Retail and restaurant expansions continue in Northwest Arkansas

by Kim Souza ([email protected]) 8,228 views 

Restaurants and retail stores continue to open in Benton and Washington counties in early 2022 as the pandemic begins to ease in Northwest Arkansas. Goodlettsville, Tenn.-based Dollar General has planned for three new stores in the region.

Bentonville will have a second Dollar General location at the 8100 block of SW Regional Airport Boulevard, on the outskirts of the city, toward Vaughn. The other two new stores are located in Springdale and Fayetteville. Dollar General said Store #24037 will be at 1153 Wagon Wheel Road in Springdale, and the other new site is at 2409 E. Huntsville Road in Fayetteville. The stores will open this spring and are part of the retailer’s 1,100 new stores planned for this year.

Dollar General is the largest U.S. retailer by store footprint, with more than 18,000 stores in 46 states in the continental United States. Approximately 75% of the U.S. population resides within five miles of a Dollar General store.

A second Panda Express restaurant will open in Rogers at 2108 W. Walnut St., near the Walmart Supercenter Store No. 1. Duck Donuts, a chain based in Pennsylvania, has staked out ground at 2301 Pleasant Grove Road in southwest Rogers.

Also in Benton County, Whataburger is planning a new restaurant at 2690 E. U.S. 412 in Siloam Springs. Culver’s is still planning to open a family restaurant at 1003 S. Walton Blvd.

Fayetteville will be the home of two Jersey Mike’s Sandwich Shops with one at 160 E. Joyce Blvd., near the Northwest Arkansas Mall, and at 3071 College Ave. The company’s website said the two locations will open soon.

Also in Fayetteville, Smokin Oak Pizza and Tap Room is being built at 3959 N Steele Blvd., near the Malco Razorback Cinema. A Walk-On’s restaurant location is also under construction at Exit 64 Wedington Avenue and Shiloh Drive. Longhorn Steakhouse is also planning a second location in the region in the former Grubbs Uptown location at 3467 N. Shiloh Drive. Grubbs closed the Uptown location in August 2021. Darden Restaurants, owner of Longhorn Steakhouse, is renovating the location with plans to open this summer.