New Eateries Coming to Fayetteville & Springdale

Passersby in Springdale might have noticed the former home of Chili’s on Sunset Ave. appears to be getting a new tenant.

We saw the “contract pending” sign, too, and made a few inquiries. Unfortunately, lips remain largely tight on the matter. One reliable source did say, however, the space soon will be inhabited by “an existing restaurant owner in Northwest Arkansas looking to expand.”

In other restaurant news, the former home of Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill in Fayetteville will become Northern Exposure. What, exactly, is Northern Exposure?

Best we can tell, it’s a sports bar that will retain the lodge-style décor of Smokey Bones. We also understand the project is backed by a Branson-area investor who hopes to launch a line of Northern Exposure establishments.