October 24, 2025 • 18 mins
We sit down with Luke Wetzel and Mollie Mullis to share how bonding over pizza led to the newest Bentonville hotspot, Townie Burgers & Bevvies. Hear about their roots and Luke's training under Alice Waters; and the influence on local, farm-to-table and seasonal sourcing. Get the scoop on your new favorite burger joint, and so much more--there's a huge patio, TVs, beer, cocktails, private room, inclusive menu for all diets and a welcoming spirt. "Come a stranger, leave a townie"!
Follow at townieburgers.com and on Instagram at TownieBurgersandBevvies.
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A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn.
You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Beth Bobbitt (00:10):
This is a new American Town.
I'm your host, Beth Bobbitt,and today we get a sneak peek of
the newest dining spot inBentonville.
Luke Wetzel and Mollie Mollis,the owners of Townie Burgers and
Bevvies.
Welcome back to the podcast.
Mollie Mullis (00:24):
Thank you.
Yes, thanks for having us.
Beth Bobbitt (00:26):
So our listeners probably know you, or at least
they know your food.
Can you talk to us a little bitabout your footprint i
n Bentonville and sort of yourculinary journeys?
Mollie Mullis (00:37):
You want to start?
Luke Wetzel (00:39):
Sure, I'll start.
Um I moved back to NorthwestArkansas in 2012.
I was working out in Californiaand um took the opportunity to
move back and help open the hiveat 21C.
Worked there for a few years.
That's where I met Mollie overa dis uh discussion about one of
our favorite pizzas we find inBoulder, Colorado at Pizzeria
(01:01):
Locale.
Beth Bobbitt (01:02):
Yep.
Bonded over pizza.
Yeah, totally.
Luke Wetzel (01:05):
Um fast forward a couple years, um, Mollie came
along and helped me open Ovenand Tap in 2015.
We just celebrated 10 years ofOven and Tap.
Speaker (01:15):
Yeah.
It's awesome.
Luke Wetzel (01:16):
And then we've gone on to open Superfine Sweet Shop
and now Townie Burgers andBevvies together.
Beth Bobbitt (01:21):
Well, congratulations.
Luke Wetzel (01:22):
Thank you.
Beth Bobbitt (01:23):
Mollie, what about you?
Mollie Mullis (01:24):
Yeah, I mean, Luke kind of summed it up.
Um prior to opening Oven andTap, I worked at the Hive.
Um Luke and I met there.
He was my he was actually myboss.
And I kind of learnedeverything I know about food
from him and really loved hisfood philosophy and the way he
presented things on a plate andjust knew that I needed to
(01:45):
connect with that and stay thecourse.
So I basically forced myselfinto oven and tap.
He had no option other than tolet me come along.
I think it worked out for bothof you.
Yeah.
And like Luke said, so westarted oven and tap, and then
during the pandemic, we werelike, who doesn't need a bright
and sunny ice cream shop?
So we opened Superfine.
(02:05):
It's yellow and pink and thehappiest place on earth.
And then three weeks ago weopened Townie.
Beth Bobbitt (02:12):
Luke, I've heard you studied under Alice Waters.
What a dream, first of all.
She's amazing.
Can you talk about how that'sshaped your story and your path
and a little bit for listenersthat may not be familiar with
her, her concepts andphilosophies?
Luke Wetzel (02:28):
Sure.
So she really pioneered theidea behind local and seasonal
cooking.
And she did this 50 years ago,which I think is incredible.
And when I got toChez Panisse around 2006 and
2007, um, I think it was closeto about 40 year, it's 40-year
(02:49):
mark there.
And the economy around farmersmarkets and supporting local and
having that dictate your menuwas in full force, and I was
just blown away by that.
I couldn't get enough of it.
So I stuck there cooking forseveral years before moving back
(03:10):
to Arkansas.
And I really thought that wasthe most interesting piece of
cooking now to me.
And that's where I you knowfirst experienced cooking on a
wood fired oven.
And it was there that I made upmy mind that I would have one
in a restaurant one day, henceoven and tap.
Um, but yeah, it is just gone,you know, the lessons from Shape
(03:32):
and East go on and on and on.
And to this day, in our in ourrestaurants, we constant you
know, constantly bring up uhAlice's philosophy and the way
is uh that I learned to cookthere.
And I think it's gone on tomake an impact in our staff and
our customers, but also helpedfoster growing the local economy
(03:55):
here with local producers andfarmers because there's a ton.
Right.
And I still think we have along way to go to really
integrate those into torestaurants the way that Alice
did.
And so that's our goal.
Mollie Mullis (04:08):
Yeah.
I think Luke brought a uniqueperspective along with Matt
McClure at the Hive um toNorthwest Arkansas.
Not a lot of people were doing,you know, what we call now farm
to table cuisine in the area.
And they kind of pioneeredthat.
And then we took thatphilosophy that Luke learned
under Alice and tried to embedthat as much as we possibly
(04:31):
could into Oven and Tap.
Speaker (04:33):
Yeah.
Mollie Mullis (04:33):
So it's she definitely has a legacy and it
continues to live on here.
Beth Bobbitt (04:38):
Yeah.
That's amazing.
And who knows how manyrestaurants or individuals
you've influenced, you know,with your approach.
So thank you.
Let's talk a little bit aboutthe inspiration behind Townie.
How did it get its name?
Luke Wetzel (04:54):
It was one of those tough questions.
Like great idea, you know, welove the way it sounds and we
love saying it.
And we've had great responsefrom friends and family, like,
oh my gosh, we love the name.
And you know, it's reallymeant to be your neighborhood
bar and grill.
And uh, you know, it's all it'slocated in Bentonville, which
(05:15):
is this small town in big cityshoes.
And so we just kind of wantedto reference the people that
that um make the town great.
Mollie Mullis (05:24):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think about the early daysOven & Tap, and we and we still
do, but then we had this likeband of regulars that I feel
like we always kind of referredto like the townies.
They actually one of them, aguy named Jack, is coming this
week from New York City to cometo Towny, which is really
impressive.
Full circle.
Yeah, truly full circle.
(05:44):
But um, our our tagline is comea stranger, leave a towny.
So just trying to really umpromote that like community feel
that Bitonville has that peopleI think just really latch on to
and love about this communityand place.
Beth Bobbitt (05:59):
It's really grounding and shows your focus
on roots.
And so I I love that.
Luke Wetzel (06:06):
How does it feel that from roots?
That's good.
Beth Bobbitt (06:11):
How does it fit into you touched on it a little
bit, but the current culinaryscene and what role do you think
new restaurants have in shapingthe city's identity?
Luke Wetzel (06:20):
Well, this is a bustling restaurant scene that
we have in Bentonville andreally northwest Arkansas.
And we love every restaurantaround us.
We have lots of friends um atthe in the restaurant business.
And you know, our approach isjust celebrating these you know
familiar kind of Americanclassic concepts, but we're
(06:44):
adding that touch of seasonalityand um procuring local
ingredients and uh you know,again, applying you know, a
little bit of a you know, Iwould say chef's touch, I was
like chef, yeah, chef's kiss,but you know, just trying to
increase the experience withthose types of foods and then
(07:06):
also our service.
So casual concepts with youknow a slightly elevated
experience.
And so we had pizza, then werolled into ice cream because
those two go together.
And then next in line, wethought burgers would be a great
idea, and here we are withTownie.
Mollie Mullis (07:24):
Well, and Bentonville is a very transient
town.
There are a lot of peoplecoming in and out.
So I think the culinary sceneis an opportunity to show truly
our identity.
Yeah.
And there's so many wonderfuloptions here in Bentonville and
Northwest Arkansas as a whole.
And Luke and I were kind oflooking around and saw an
opportunity for like a, youknow, a watering hole of, you
(07:45):
know, burgers, beers, community,football, lots of TVs.
Um, you know, a place for youto come and enjoy.
I mean, you can come once amonth, you can come every day,
we'd love to see you every day.
Um, but that's, you know, Ithink that's what restaurants do
to spaces.
Speaker (08:00):
Hi, I'm Alison Nation from Visit Bentonville.
Wondering where to eat, shop,or explore incredible public
art?
Our free online guides have youcovered.
Discover award-winningrestaurants serving everything
from farm to table tointernational cuisine, browse
unique local boutiques andshops, and explore our renowned
public art collection, includingpieces from world-famous
(08:21):
artists.
All three guides are waitingfor you at visitbentonville.com.
Plan like a local, experiencelike a VIP.
Now back to the episode.
Yeah.
Beth Bobbitt (08:31):
And you touched on it a little bit, but I'd love
for you to just dig in a littlebit into the menu concept.
What are some of thesignatures, your favorites?
Luke Wetzel (08:42):
Sure.
Well, that's another toughquestion.
But right now, you know, wewe're a burger joint, and so we
are really proud of our of ourburgers.
I love pairing them with achilled glass of Lambrusco,
which is kind of an effervescentred wine.
I think it's um it's a magicalpairing.
Um, but yeah, we cut and cutour own fries.
(09:05):
We have our house made onionrings, which are great size, the
burgers.
But just like oven and tap, youknow, oven and tap is a
pizzeria and more.
We like to consider it.
And Townie is burgers andmore.
So we have, you know, we go oninto a good many of salads, and
then we also have entrees forthose that are that are, you
know, maybe wanting something abit different than a burger.
Mollie Mullis (09:28):
Yeah.
We plan to open for breakfast.
Um soon, hopefully November,maybe middle of November, we
will also be open for breakfast.
And so you can expect to seesome, you know, American
breakfast classics, thatnostalgic feel that you get.
Yeah.
Um, which we're really lookingforward to.
Beth Bobbitt (09:46):
I was just gonna say it does feel nostalgic just
looking at the menu, thinkingabout things like banana
pudding.
I mean, you won my heart withthat.
But there's certainly regionalflares that you know,
southerners would fried chicken.
Mollie Mullis (10:00):
You gotta have it.
Exactly.
You know, the tuna turner.
Who doesn't want that?
Beth Bobbitt (10:04):
Not to be confused with Tina Turner.
Right, right, right.
Got it.
So you just opened.
How's it all been going?
Luke Wetzel (10:10):
Three weeks in.
Mollie Mullis (10:11):
Yeah, it's great.
It is a lot.
Um, but we knew that going intoit.
Um, we have been very wellreceived by our community.
I said this at the beginningwhen we sat down that Luke and I
just left a very busyrestaurant, which is such a good
feeling.
Because you do all this workand then you're like, Will
people come?
Right.
(10:31):
Will there be bodies and seats?
So it's been going really well.
Luke Wetzel (10:35):
Yeah, I agree.
And I've been reallyimpressed.
We with our staff.
We work hard on maintaining acertain restaurant culture for
our staff, and we love workingalongside them in these
restaurants.
And this was a new team, sothat was a little intimidating
because we've had such a umsuch a team together out on tap
(10:57):
for so long now.
Yeah.
But uh new staff, excuse me,uh, we were able to um share
some management, some core staffmembers with Towny, but the
rest of the staff is completelynew to us.
So meeting everyone has beenexciting, and I think you know,
I could we couldn't ask for abetter team over there.
So that's another excitingpiece of it.
(11:19):
I think that's why you knowMolly and I really love the
restaurant industry.
Beth Bobbitt (11:23):
Yeah.
How would you describe theculture, the vibe?
Like how are you approachingtraining your staff?
That's a great question.
Luke Wetzel (11:32):
Well, in our restaurant culture, we just you
know, our utmost you know,priority is teaching respect of
one another and respect of thefood and respect of what the
beverages, everything we serveand we do.
We take pride in all our workand we take care of one another.
And so that that comes first inall of our restaurants.
And people really latch on tothat.
(11:54):
The restaurant industry can bea challenging place to work.
So we're trying to improve thatenvironment, do with whatever
we can, and really just againtaking care of one another and
taking care of the food andtaking care of our service.
Mollie Mullis (12:07):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And we, I mean, we're a team.
Like everyone is in thistogether.
We are trying to help oneanother in every at every
opportunity that we can.
So no one's an island.
And I think that's another partof Oven and Tap that we've been
able to implement at Superfineand Towny.
That's something that's reallyimportant to respect and that
we're all in this together.
Yeah.
unknown (12:27):
Yeah.
Luke Wetzel (12:28):
I mean, I jumped in and cooked some burgers on the
grill the other day.
A little rusty.
unknown (12:32):
Right.
Luke Wetzel (12:33):
Not the quickest gun in the West anymore.
Beth Bobbitt (12:35):
All hands on deck.
Yeah, and I've sort of noticedthe inclusiveness translated in
your menu items.
I mean, um, we have a family ofrestricted diets, and you
accommodate for everythinggluten-free, vegan, vegetarian.
So I love that.
Luke Wetzel (12:54):
Yeah, we do like to always have vegetarian and
vegan, and certainly umgluten-free and dairy-free.
And we're still learning how toaccommodate that better and
better each time.
And so, yeah, we look forwardto feedback and look forward to
keep growing the menu.
Beth Bobbitt (13:10):
Yeah.
Amazing.
So noticed a lot of beers ontap and fun adult bevies.
Uh talk a little bit about youknow how you approach your
drinks and will there be happyhours?
Luke Wetzel (13:25):
Yeah, it's a happy hour.
Mollie Mullis (13:27):
We gotta figure it out.
But it hopefully soon, happyhour.
Luke Wetzel (13:30):
Yeah, of course.
We'll we're on some happyhours.
Um, and really beverage menuhere, so oven and tap uh you
know, is uh mainly tap beer.
We used to have type wine, butwe've moved on from that for you
know just better selection andbetter um allotments in terms of
wine.
But county took on you know alittle bit you know different
(13:55):
feel.
So we included a lot more kindof American classic, simple
cocktails, and then somedomestic beers, which people are
loving by the can.
And then we do feature a fewtaps, and they are um uh poured
by Hawk Moth Brewing, so one ofour local brewers that is near
(14:17):
and dear to our heart, Bradley.
Yeah, he helped us hook up thesystem, and so we pour his beer
through the tap, and we'llrotate through those as well.
But um, he's got some of his umyou know favorite beers on
there, and that's kind of a funpartnership to have him, you
know, have a little creativefreedom with it.
Beth Bobbitt (14:35):
Yeah.
I love that.
It sounds very Cheersy.
Like you just you want tocollect these regulars, and I
think that you're positioned todo so.
Mollie Mullis (14:44):
You've got, like you said, lots of monitors,
televisions, patio, you haveoutdoor space, massive patio,
okay, which we're really excitedabout.
Um so there's the patio andthen there's the courtyard,
which is the area kind of beyondthe covered um part.
And we're looking forward tothat, especially with the park
that's coming.
So there will be a park thatbacks right up to Aven and Tap
(15:06):
and Townie.
So I think it will be theperfect spot to, you know, grab
a burger, watch your kids play,you know, hang out, be outside,
do all sorts of things.
Beth Bobbitt (15:15):
What do you see for the future?
Special events or rotatingmenu?
I know you're just opening.
Mollie Mullis (15:21):
So well, no, we've got a we dream pretty
big.
Yeah.
Um, that's for sure.
So we've got a private diningroom at Townie, which has been
our number one request atOven & Tap for parties to have a
private space to dine and enjoythemselves.
So we have a private diningroom at Evident, or I'm sorry,
at Townie, um, which we'rereally looking forward to
activate.
(15:41):
We already have this pastweekend with the USA cycling
team, which was great.
Um, it was really fun to havethem in the house.
Um and then uh we uh events,um, you know, we're kind of
hoping to activate the patio alittle bit more, maybe doing
some sort of pop-ups or marketsor just the space is massive.
And music, yeah, all thethings.
(16:04):
So we're looking forward tothat as well.
Beth Bobbitt (16:06):
Amazing.
Okay, wrapping up, switchinggears here, let's share some of
your favorite spots inBentonville or restaurants.
What do you like to do in yourfree time when you're not
working?
Mollie Mullis (16:21):
We can have the same, yeah, same phase.
Um I if I'm going out for a fundinner, I love Bar Clee.
Um, we love what they do.
They're their food isexcellent, their execution is
great, their staff is top-notch.
Um, the Lady Slipper isalways a fun spot for a
cocktail.
Um, the Hive, you know, islike just feels like home.
(16:45):
Yeah.
Uh they also have an excellentcheeseburger on the menu.
Um let's see.
You really, I mean, truly can'tgo wrong in in Bentonville.
That's true.
Luke Wetzel (16:55):
Yeah.
Oh yeah, uh I echo all of thosefaves.
Um you know, a little bit of acreature of habit when it comes
to going downtown here.
Um, but yeah, love all thosespots.
And again, it's hard to missMezzaluna.
Yes.
New to the area, great friendsof ours.
Mollie Mullis (17:11):
Yeah, they're awesome.
Luke Wetzel (17:12):
Of course, uh Conifer and the new um Ren.
Thank you.
We went we uh visited theretogether and had a great meal.
So yeah, it's hard to miss.
And I really love that aboutBentonville.
Mollie Mullis (17:23):
Well, and you can't forget Onyx.
Luke Wetzel (17:25):
Thank you.
Mollie Mullis (17:26):
Yes, yeah.
So many, so yeah, so manygreats.
So, how do we follow along?
Social website.
Yeah, we've got a website,townieburgers.com, and then our
Instagram.
That's the only one we dobecause I'm kind of old and
can't drink the Kool-Aid onTikTok.
I just feel like it's too much.
But um, Townie Burgers andBevies as our Instagram handle.
(17:47):
And that's where you can findmost information regarding the
business, and then a Googlepage.
Perfect.
Beth Bobbitt (17:54):
Well, thank you both.
Anything else you want to touchon before we wrap?
Luke Wetzel (17:58):
Come see us.
We're on South Main at 219slash T1.
So joking, but yeah, I think219 South Main Street.
Mollie Mullis (18:07):
We joke because we have we took one build or
two buildings and made it once.
So we technically have twoaddresses of an attack has the
same problem.
Right.
Right.
Yeah.
It's a good problem to have.
Yes, for sure.
Beth Bobbitt (18:18):
Thank you both.
Appreciate your time.
Yeah, thank you.
Don't forget, Visit Bentonvilleis here to help you navigate
things to do, where to eat andstay, and what's going on in our
new American town.
Check out the show notes,follow us on social, sign up for
the newsletter, and check outour website at
visitbentontville.com.
Thanks for listening.
This is a new American Town.
I'm your host, Beth Bobbitt,and today we get a sneak peek of
the newest dining spot inBentonville.
Luke Wetzel and Mollie Mollis,the owners of Townie Burgers and
Bevvies.
Welcome back to the podcast.
Mollie Mullis (00:24):
Thank you.
Yes, thanks for having us.
Beth Bobbitt (00:26):
So our listeners probably know you, or at least
they know your food.
Can you talk to us a little bitabout your footprint i
n Bentonville and sort of yourculinary journeys?
Mollie Mullis (00:37):
You want to start?
Luke Wetzel (00:39):
Sure, I'll start.
Um I moved back to NorthwestArkansas in 2012.
I was working out in Californiaand um took the opportunity to
move back and help open the hiveat 21C.
Worked there for a few years.
That's where I met Mollie overa dis uh discussion about one of
our favorite pizzas we find inBoulder, Colorado at Pizzeria
(01:01):
Locale.
Beth Bobbitt (01:02):
Yep.
Bonded over pizza.
Yeah, totally.
Luke Wetzel (01:05):
Um fast forward a couple years, um, Mollie came
along and helped me open Ovenand Tap in 2015.
We just celebrated 10 years ofOven and Tap.
Speaker (01:15):
Yeah.
It's awesome.
Luke Wetzel (01:16):
And then we've gone on to open Superfine Sweet Shop
and now Townie Burgers andBevvies together.
Beth Bobbitt (01:21):
Well, congratulations.
Luke Wetzel (01:22):
Thank you.
Beth Bobbitt (01:23):
Mollie, what about you?
Mollie Mullis (01:24):
Yeah, I mean, Luke kind of summed it up.
Um prior to opening Oven andTap, I worked at the Hive.
Um Luke and I met there.
He was my he was actually myboss.
And I kind of learnedeverything I know about food
from him and really loved hisfood philosophy and the way he
presented things on a plate andjust knew that I needed to
(01:45):
connect with that and stay thecourse.
So I basically forced myselfinto oven and tap.
He had no option other than tolet me come along.
I think it worked out for bothof you.
Yeah.
And like Luke said, so westarted oven and tap, and then
during the pandemic, we werelike, who doesn't need a bright
and sunny ice cream shop?
So we opened Superfine.
(02:05):
It's yellow and pink and thehappiest place on earth.
And then three weeks ago weopened Townie.
Beth Bobbitt (02:12):
Luke, I've heard you studied under Alice Waters.
What a dream, first of all.
She's amazing.
Can you talk about how that'sshaped your story and your path
and a little bit for listenersthat may not be familiar with
her, her concepts andphilosophies?
Luke Wetzel (02:28):
Sure.
So she really pioneered theidea behind local and seasonal
cooking.
And she did this 50 years ago,which I think is incredible.
And when I got toChez Panisse around 2006 and
2007, um, I think it was closeto about 40 year, it's 40-year
(02:49):
mark there.
And the economy around farmersmarkets and supporting local and
having that dictate your menuwas in full force, and I was
just blown away by that.
I couldn't get enough of it.
So I stuck there cooking forseveral years before moving back
(03:10):
to Arkansas.
And I really thought that wasthe most interesting piece of
cooking now to me.
And that's where I you knowfirst experienced cooking on a
wood fired oven.
And it was there that I made upmy mind that I would have one
in a restaurant one day, henceoven and tap.
Um, but yeah, it is just gone,you know, the lessons from Shape
(03:32):
and East go on and on and on.
And to this day, in our in ourrestaurants, we constant you
know, constantly bring up uhAlice's philosophy and the way
is uh that I learned to cookthere.
And I think it's gone on tomake an impact in our staff and
our customers, but also helpedfoster growing the local economy
(03:55):
here with local producers andfarmers because there's a ton.
Right.
And I still think we have along way to go to really
integrate those into torestaurants the way that Alice
did.
And so that's our goal.
Mollie Mullis (04:08):
Yeah.
I think Luke brought a uniqueperspective along with Matt
McClure at the Hive um toNorthwest Arkansas.
Not a lot of people were doing,you know, what we call now farm
to table cuisine in the area.
And they kind of pioneeredthat.
And then we took thatphilosophy that Luke learned
under Alice and tried to embedthat as much as we possibly
(04:31):
could into Oven and Tap.
Speaker (04:33):
Yeah.
Mollie Mullis (04:33):
So it's she definitely has a legacy and it
continues to live on here.
Beth Bobbitt (04:38):
Yeah.
That's amazing.
And who knows how manyrestaurants or individuals
you've influenced, you know,with your approach.
So thank you.
Let's talk a little bit aboutthe inspiration behind Townie.
How did it get its name?
Luke Wetzel (04:54):
It was one of those tough questions.
Like great idea, you know, welove the way it sounds and we
love saying it.
And we've had great responsefrom friends and family, like,
oh my gosh, we love the name.
And you know, it's reallymeant to be your neighborhood
bar and grill.
And uh, you know, it's all it'slocated in Bentonville, which
(05:15):
is this small town in big cityshoes.
And so we just kind of wantedto reference the people that
that um make the town great.
Mollie Mullis (05:24):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think about the early daysOven & Tap, and we and we still
do, but then we had this likeband of regulars that I feel
like we always kind of referredto like the townies.
They actually one of them, aguy named Jack, is coming this
week from New York City to cometo Towny, which is really
impressive.
Full circle.
Yeah, truly full circle.
(05:44):
But um, our our tagline is comea stranger, leave a towny.
So just trying to really umpromote that like community feel
that Bitonville has that peopleI think just really latch on to
and love about this communityand place.
Beth Bobbitt (05:59):
It's really grounding and shows your focus
on roots.
And so I I love that.
Luke Wetzel (06:06):
How does it feel that from roots?
That's good.
Beth Bobbitt (06:11):
How does it fit into you touched on it a little
bit, but the current culinaryscene and what role do you think
new restaurants have in shapingthe city's identity?
Luke Wetzel (06:20):
Well, this is a bustling restaurant scene that
we have in Bentonville andreally northwest Arkansas.
And we love every restaurantaround us.
We have lots of friends um atthe in the restaurant business.
And you know, our approach isjust celebrating these you know
familiar kind of Americanclassic concepts, but we're
(06:44):
adding that touch of seasonalityand um procuring local
ingredients and uh you know,again, applying you know, a
little bit of a you know, Iwould say chef's touch, I was
like chef, yeah, chef's kiss,but you know, just trying to
increase the experience withthose types of foods and then
(07:06):
also our service.
So casual concepts with youknow a slightly elevated
experience.
And so we had pizza, then werolled into ice cream because
those two go together.
And then next in line, wethought burgers would be a great
idea, and here we are withTownie.
Mollie Mullis (07:24):
Well, and Bentonville is a very transient
town.
There are a lot of peoplecoming in and out.
So I think the culinary sceneis an opportunity to show truly
our identity.
Yeah.
And there's so many wonderfuloptions here in Bentonville and
Northwest Arkansas as a whole.
And Luke and I were kind oflooking around and saw an
opportunity for like a, youknow, a watering hole of, you
(07:45):
know, burgers, beers, community,football, lots of TVs.
Um, you know, a place for youto come and enjoy.
I mean, you can come once amonth, you can come every day,
we'd love to see you every day.
Um, but that's, you know, Ithink that's what restaurants do
to spaces.
Speaker (08:00):
Hi, I'm Alison Nation from Visit Bentonville.
Wondering where to eat, shop,or explore incredible public
art?
Our free online guides have youcovered.
Discover award-winningrestaurants serving everything
from farm to table tointernational cuisine, browse
unique local boutiques andshops, and explore our renowned
public art collection, includingpieces from world-famous
(08:21):
artists.
All three guides are waitingfor you at visitbentonville.com.
Plan like a local, experiencelike a VIP.
Now back to the episode.
Yeah.
Beth Bobbitt (08:31):
And you touched on it a little bit, but I'd love
for you to just dig in a littlebit into the menu concept.
What are some of thesignatures, your favorites?
Luke Wetzel (08:42):
Sure.
Well, that's another toughquestion.
But right now, you know, wewe're a burger joint, and so we
are really proud of our of ourburgers.
I love pairing them with achilled glass of Lambrusco,
which is kind of an effervescentred wine.
I think it's um it's a magicalpairing.
Um, but yeah, we cut and cutour own fries.
(09:05):
We have our house made onionrings, which are great size, the
burgers.
But just like oven and tap, youknow, oven and tap is a
pizzeria and more.
We like to consider it.
And Townie is burgers andmore.
So we have, you know, we go oninto a good many of salads, and
then we also have entrees forthose that are that are, you
know, maybe wanting something abit different than a burger.
Mollie Mullis (09:28):
Yeah.
We plan to open for breakfast.
Um soon, hopefully November,maybe middle of November, we
will also be open for breakfast.
And so you can expect to seesome, you know, American
breakfast classics, thatnostalgic feel that you get.
Yeah.
Um, which we're really lookingforward to.
Beth Bobbitt (09:46):
I was just gonna say it does feel nostalgic just
looking at the menu, thinkingabout things like banana
pudding.
I mean, you won my heart withthat.
But there's certainly regionalflares that you know,
southerners would fried chicken.
Mollie Mullis (10:00):
You gotta have it.
Exactly.
You know, the tuna turner.
Who doesn't want that?
Beth Bobbitt (10:04):
Not to be confused with Tina Turner.
Right, right, right.
Got it.
So you just opened.
How's it all been going?
Luke Wetzel (10:10):
Three weeks in.
Mollie Mullis (10:11):
Yeah, it's great.
It is a lot.
Um, but we knew that going intoit.
Um, we have been very wellreceived by our community.
I said this at the beginningwhen we sat down that Luke and I
just left a very busyrestaurant, which is such a good
feeling.
Because you do all this workand then you're like, Will
people come?
Right.
(10:31):
Will there be bodies and seats?
So it's been going really well.
Luke Wetzel (10:35):
Yeah, I agree.
And I've been reallyimpressed.
We with our staff.
We work hard on maintaining acertain restaurant culture for
our staff, and we love workingalongside them in these
restaurants.
And this was a new team, sothat was a little intimidating
because we've had such a umsuch a team together out on tap
(10:57):
for so long now.
Yeah.
But uh new staff, excuse me,uh, we were able to um share
some management, some core staffmembers with Towny, but the
rest of the staff is completelynew to us.
So meeting everyone has beenexciting, and I think you know,
I could we couldn't ask for abetter team over there.
So that's another excitingpiece of it.
(11:19):
I think that's why you knowMolly and I really love the
restaurant industry.
Beth Bobbitt (11:23):
Yeah.
How would you describe theculture, the vibe?
Like how are you approachingtraining your staff?
That's a great question.
Luke Wetzel (11:32):
Well, in our restaurant culture, we just you
know, our utmost you know,priority is teaching respect of
one another and respect of thefood and respect of what the
beverages, everything we serveand we do.
We take pride in all our workand we take care of one another.
And so that that comes first inall of our restaurants.
And people really latch on tothat.
(11:54):
The restaurant industry can bea challenging place to work.
So we're trying to improve thatenvironment, do with whatever
we can, and really just againtaking care of one another and
taking care of the food andtaking care of our service.
Mollie Mullis (12:07):
Yeah.
Yeah.
And we, I mean, we're a team.
Like everyone is in thistogether.
We are trying to help oneanother in every at every
opportunity that we can.
So no one's an island.
And I think that's another partof Oven and Tap that we've been
able to implement at Superfineand Towny.
That's something that's reallyimportant to respect and that
we're all in this together.
Yeah.
unknown (12:27):
Yeah.
Luke Wetzel (12:28):
I mean, I jumped in and cooked some burgers on the
grill the other day.
A little rusty.
unknown (12:32):
Right.
Luke Wetzel (12:33):
Not the quickest gun in the West anymore.
Beth Bobbitt (12:35):
All hands on deck.
Yeah, and I've sort of noticedthe inclusiveness translated in
your menu items.
I mean, um, we have a family ofrestricted diets, and you
accommodate for everythinggluten-free, vegan, vegetarian.
So I love that.
Luke Wetzel (12:54):
Yeah, we do like to always have vegetarian and
vegan, and certainly umgluten-free and dairy-free.
And we're still learning how toaccommodate that better and
better each time.
And so, yeah, we look forwardto feedback and look forward to
keep growing the menu.
Beth Bobbitt (13:10):
Yeah.
Amazing.
So noticed a lot of beers ontap and fun adult bevies.
Uh talk a little bit about youknow how you approach your
drinks and will there be happyhours?
Luke Wetzel (13:25):
Yeah, it's a happy hour.
Mollie Mullis (13:27):
We gotta figure it out.
But it hopefully soon, happyhour.
Luke Wetzel (13:30):
Yeah, of course.
We'll we're on some happyhours.
Um, and really beverage menuhere, so oven and tap uh you
know, is uh mainly tap beer.
We used to have type wine, butwe've moved on from that for you
know just better selection andbetter um allotments in terms of
wine.
But county took on you know alittle bit you know different
(13:55):
feel.
So we included a lot more kindof American classic, simple
cocktails, and then somedomestic beers, which people are
loving by the can.
And then we do feature a fewtaps, and they are um uh poured
by Hawk Moth Brewing, so one ofour local brewers that is near
(14:17):
and dear to our heart, Bradley.
Yeah, he helped us hook up thesystem, and so we pour his beer
through the tap, and we'llrotate through those as well.
But um, he's got some of his umyou know favorite beers on
there, and that's kind of a funpartnership to have him, you
know, have a little creativefreedom with it.
Beth Bobbitt (14:35):
Yeah.
I love that.
It sounds very Cheersy.
Like you just you want tocollect these regulars, and I
think that you're positioned todo so.
Mollie Mullis (14:44):
You've got, like you said, lots of monitors,
televisions, patio, you haveoutdoor space, massive patio,
okay, which we're really excitedabout.
Um so there's the patio andthen there's the courtyard,
which is the area kind of beyondthe covered um part.
And we're looking forward tothat, especially with the park
that's coming.
So there will be a park thatbacks right up to Aven and Tap
(15:06):
and Townie.
So I think it will be theperfect spot to, you know, grab
a burger, watch your kids play,you know, hang out, be outside,
do all sorts of things.
Beth Bobbitt (15:15):
What do you see for the future?
Special events or rotatingmenu?
I know you're just opening.
Mollie Mullis (15:21):
So well, no, we've got a we dream pretty
big.
Yeah.
Um, that's for sure.
So we've got a private diningroom at Townie, which has been
our number one request atOven & Tap for parties to have a
private space to dine and enjoythemselves.
So we have a private diningroom at Evident, or I'm sorry,
at Townie, um, which we'rereally looking forward to
activate.
(15:41):
We already have this pastweekend with the USA cycling
team, which was great.
Um, it was really fun to havethem in the house.
Um and then uh we uh events,um, you know, we're kind of
hoping to activate the patio alittle bit more, maybe doing
some sort of pop-ups or marketsor just the space is massive.
And music, yeah, all thethings.
(16:04):
So we're looking forward tothat as well.
Beth Bobbitt (16:06):
Amazing.
Okay, wrapping up, switchinggears here, let's share some of
your favorite spots inBentonville or restaurants.
What do you like to do in yourfree time when you're not
working?
Mollie Mullis (16:21):
We can have the same, yeah, same phase.
Um I if I'm going out for a fundinner, I love Bar Clee.
Um, we love what they do.
They're their food isexcellent, their execution is
great, their staff is top-notch.
Um, the Lady Slipper isalways a fun spot for a
cocktail.
Um, the Hive, you know, islike just feels like home.
(16:45):
Yeah.
Uh they also have an excellentcheeseburger on the menu.
Um let's see.
You really, I mean, truly can'tgo wrong in in Bentonville.
That's true.
Luke Wetzel (16:55):
Yeah.
Oh yeah, uh I echo all of thosefaves.
Um you know, a little bit of acreature of habit when it comes
to going downtown here.
Um, but yeah, love all thosespots.
And again, it's hard to missMezzaluna.
Yes.
New to the area, great friendsof ours.
Mollie Mullis (17:11):
Yeah, they're awesome.
Luke Wetzel (17:12):
Of course, uh Conifer and the new um Ren.
Thank you.
We went we uh visited theretogether and had a great meal.
So yeah, it's hard to miss.
And I really love that aboutBentonville.
Mollie Mullis (17:23):
Well, and you can't forget Onyx.
Luke Wetzel (17:25):
Thank you.
Mollie Mullis (17:26):
Yes, yeah.
So many, so yeah, so manygreats.
So, how do we follow along?
Social website.
Yeah, we've got a website,townieburgers.com, and then our
Instagram.
That's the only one we dobecause I'm kind of old and
can't drink the Kool-Aid onTikTok.
I just feel like it's too much.
But um, Townie Burgers andBevies as our Instagram handle.
(17:47):
And that's where you can findmost information regarding the
business, and then a Googlepage.
Perfect.
Beth Bobbitt (17:54):
Well, thank you both.
Anything else you want to touchon before we wrap?
Luke Wetzel (17:58):
Come see us.
We're on South Main at 219slash T1.
So joking, but yeah, I think219 South Main Street.
Mollie Mullis (18:07):
We joke because we have we took one build or
two buildings and made it once.
So we technically have twoaddresses of an attack has the
same problem.
Right.
Right.
Yeah.
It's a good problem to have.
Yes, for sure.
Beth Bobbitt (18:18):
Thank you both.
Appreciate your time.
Yeah, thank you.
Don't forget, Visit Bentonvilleis here to help you navigate
things to do, where to eat andstay, and what's going on in our
new American town.
Check out the show notes,follow us on social, sign up for
the newsletter, and check outour website at
visitbentontville.com.
Thanks for listening.
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