Let's call it "Starbucks Syndrome." We're talking about the steaming passion for fancy cups of coffee that wafted eastward from the West Coast to seduce its first Arkansas caffeine connoisseurs a quarter-century ago.
One recent Natural State manifestation is the Main Street Arkansas Coffee Trail, created by the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism's Division of Arkansas Heritage. This informal network of more than 40 purveyors sells a panoply of caffeinated and decaffeinated beverages.
The Little Rock metropolitan area has eight Coffee Trail members. Others are spread across the state, except for the southeast quadrant. They exist in communities as small as Calico Rock (population 1,500) and Rector (population 1,900) and Eureka Springs (population 2,100). Members are listed at arkansasonline.com/723coffee/
"We wanted to highlight the growing number of coffee shops in our downtown districts," says Greg Phillips, director of Main Street Arkansas. "These small business owners have a passion for their work."
Three requirements must be met to join the coffee trail. The shop needs to be located in a Main Street District, although not necessarily on Main Street itself. It must be locally owned and/or operated. And coffee must be one of its main products. A food menu is not necessary, but most members do offer sandwiches and other edibles. One exception is Pink Olive, in Little Rock's SoMa strip, which serves only beverages.
Fans of wordplay can savor the name Bean Me Up Coffee, one of the Eureka Springs members. Siloam Springs is the home of Pour Jon's. Searcy is the site of Rise & Grind Coffee Co.
A shop in Hope makes a biblical allusion via the name Hebrews 11&1. It refers to Hebrews 11:1 in the New Testament: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Coffee shops can help perk up a downtown, as with Indigo Blue Coffeehouse, three blocks west of Jefferson County Courthouse in Pine Bluff.
"My building is an historic property built in 1883 by an early settler and business owner," says proprietor Maryann Lee. "It was abandoned before being restored in 2016. In addition to selling brewed coffees, we are community-minded. We host events such as jazz night, poetry night, art exhibits, book signings and community forums. We have received awards for Best Coffee in Jefferson County from the Pine Bluff Commercial."
Lee says that coffee-trail membership "has been great for my business. It has increased my exposure throughout Arkansas. Visitors coming to Pine Bluff or passing through often find me by searching online, so it is valuable to be linked to the coffee trail."
A historic building in downtown Morrilton houses Big Cuppa, which roasts its own beans and has a roaster on display. Co-owner Jaim Krutz says he and his business partner bought the structure aiming to make a community connection, which Main Street Arkansas Coffee Trail cites as one of its goals.
"That is a mission that Big Cuppa believes in and has fulfilled," Krutz says. "Our hope was to inspire others to do the same, and it is working. Several other old buildings have been restored since we opened, and other businesses have been created."
A Coffee Records poster offers a jaunty twist on caffeine’s impact. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Marcia Schnedler)
Once upon a time, coffee choices at downtown cafes where regulars gathered to chat in the morning were pretty much limited to "black," "cream," "sugar," "cream and sugar" and "decaf." Now the offerings can verge on mind-boggling.
Customers at Coffee Records in Malvern face a menu board that has a "Coffee" section listing Americano, Cafe Latte, Doppio Espresso, Drip Coffee, Red Eye (drip with espresso) and Cold Brew.
The choices under "Sweet Coffee" include Mocha, White Mocha, Sugar Free Mocha, Vanilla Latte, Skinny Vanilla Latte, Caramel Latte and Honeynut Latte.
Among the selections under "Not Coffee" are Chai Latte, Matcha Latte, Dirty Vanilla Chai, Vanilla and nine varieties of Herbal Tea.
As at virtually all coffee shops, no alcohol is served. So it's a sobering fact that the options do not include the more potent likes of Irish Coffee and Long Island Tea.