Onyx Named Coffee Bar of the Year

Imbibe magazine, the arbiters of taste when it comes to all things drink-making, has named Springdale-based Onyx Coffee Lab as the “Coffee Bar of the Year” in its annual “Imbibe 75” issue. The pub bills its perennial list as the culmination of a year-long nationwide search to uncover the bars, cafés and breweries “that are shaping the way we’ll drink in the coming year.”

“[Co-owners] Andrea and Jon Allen run one of the country’s most innovative roasting/retailing coffee operations in Arkansas,” Imbibe wrote, pointing out that in addition to serving up coffee at three Northwest Arkansas cafés, the company distributes its roastery’s beans to upwards of 150 cafés in 30 states.

This year the majority of the list-makers were from major metropolitan areas, such as Chicago (“Cocktail Bar of the Year”), San Diego (“Beer Bar of the Year”) and San Francisco (“Wine Bar of the Year”), making the Onyx recognition that much sweeter.

Jon Allen agrees: “It’s unexpected and it’s great to see a café that’s not on the West Coast featured as top coffee bar in the United States,” he says. “It’s great to have that reassurance that we’re on the right track.”