Onyx Coffee Lab is expanding with chocolate-focused concept in downtown Springdale
by July 25, 2023 12:00 pm 2,958 views
Jon and Andrea Allen, owners of Onyx Coffee Lab, say they are planning a return to Springdale.
In a news release Tuesday (July 25), Onyx disclosed details of opening a new retail location downtown. The store will be inside West Emma Avenue’s former First Security Bank complex. The property sold for nearly $5 million last year and is undergoing a $3 million redevelopment, including retail, restaurant, residential and office spaces.
The Allens are Springdale natives and started Onyx in 2012 as a tiny café in Springdale and 10 employees. It’s now a multimillion-dollar business with Northwest Arkansas locations in Bentonville (2), Rogers and Fayetteville, more than 100 workers and a network of partnerships and vast e-commerce reach.
Last year, the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal reported that Onyx’s revenue reached nearly $11 million in its first decade, and the company sold an average of 1,200 bags of coffee daily.
Onyx will begin the construction buildout of its new Springdale location on Sept. 1. A company spokeswoman said the space is expected to be 6,000 square feet and three stories.
“We knew that we wanted to bring a location to Springdale and decided that now is the time for Onyx to open in downtown Springdale,” Andrea Allen said. “Emma Avenue is always buzzing with activity, and we felt it was the perfect time to return to our roots.”
In a news release, Onyx said the Springdale concept would feature an evolving specialty coffee program like other Onyx locations. However, the focus in Springdale will be chocolate. The bean-to-bar production facility will be open to customers inside the cafe to learn more about roasting cacao and the craft and art of developing single-origin chocolates worldwide. New breakfast, pastry and lunch will be served alongside house-made ice creams and a small offering of natural wines.
“We’ve spent two years planning this concept and working with ownership to create a truly one-of-a-kind café,” Jon Allen said. “There’s a lot of momentum with restaurants and business openings, expansions to the [Razorback Regional] Greenway and constant improvements to our community. It’s been fun to watch Emma transform into something neither of us ever dreamed of. We’re thrilled to get to be a part of it.”
Onyx maintains headquarters in The 1907 building in downtown Rogers.