The Brick Room

The Brick Room

Owner: Betsy McNeil and

Chandi Owen

Address: 105 W. Poplar St., Suite B,

Rogers 72756

Phone: 501-936-9979

Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-

Friday and 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday

Start-up date: May 10

Email address:

[email protected]

Internet Address:

www.thebrickroom.com

Packed into 2,000 SF in downtown Rogers, The Brick Room offers a generous sample of Mexico to the shoppers of Northwest Arkansas. Owners Betsy McNeil and Chandi Owen began the importing business after Owen lived in Mexico for a year.

Home decorators enter the store to bask in the collection of traditional pieces, such as hand-painted sinks, marble tables and hand-punched tin light fixtures. To create a single store unlike any others in the region, McNeil said The Brick Room only stocks custom goods.

All products in The Brick Room are handmade or one-of-a-kind, McNeil said. The co-owners travel to Mexico to personally meet families of artisans and buy in small quantities. On their last trip, Mexicans named Pablo and Gaby sold McNeil seven leather golf bags from their garage workshop, she said.

“We buy nothing from regular markets,” McNeil said.

To begin the business, “we had to borrow more than we’ve ever had to in our lives,” McNeil said. High-quality products, however, have already inspired a solid response from the community. Oaxacan pottery, teotitlin rugs and a variety of fountains steadily bring people into the store.

For the future, McNeil and Owen want to work with commercial designers to help decorate and give on-site consultations.