Northwest Arkansas offers a number of places to grab a specialty cup of coffee. Same goes if you're looking for a spot to try a craft beer.
Craft brewing -- of both beer and coffee -- is among the fastest-growing niche industries in the country, and a handful of passionate business owners are doing their best to spread the word in Arkansas. It's why places such as Onyx Coffee Lab of Springdale are growing in popularity at a time that the state has seen an explosion of local breweries, particularly in Northwest Arkansas.
But a place devoted to both craft beer and artisan coffee at once? Puritan Brew Co., which opens later this month at 205 West Dickson St. in Fayetteville, sees a market for both. In fact, it will offer a deal for folks seeking specialty beer and coffee in a given day. Labeled as the "Business and Pleasure," patrons can order a cup of joe in the morning and then return after 5 p.m. with a token for a post-work beer.
Former Onyx barista Kevin Frey was contemplating opening a growler-filling station for folks interested in local or regional craft beers. As he talked with Onyx owner Jon Allen, the two decided that -- along with business partners Richard Cole and John David Blagg -- they would give Fayetteville a place that would draw coffee snobs and beer snobs together.
Pairing coffee with beer isn't entirely new territory for Onyx. It has partnered with Ozark Beer Company of Rogers for a coffee stout, and it has a coffee IPA in the works with Fayetteville's Fossil Cove. This is the first time, though, that the concept is being combined in one space, which led Frey to the name Puritan Brew Co.
"With the name, what we've been pushing is for people to go where it's better," Frey said. "That goes back to the Puritans. They left for something better. We want people to go where things are better, cared for."
In addition to the combination of services, the shop is seeking to separate itself by offering local wares. Coffee roasted by Onyx will be available alongside beer on tap from Fossil Cove and Ozark Beer Company. Morning pastries will be provided by the Fayetteville Pastry Shop. Afternoon snack options include locals such as Bernice's Hellacious Hummus and bratwurst from Richard's Meat Market.
Baristas (or bartenders if you're there for something other than coffee) will be wearing locally made leather and denim aprons. Frey says everything Puritan is doing "is focusing on craftsmen, especially some really talented locals."
Brew and brews, as the beer/coffee combo shops are sometimes known, have been popping up on the West Coast and in the Pacific Northwest for a while. Like specialty coffee and craft beer, the concept was slow to arrive in Arkansas, but this combo coffee shop/pub arrives at a time when both are gaining in popularity here.
For some sense of how big the industries are nationally, consider these numbers:
Coffee is a $32 billion-a-year industry, according to the Specialty Coffee Association of America. That group reports that the market share for specialty cups is above 50 percent of all coffee consumed.
Beer is a $100 billion market in the United States. Craft beer represents about $13.3 billion, according to the Brewers Association of America. Oregon, as we've mentioned before, leads the country with more than $2 billion a year in craft beer sales.
Arkansas has a long way to go to get there, but -- at least for the past year -- the state has been fast-charging when it comes to local beer.
If you've been into a brew and brews elsewhere or have had encounters with other artisan-focused establishments, you might get the sense that only a certain type of clientele is welcome. Flannel shirts. Facial hair. Thick, black-rimmed glasses.
"Hipsters. You're talking about hipsters. Just say hipsters," said Allen, laughing. "We're open to anybody who is seeking quality."
Frey also offers assurances that all comers are welcome. Just don't expect the caramel macchiato you get at Puritan to be exactly like what you'd find at Starbucks.
"We want to educate people on what is quality for both beer and coffee," Frey said. "We take it seriously, but we'll do it in a way that is nice. That's what we want to do. Customer service is important. We just want people who appreciate quality, well-crafted products."
If you have a tip, call Chris Bahn at (479) 365-2972 or email him at cbahn@nwaonline.com
SundayMonday Business on 12/07/2014