River Market based herb shop Dandelion announced this week that they will leave their current space and reopen in Bentonville next year. Their last full day of operation will be September 26th.
Dandelion opened in 2013 in the (at the time) new Arcade building on Clinton Avenue in the River Market to husband and wife owners Priscilla Fincher and Matt Cooper. Cooper at the time was the executive chef next door at Cache restaurant.
The shop opened alongside local artisan shop The Freckled Frog that was previously located in Hillcrest. Dandelion’s vision was to increase the accessibility of herbs and spices in the area.
Shoppers could buy spices from bulk bins allowing them to pick up just enough spice to cook a meal without having to purchase a large quantity. For foodies and home cooks it meant being free to experiment with various flavors. It also became a great source of hard to find herbs and spices that even several local chefs took advantage of often.
Earlier this year Cooper moved to Bentonville to start a new restaurant. With that location opening later this year Cooper and Fincher decided it was time to bring Dandelion closer to their new home base.
“(We) have found an opportunity to relocate the beloved Dandelion to Bentonville in order for it to be closer,” Fincher tells us. “This decision to move the store was not easy due to the dedication of locals in Little Rock and loyal friends.”
Dandelion should fit in well to the growing culinary scene in Bentonville. They are still finalizing plans for the exact location of the new shop, so no announcement yet on the exact location. Cooper’s new restaurant is located near the Bentonville square and they promise to make Dandelion an integrated part of the growing food community in Bentonville, so it is a fairly safe bet to see it land somewhere in that general area.