Along with fellow Bentonville chef Rafael Rios of Yeyo’s Mexican Street Food, chef Matthew Cooper of Conifer is a finalist in the 2025 James Beard Awards. After years working and training at Le Cordon Bleu in the Pacific Northwest, Cooper returned to his home state of Arkansas. Here, he helped open Cache Restaurant in Little Rock and Preacher’s Son in Bentonville before opening his highly esteemed restaurant Conifer in 2022. Conifer’s menu is completely gluten-free and rotates seasonally while emphasizing ingredients from local farmers.
Both Cooper and Rios have made it to the semi-finalist round in previous years, but this will be the first year they’re headed to the awards ceremony to find out how they stack up against the competition. The 2025 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards will be announced June 16 in Chicago. Read on for our Q&A with Matthew Cooper, chef and owner of Conifer in Bentonville.
PLATED: You were a semi-finalist in 2024 for a James Beard Award for Best Chef: South, and this year you’re one round closer as a finalist. Congratulations! How does it feel?
Matthew Cooper: We are incredibly humbled and honored to even be recognized for the hard work we are trying to do and change we are trying to make in our local Arkansas community. It will be amazing to be around like minded people trying to help change the culture and direction of the hospitality industry. I’m very grateful that Chef Rafael and I get to go together to represent Arkansas.
P: What’s next on the horizon for you?
MC: We just had the soft opening of RYN, our tasting menu restaurant on a farm we have built in Bentonville. RYN stands for “Remember Your Name,” something my grandmother used to always say. This restaurant will further Conifer’s vision to support local farmers and continue to help grow the local food movement here in Arkansas.
P: What kind of food will diners be able to find at RYN?
MC: RYN is a true farm-to-table restaurant, with our farm, Sunpainted Farm, a stone’s throw outside the back door. The menu is a 9- to 10-course tasting menu that features the seasonally changing produce from its garden, highlighting what it really means to have quality local product. The menu will change weekly, we plan to make all sorts of special occasions, celebrations, weddings, and more available there.
Visit coniferbentonville.com and rynbentonville.com for locations, hours, and menus, and follow along on Instagram (@coniferbentonville and @rynbentonville) for more information. RYN takes its first reservations on June 19.
Photos by Angelina Lopez Photographer and courtesy of RYN. A version of this story appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of PLATED: The Arkansas Dining Guide.
