Jake’s Grill Closes After 38 Years

Jake’s Grill, a Springdale landmark since 1961, closed on July 16.

The diner, which was located at 701B S. Thompson Ave., couldn’t compete with the influx of new restaurants that have opened in Northwest Arkansas in the past few years, says Rhonda Thomason.

Thomason and her husband, Jerry Thomason, bought the eatery in 1996 from Joel Pruden. The restaurant was founded by John “Jake” Jaro.

Rhonda Thomason says Jake’s Grill had regular customers for breakfast, but the lunch crowd had thinned out and they had stopped serving dinner years before.

“You can’t live off just breakfast,” she says. “I just couldn’t compete.”

Thomason says the couple had been trying to sell the restaurant before they decided to close it. The business is still for sale. For $50,000, a buyer would get the business name and restaurant equipment. The Thomasons leased the building.

In an era of flashy, chain-owned restaurants, it’s difficult for an established business to survive simply by its reputation, Thomason says.

“I’m not a very good advertising guru,” she says. “Everything I tried didn’t work too well.”