Coffee shop opens in Bentonville Public Library

Coffee shop 211 Café recently opened inside of Bentonville Public Library at 405 S. Main St., three blocks south of the downtown Bentonville square. Guatemala natives Mauricio and Norma Guerrero are the owners.

211 Café features pour overs such as AeroPress, V60, Chemex and French press.

“Coffee is the dream,” Mauricio Guerrero said. “Coffee is more than a drink. It is an icebreaker.” He brought his love of coffee to Bentonville five years ago. He explained that coffee creates community. “Nobody is a stranger here,” he said.

The café offers specialty coffee drinks, teas and other beverages. The food menu includes area vendors and meals that are made fresh on-site. 211 Café is open the same hours as the library: Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The business has four employees.

A library committee selected 211 Café through a request for proposal process by the city of Bentonville this spring. The Bentonville City Council on Aug. 13 approved a lease agreement with the café. The agreement shows that the café will pay rent of $950 monthly for about 954 square feet in the 38,000-square-foot library. The 12-month lease is renewable for two-year terms.

The Library Advisory Board supports the endeavor, and its members agreed that “part of the mission of [Bentonville Public Library] is to engage the community through discovery. This idea is supported and enhanced by the opportunity our patrons have to connect and interact over coffee or food in the café space. The ability to share food and drink with others — especially over a good book — is a powerful tool in community-building and developing relationships that enrich the lives and families of our city.”