Pottery Barn set to open soon; other businesses close
Posted on Saturday, July 19, 2008
BENTON COUNTY - By late August, northwest Arkansas residents will no longer have to settle for ordering from the Pottery Barn catalog or driving to Utica Square in Tulsa to find the company's nearest store.
Construction of a Pottery Barn store at the popular Pinnacle Hills Promenade is nearing completion. David Faulkner, senior general manager of General Growth Properties Inc., which handles the Promenade's leases, said the Pottery Barn intends to open Aug. 23. Construction on the Pottery Barn, near the recently vacated Sharper Image store and the Granite City restaurant, began in December.
The Pottery Barn won't be the new store on the block for long, Faulkner said.
"There's going to be a lot happening in the next couple of months," he said. "In the next 30 days, we'll be announcing at least three more stores coming to the Promenade."
No names or details about the stores were provided.
While the Promenade continues to attract new businesses and shoppers, several more openings, closings and new construction projects have popped up across Benton County in the past several weeks. Rogers • The Benchmark Group, among the leading architecture and engineering firms in the region, opened its new 118, 000-square-foot headquarters at 1805 N. Second St. The building, designed by the group's own architects and engineers, features LEED green-building standards established by the U. S. Green Building Council. The new building has more than doubled the group's office space while reducing its overall energy use by one-third. The structure is in line to become the largest new-construction LEED-certified office building in Arkansas.
• At Interstate 540 's exit 83, near the Olive Garden, construction continues on Steak and Shake and Red Lobster restaurants. The Steak and Shake sign was recently hung.
• Along the west side of I-540 at exit 83, Holiday Inn Suites and the aloft Hotel have opened in recent weeks. Holiday Inn Suites boasts all suites and a Mexican / American restaurant, while the aloft Hotel, a concept created by the company that operates W Hotels, features a modern design, a social lounge and loft-inspired rooms. Bentonville • The city got a taste of resident David Bogle's Museum of Native American Artifacts when it opened in a renovated home near the downtown Bentonville Square in 2007. But Bogle opened the doors to the new-and-improved museum in its permanent space, a 5, 000-square-foot facility at 202 S. W. O St., on July 10. The museum's collection features many rare and one-of-a-kind artifacts dating as far back as 12, 000 B. C.
• The long lines forming daily at the newest Flying Burrito, which replaced the Blue Plate Cafe in the Crossroads Plaza at South Walton Boulevard and Southwest 14 th Street, indicate that employees and residents in Bentonville like their burritos big. The Flying Burrito, which claims to serve up burritos as big as your head and operates other locations in Fayetteville and Springdale, opened earlier this month.
• Bud's, a family-style chicken restaurant, made its return to Bentonville earlier this month. Bud's, a popular restaurant in Bentonville several years ago, opened at 2505 S. Walton Blvd. It is owned and operated by Keith Jensen, whose father developed the recipes and ran the restaurant during its first go-round.
• Beef O'Brady's - a chain that features an Irish-restaurant theme, specializes in wings, burgers, wraps and sandwiches and is expanding across the southeast region of the country - is scheduled to open in the Milestone Plaza at 2500 S. W. 14 th St. later this year. A temporary sign has been hung in the window as crews continue to build out the interior of the restaurant. A sign on the door indicates Beef O'Brady's will operate as a private club.
• Camp Bow Wow, a dog daycare and boarding facility, offers dog owners a place to drop off their four-legged friends for a little play and socialization during the day or when the owners leave for vacation. The business, at 1403 S. W. 14 th St., opened in late June.
• On Tuesday, the Bentonville Planning Commission approved a largescale-development plan for the construction of a 2, 700-square-foot Einstein Bagles restaurant and a 2, 486-squarefoot retail center at 107 and 109 S. E. 14 th St.
• The Ice House, a private club and live-music venue at 406 S. E. Fifth St., was closed earlier this month by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration for failure to pay state sales taxes. Records indicate the Ice House was also behind on its monthly sales-tax payments to the Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission.
• The doors at the Purple Armadillo, a home-furnishing and accents store at 709 S. W. A St., have been locked for several weeks. Daniel Hintz, president of Downtown Bentonville Inc., said his organization has unsuccessfully attempted to contact the owners. A sign in the front window of the business reads," Closed for repairs. "When The Daily Record called the business, the number had been temporarily disconnected.
• The Bristol Cafe, a homecooking restaurant that offers a lunch buffet, dinner menu and live music at 113 W. Central Ave., has been closed for several weeks as well. Co-owner Brian Bates told The Daily Record he hopes to reopen the restaurant in the coming weeks. "It all boils down to financial," Bates said. "We want to continue."
• The Fusion Art Gallery, at the heart of the Downtown Bentonville Square, held its final First Friday artist reception on June 6, sold off the store's inventory and closed its doors for good earlier this month. The venue had been in business since 2005. "When the economy is struggling the way it is, artwork, galleries and art supplies are normally the first to go," owner Cindy Suter said. "People have to buy groceries, put gas in their car and pay their mortgages. We've clearly felt the effect of what's going on in the economy today."
• Simply Elegant, a bridal and formal-wear business at 1007 S. W. A St., is holding a going-out-of-business sale. Lowell • Just a hop, skip and a jump from the Rogers' Pleasant Crossing commercial area, Lowell has welcomed the opening of Fastlane Entertainment at 1117 N. Dixieland Road. Fastlane Entertainment boasts 20 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, 12 boutique lanes, a two-level laser-tag arena, an arcade with everything from 35-cent classics to $ 3 NASCAR simulators, a gourmet restaurant, and party and conference rooms. Construction has also begun on the facility's 25, 000-squarefoot indoor go-cart track.
• Lowell Small Engines, a small-engine repair shop offering authorized warranties on Briggs and Stratton, Poulan, Weed Eater and other leading brands, has opened at 926 N. Bloomington St.
• The United Way of Benton County and the United Way of Washington County recently merged to become the United Way of Northwest Arkansas. The headquarters has officially opened at 117 Parkwood St., Suite 3. Siloam Springs • The La-Z-Boy plant in Siloam Springs has not changed its name, but companywide consolidation will result in up to 120 new jobs moving to the facility.
• According to Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce President Wayne Mays, the community is very close to landing another Italian restaurant. Mays said the owner of a successful Italian restaurant in Oklahoma is prepared to sign a lease for space on U. S. Highway 412. Mays has been in communication with the owner for some time and drove to Oklahoma to eat at the restaurant last week. He would not provide the name, but described the restaurant as "very family friendly."
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