

A new restaurant has opened in Bentonville next door to Samurai Japanese Steakhouse at 102 and J Street. It is called Bella Napoli, an italian restaurant.

Is this a local restaurant? Sorta sounds like it. Nice to see some local restaurants popping up there. If someone tries it out let us know what you think.

[Julles]

I was having lunch with a friend today, and she said a Red Lobster is coming next to Home Depot in Rogers. Has anyone else heard this? She also said she heard rumors of a Cheesecake Factory, but it sounded to me like just that - rumors.

[mcheiss]

I was having lunch with a friend today, and she said a Red Lobster is coming next to Home Depot in Rogers. Has anyone else heard this? She also said she heard rumors of a Cheesecake Factory, but it sounded to me like just that - rumors.

I've heard about the Red Lobster. There was an article about 4 months ago in Arkansasbusiness.com that talked about a Red Lobster coming to Rogers. Cheesecake Factory seems a bit out of NWA's league.

[mzweig]

Bad news--Gonzales Mexican Restaurant on College in Fayetteville just burned up! We are sad. The building is still there but the place must be terribly damaged. Tons of smoke coming out and about 5 fire engines are out there now. We are sorry to see them go down! We liked this place and enjoyed being able to walk over there for some good food. The poor family that owns it. We feel for them.

[mcheiss]

Hopefully they have insurance and it can get rebuilt.

I just came back from the game, I didn't see any emergency vehicles on college, but I was only briefly on it.

[thewizard16]

Hopefully they have insurance and it can get rebuilt.

I just came back from the game, I didn't see any emergency vehicles on college, but I was only briefly on it.

You ducked out early too, huh? I heard a bunch of sirens around 11:00, could have been that I suppose.

[Aporkalypse]

I've heard about the Red Lobster. There was an article about 4 months ago in Arkansasbusiness.com that talked about a Red Lobster coming to Rogers. Cheesecake Factory seems a bit out of NWA's league.

If NWA was getting a Cheesecake Factory anytime soon you'd better believe it would've been going into the Promenade or Pleasant Crossing. They like to be in the most upscale developments in a community.

I don't know why Benton Co doesn't have certain restaurants like Red Loster or Olive Garden you usually see in less important areas. I guess different chains have different criteria for evaluating markets. Brinker hasn't been as aggressive there, either.

[mcheiss]

I don't know why Benton Co doesn't have certain restaurants like Red Loster or Olive Garden you usually see in less important areas. I guess different chains have different criteria for evaluating markets. Brinker hasn't been as aggressive there, either.

Well Fayetteville just got an Olive Garden. I would expect one in Benton county within the next 5 years. Obviously the fact that the area is somewhat large (a lot of it having to do with recent massive growth) tends to make people think why NWA doesn't have certain things.

[Mith242]

Yeah companies do seem to have different requirements. The Olive Garden has been here a few years but this area was ready to support ones years before that. But they ended up picking the Ft Smith market instead. That and look at Starbucks. Arkansas was one of the very last states they decided to enter. Arkansas may not be the most populated state out there but there are a lot of smaller states than us.

[mzweig]

You ducked out early too, huh? I heard a bunch of sirens around 11:00, could have been that I suppose.

That was it. I doubt they have business insurance. They were a struggling family and just rented this place a month ago.

[Mith242]

Bad news--Gonzales Mexican Restaurant on College in Fayetteville just burned up! We are sad. The building is still there but the place must be terribly damaged. Tons of smoke coming out and about 5 fire engines are out there now. We are sorry to see them go down! We liked this place and enjoyed being able to walk over there for some good food. The poor family that owns it. We feel for them.

Oops, I missed this. That's too bad for them. I wonder if they'll be able to come back and one day open another restaurant. I never got to try it.

[Mith242]

I've heard that there could be a possibility of a Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro opening up if a Cheesecake Factory doesn't. I wouldn't even classify this as a rumor really but this seems to be a new type of place from Copeland's. The Copeland's in Rogers does quite well so perhaps a Cheesecake Bistro could be in store for us in the near future.

[mcheiss]

I've heard that there could be a possibility of a Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro opening up if a Cheesecake Factory doesn't. I wouldn't even classify this as a rumor really but this seems to be a new type of place from Copeland's. The Copeland's in Rogers does quite well so perhaps a Cheesecake Bistro could be in store for us in the near future.

Where did you hear that?

They only have locations in 3 states.

[Mith242]

Where did you hear that?

They only have locations in 3 states.

Like I said, I wouldn't even call it a rumor. Just someone's opinion. I also thought the success of Copeland's in Rogers might make it an even more tempting location especially if a Cheesecake Factory doesn't materialize.

Maybe I should state things more clearly. When I said I wouldn't call it a rumor I wasn't meaning as in this is a done deal. Just some speculation was what I meant.

[mzweig]

Like I said, I wouldn't even call it a rumor. Just someone's opinion. I also thought the success of Copeland's in Rogers might make it an even more tempting location especially if a Cheesecake Factory doesn't materialize.

Maybe I should state things more clearly. When I said I wouldn't call it a rumor I wasn't meaning as in this is a done deal. Just some speculation was what I meant.

I'm down on most chains. Mediocrity at its finest. I like Houston's, PF Chang's, and Cheesecake Factory. Other than that, I cannot get excited about another typical offering in the chili's/bennigan's/houlihan's/tgi friday's/logan's/redlobster/outback/lone star/macaroni grille/olive garden/fuddrucker's mode. It all tastes the same to me and it's all served up by people with no passion for what they are doing.

[masons_dad1]

I'm down on most chains. Mediocrity at its finest. I like Houston's, PF Chang's, and Cheesecake Factory. Other than that, I cannot get excited about another typical offering in the chili's/bennigan's/houlihan's/tgi friday's/logan's/redlobster/outback/lone star/macaroni grille/olive garden/fuddrucker's mode. It all tastes the same to me and it's all served up by people with no passion for what they are doing.

I guess you get what you pay for. That latter list of yours are the more popular restaurants for working class people which is why they'll always be more dominant in markets like NWA. My tastebuds aren't as sensitive as most and gourmet food is just a waste to me as a $30 plate tastes the same as a $10 plate to me.

[mcheiss]

I guess you get what you pay for. That latter list of yours are the more popular restaurants for working class people which is why they'll always be more dominant in markets like NWA. My tastebuds aren't as sensitive as most and gourmet food is just a waste to me as a $30 plate tastes the same as a $10 plate to me.

It's hard for me to afford expensive meals like you said. I agree that you can't beat a Fuddruckers 1/2 Burger anywhere for under $8.

[strmchsr77]

Bad news--Gonzales Mexican Restaurant on College in Fayetteville just burned up! We are sad. The building is still there but the place must be terribly damaged. Tons of smoke coming out and about 5 fire engines are out there now. We are sorry to see them go down! We liked this place and enjoyed being able to walk over there for some good food. The poor family that owns it. We feel for them.

Yeah, I help manage that building. I will let you guys know what is going to happen as soon as I find out.

[Julles]

It's hard for me to afford expensive meals like you said. I agree that you can't beat a Fuddruckers 1/2 Burger anywhere for under $8.

Amen to that! Not to mention that chains are almost essential to families with kids. Not only are they kid-friendly with the crayons and kid cups, you know which ones have food your kids will like. And I've found some pretty good food at chains. You just have to know what to order. If you order chicken fingers and fries, yeah, it's gonna be pretty generic. You have to really branch out and find the good stuff (e.g. Pollo Rosa Maria at Carabbas - awesome, as I've said before)

[Mith242]

Yeah, I help manage that building. I will let you guys know what is going to happen as soon as I find out.

Cool, thanks.

[Mith242]

Apparently Eat This! has closed. This seems to be to the surprise to many because they said business seemed to be good. No explanation has been discovered yet.

[RAK]

That's a shocker! I drive by them pretty much every day. I wonder what happened, too.

[mzweig]

Apparently Eat This! has closed. This seems to be to the surprise to many because they said business seemed to be good. No explanation has been discovered yet.

I've never even heard of it. That may be part of the problem--no marketing! I teach small business/entrepreneurship at the U of A. We talk about every area business at some point in class. I am really surprised I didn't know about them. What was the place about?

M

Amen to that! Not to mention that chains are almost essential to families with kids. Not only are they kid-friendly with the crayons and kid cups, you know which ones have food your kids will like. And I've found some pretty good food at chains. You just have to know what to order. If you order chicken fingers and fries, yeah, it's gonna be pretty generic. You have to really branch out and find the good stuff (e.g. Pollo Rosa Maria at Carabbas - awesome, as I've said before)

Julles--I am definitely NOT a chicken fingers 'n fries man. But the lack of inspiration and quality at most of these chains I find depressing. I do like cheaper food--Brenda makes a mean burger, and I think Penguin Ed's makes some darned good sliced pork. I loved Gonzales Mexican--cheap and tasty--but alas, it is now gone!

[KJW]

I've never even heard of it. That may be part of the problem--no marketing! I teach small business/entrepreneurship at the U of A. We talk about every area business at some point in class. I am really surprised I didn't know about them. What was the place about?

M

Julles--I am definitely NOT a chicken fingers 'n fries man. But the lack of inspiration and quality at most of these chains I find depressing. I do like cheaper food--Brenda makes a mean burger, and I think Penguin Ed's makes some darned good sliced pork. I loved Gonzales Mexican--cheap and tasty--but alas, it is now gone!

mzweig,

Eat This! had a billboard on northbound I-540 near the Benton/Washington county line. They also were the subject of a KNWA story.

This is surprising to say the least.

[mcheiss]

Apparently Eat This! has closed. This seems to be to the surprise to many because they said business seemed to be good. No explanation has been discovered yet.

No!!!!!!!!!

That was the best restaurant in Rogers. I can't believe this. First they close The Market, which was the only upscale grocer in the metro. Now this. This was one of the few restaurants in Rogers that actually had culture.