Date:  April 1, 2024  |   Story: Tiffany Adams  |   Art Direction: Bailey Dougan  |  

The middle of the Fayetteville Square has always been a hub of sorts. Originally the lot for the Washington County Courthouse, the structure that now occupies the intersection of Block Avenue and Center Street served as the town post office from 1911 to 1963. Falling vacant after the post office was relocated, the Neoclassical Revival building was slated to be razed as part of an early 1970s Urban Renewal Plan. Fortunately, its value and character didn’t go unnoticed, and a group of local citizens stepped in to petition for it to remain. They won out, and by 1974 the building had not only been saved but was even listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

From a white-tablecloth restaurant to an office space and even an ice cream parlor, many businesses have occupied the space since that time, but the name “Old Post Office” or “OPO” has stuck. The current owner, Jane Arnold, and her late husband, Mike, purchased the property in 2018. She recalls the vision Mike had for the space. “We went to visit one weekend and walked by the Square at night. It was so dark and sad. I said, I guess you’re right; we have to purchase this and light up the Square again,” she recalls. “We hoped it would be important to the community.”

Having previously brought the Razorback Pizza brand to central Arkansas, the Arnolds decided to reverse the concept by taking a beloved Heights eatery, Cheers, to Northwest Arkansas—with the blessing of the Little Rock restaurant’s owner. The formerly vacant interior was completely renovated to house the restaurant, and Cheers at the OPO opened in April 2019. Since its opening, Jane and Mike’s son, Curtis, has served as the manager, keeping the spirit of the vision in the family and the spirit of the city alive with an eatery that welcomes one and all in for a meal on the Square.

Illustration by Bailey Dougan