Java Dudes Coffee Co. moves to Bentonville
Java Dudes Coffee Co. is making its new home at the Bentonville-based Osage Park, a 55-acre recreation spot with fishing, kayaking, a dog park, archery range and more.
The coffee shop, which started a brewing trend for many Bella Vistans, got its start about three and a half years ago. April 25 was the last day of operations in Bella Vista.
Originally located at the space across from Lake Bella Vista, the little coffee shop had to move about a year and a half into operation, said co-owner Justin Reed.
The Walmart Foundation has plans to revamp that area, he said. Before the global pandemic, officials had said it would be two to three years before the area is revamped and Java Dudes could return.
At that point, Reed and co-owner Dustin Breazeale didn’t know where Java Dudes would land.
“If it wasn’t for the Mayor (Peter Christie), we would have been gone two years ago,” he said. “He helped us find a spot.”
Java Dudes found a new hot spot in the Sugar Creek 10 Cinema’s parking lot, where Java Dudes was able to obtain water. Water accessibility proved difficult over time, however.
“We were overworking ourselves to keep it going,” he said.
Officials with Compton Gardens offered a $50,000 small business loan as an incentive to renovate Java Dudes operations and land the coffee spot in Bentonville.
The Java Dudes definitely wants to return to Bella Vista when a good location can be found, Reed said. Most Bella Vista locations do not provide a drive-through, are not affordable or a good location or cannot provide some sit-down seating, he said.
Still, he and Breazeale are motivated to find a good spot in the village. They also want their supportive customers to have their coffee so they’ve recently struck up a partnership with Duffer’s Café, which will sell their coffee and lattes.
Java Dudes will participate in the Bella Vista Farmers Market, he added.
“We’ve had so much love in Bella Vista,” Reed said. The response to Java Dudes hasn’t surprised him, because Bella Vistans have enjoyed making a genuine connection with the coffee operators.
“Connecting with people” is the driving factor, Reed said. “We wanted to be a different vibe. We have the nicest employees. They are very talkative and we’ve met so many friends. We also have good coffee, which has kept our customers coming back,” he said.
Java Dudes has been a big supporter in the community, he said, trying to give back and help in any way they could. The business enjoyed recognizing Cooper Elementary School with Teacher Appreciation, he added.
Java Dudes will be located at Osage Park, along with two other food trucks, and operate Wednesday through Sunday. The address is 700 16th St., Bentonville.
Java Dudes also has a Rogers location, at 718 N. Second St., Suite 104, in Rogers.
For information, call 479278-2665.