Restaurants Eye Prime Location

The former Cafe Santa Fe location at 25 E. Center St. in Fayetteville appears to be a hot spot for restaurateurs.

Kim Sihapanya, owner of A Taste of Thai, checked into buying the building to move his restaurant there, but he was too late. Another potential buyer already had a deal in the works. If it falls through, Sihapanya said he’s next on the list. But he doesn’t know who’s ahead of him.

Sihapanya opened A Taste of Thai in April 2000 at 31 E. Center St., just to the east of the original Cafe Santa Fe location. But A Taste of Thai quickly outgrew the 2,250-SF spot.

In September, Fayetteville-based CSF Franchise Group closed two of its franchise restaurants and repossessed another two. All of those were operated by franchisees Sad and Frances Haleema, known collectively as Abu-Haleema Enterprises.

Abu-Haleema owns the building at 25 E. Center St. in Fayetteville as well as the one at 117 W. Walnut St. in Rogers. Both of those stores were closed by CSF.

The corporation also took over operation of the Cafe Santa Fe at 1860 N. Crossover Road in Fayetteville and 1402 S. Shane Lane in Bentonville.