Dickson Street to grow one bar bigger

An up-and-coming Fayetteville bartender will soon be opening his own business – and right in the heart of Dickson Street, no less.

Farrell’s Lounge, Bar and Grill is set to open at 311 W. Dickson Street before UA students return for fall classes. The same space most recently served as the home of Bangkok Cuisine.

Tim Farrell Jr. and his father will serve as owners. A fresh lease on the space was signed March 1. HMT of Fayetteville LLC is the property owner.

Renovations will provide the Farrell family with an “open and inviting” 3,683-SF space that makes room for booth seating, lounge furniture and several flat-screen TVs. A variety of live music is also in the offing, with bands playing sets close to windows that look out onto the entertainment district.

Along with speed and good service, “the flow of the whole place should make it one of the better service spots on Dickson Street,” Farrell said.

Roughly 30 beers are set to be on tap at the non-smoking establishment. The lunch and dinner menus likely will specialize in cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches. Farrell’s will be open daily, from 11-2 a.m., and employ 12-15 people.

“We’ve always wanted to put together something like this,” said Farrell, who tended bar at nearby Ryleigh’s Sports & More for seven years. “Once the opportunity arose we knew we had to hop right on it.”

Longtime Northwest Arkansas residents are likely to recall this property as the former home of Shipley Baking Co., which opened in 1937.