Operating a restaurant or a catering company is hard work. Here’s a look into the recent ups, downs, and opportunities in the dining scene from three local business owners
at The House
Little Rock
Katie Williams and Marquis Brown are owners of at The House, a catering and cottage baking company serving parties large and small
What’s been one of your biggest wins of 2025 so far?
The Little Rock Met Gala in May was one of the coolest collaborations we’ve ever done. Creating a working relationship with a like-minded creative team and combining food and fashion was such a neat experience that we hope continues on for years
to come.
How do you stay Energized, motivated, and positive?
Coffee. Ha! Honestly? Going through event photos and videos from the past. Seeing tangible evidence of growth, dedication, and learning is an instant jolt of inspiration. It creates competition within yourself to be better than what you’ve been.
What’s one lasting impression you hope your food leaves on customers?
We truly want every job to be an experience that clients look back on and say, That was one hell of a meal. We hardly ever leave without our clients giving us big hugs and saying, You’re part of the family now. If that doesn’t show the power of food, we don’t know what does.
What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in your business right now?
Rising costs of food and equipment, and not having a brick-and-mortar restaurant space.
Do you have any current specials or new menu items?
We are plotting and scheming our intimate dinner party series coming next year. These will be a five-course dinner, 12-person maximum, that we’ll do four times a year. All of the bells and whistles will be pulled out for these dinners—china selected to go with the theme of each course, wine selected by a Sommelier, and a tour of the venue after dinner. This is to start giving folks a preview of what an at The House restaurant will be like.
What are some of your favorite locally owned restaurants?
Mike’s Cafe for a recharge, Allsopp and Chapple for date night, and Ciao Baci for drinks and a much needed catch-up with friends on the patio.
Visit foodatthehouse.com and follow along on Instagram (@at.thehouse) for more about Katie and Marquis’s creations.
GOLDEN TABLE COLLECTIVE
Northwest Arkansas
Nickki and Chef Todd Golden own and operate a collection of concepts: Mermaids Seafood Restaurant in Rogers, Isabella’s Italian in Fayetteville and Bentonville, and TJ’s Sandwich Shop and Hugs Chef-Inspired Ice Cream, both in Fayetteville
What’s been one of your biggest wins of 2025 so far?
Reopening Mermaids in a new location, now in Rogers! We also worked with DISH, the fundraiser for Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and launched our Give Back Nights on Mondays at all of our Golden Table Collective locations—any non-profit or charity can sign up to be involved and receive money back from dining with us.
How do you keep your staff energized, motivated, and positive?
We work as a team! We also highlight our awesome team members with contests, employee of the month, and more. We feel good when we know how much care goes into the food and the service each day.
Are there any current specials or new menu items at any of your restaurants?
We have live music, daily specials such as a crab boil, lunch specials, fish specials, steak specials, and more, all at Mermaids. We also offer cooking demonstrations monthly and afternoon teas, plus live music and wine dinners at both of our Isabella’s Italian locations.
What are some of your favorite locally owned restaurants?
Ozark Charcuterie Wine Bar & Catering, Sicarú Coffee Roasters, Bentonville Brewing Co., Fossil Cove Brewery, Fayetteville Tea House, Pink House Alchemy, and so many more independent local businesses that we work with.
What are your goals for 2026?
We are opening The Golden Venue this fall and look forward to hosting rehearsal dinners, monthly meetings, special events, fundraisers, and more in this new event location in East Fayetteville.
Visit goldentablecollective.com for more information and links to each of the company’s restaurants.
The Parsonage
Jonesboro
Owner and Chef John Myers has operated farm-to-table eatery The Parsonage in downtown Jonesboro since 2016
How do you keep your staff energized, motivated, and positive?
This business is built on long hours and hard work, sometimes with little reward. But we teach our staff that out of all of it comes something priceless: a smile, joy, and the chance to create lasting memories for every person who walks through our doors.
Our team is family. We celebrate the wins together, we share the losses, we eat the same food, and we lean on each other through life’s struggles. In the kitchen, laughter is essential; it keeps us grounded in a high-stress environment where perfection is demanded, but always balanced with gratitude and humanity.
Are there any current specials or new menu items at The Parsonage?
On Wednesdays and Fridays, I challenge myself to try to create off-the-cuff, locally sourced lunch specials—unique, one-of-a-kind dishes you wouldn’t typically see.
Our Tuesdays are all about soup. What started as Soup Tuesday has grown into something special: the creation of our now popular “soup flights.” Guests kept asking to try more than one, so now I try to prepare at least three to five soups from scratch.
Recently we also added The Holly Blossom Tea Room. It’s unlike anything else in Northeast Arkansas: a place of culture, refinement, and elegance,
where people can slow down and savor the experience.
What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in your business right now?
For a small, family-owned restaurant, the greatest challenge is staying relevant—making sure we remain in the hearts and minds of our guests, whether through social media or simply by word of mouth. Just as important is helping the customer understand the value of them choosing healthier, more sustainable options instead of turning to the big-box chains. At the end of the day, supporting local is about so much more than where you eat—it’s about keeping our community strong, vibrant, and connected. That’s why we pour our hearts into it every single day.
Is there anything new coming in 2026?
We are in the process of reimagining our entire brunch menu. It’s both exciting and a little intimidating, but we’re committed to making it something extraordinary. After that, our goal for 2026 is to keep pushing ourselves—and our team—to grow, evolve and reimagine what The Parsonage can be for our community. Just like the seasons, we believe a successful restaurant should always be changing: refreshing the menu, rethinking the design, and finding new ways to surprise and delight our guests.
Visit The Parsonage on Facebook and Instagram (@theparsonageonmain) for
more information.
