Pontiac Coffee House Slated for Springdale
by December 20, 2004 12:00 am 63 views
Jeff and Nancy Hagen plan to open Pontiac Coffee House in early January at 515 S. Thompson St. in Springdale.
The building was constructed in 1948 by Jim Charlesworth, Nancy Hagen’s grandfather. It served as home to Charlesworth Pontiac until the franchise was sold in 1984 to Steve Smith. Smith operated his Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Jeep, Eagle dealership there until moving it to Tontitown in 2003.
Nancy Hagen said the building was restored to the way it looked in the 1950s and will feature a red 1954 Pontiac Starchief convertible on the 4,000-SF showroom floor. The building will also serve as a museum of Charlesworth Pontiac memorabilia. Nancy Hagen’s father, Russell Charlesworth, operated the family auto business there from 1967 to 1984.
The shop will serve soups, sandwiches and pastries in addition to coffee and espresso drinks. Susan Charlesworth, Nancy Hagen’s sister, will be the pastry chef. Nancy Hagen said she also plans to make gift baskets featuring a variety of items from the shop. For customers in a hurry, there will be a drive-through window. The 6,000-SF service bay will be converted into an arts and crafts market.
Before opening the coffee shop, the Hagens worked as school teachers. Nancy taught math in Springdale, and Jeff taught physics in Bentonville.