Discover Benton & Bryant

Date: December 2, 2024 | Story: Stephanie Maxwell Newton | Photography: Bailey Dougan |

A business owner shares how his passion for pizza has roots—and plans for future growth—in Saline County | A Special At Home in Arkansas Promotion

Mural by artist Jessica Kay visible from Progress Way in Bryant.

Pizza sauce runs deep in Brian Krikorian’s veins. The owner of Different Dough Pizza Co. in Bryant spent much of his childhood at his parent’s restaurant, Sergio’s Pizza, a mainstay in Benton’s Lincoln Square Shopping Center in the 1990s. Even after Sergio’s closed and Brian’s parents moved on to other things, his fascination with pizza remained. “I wrote my first pizza business plan when I was 14 years old,” he says. “I have other aspirations, but this is where I wanted to get my feet on the ground. Pizza is the dream for me.” After cutting his teeth at a major fast food franchise and training under a well-known pizza chef in San Francisco, he opened Different Dough Pizza Co. in 2023. Here, we discuss the ways in which pizza brings people together and why this entrepreneur’s betting big on Benton and Bryant.

Brian Krikorian, owner of Different Dough Pizza Co.

Q: Tell us about the different styles of pies at Different Dough Pizza Co.
A: I offer New York style and Detroit style. I love Detroit style, and we don’t have the opportunity for it much in Arkansas, so it brings something new to the area. It’s also my favorite. I believe if you’re going to run a business based on passion, you shouldn’t offer things you aren’t royally passionate about. New York is on the menu to give people a real standard; though it has more sauce, cheese, and toppings than standard New York-style pizza, so it’s my version of New York.

Q: Where does the inspiration for your menu come from?
A: I started with my parents’ recipe then got some training from the International School of Pizza. I have 14 books in my restaurant right now, just strictly about pizza. The beautiful thing about pizza is you can put anything on it. The sauce can be changed, the cheese can be changed—anything can go on pizza. You can bring in different cultures and get inspired to build something different.

Q: Benton has had a strong cohort of small businesses for decades, and it seems like a similar scene in Bryant is now growing. Why is that?
A: It really does feel like it’s changing. When I opened in 2023, I could walk out the front door and see Speakeasy Cafe. There are seven buildings between me and Speakeasy now. They’re filling up, and this [Market Place Avenue] is becoming what will eventually become a downtown area. It’s giving people the opportunity to live in this community without having to leave. Before opening the store, I looked it up and the average commute time in Bryant was 28 minutes. That makes us a suburb, not a town where people will raise their children and those children will raise their children. Are we finished? No. But we’re getting to build a community between Benton and Bryant that is a self-sufficient community—where you can drive 5 or 10 minutes up the road and find everything you need. That’s what’s driving this growth. That’s what’s going to get us into the future.

Read on for more of our favorite ways to discover Benton and Bryant.

Different Dough Pizza Co.

Rōber

True Gentleman

SHOP
With locations in Benton and Bryant, True Boutique (trueboutiquebenton.com) is Saline County’s go-to for women’s apparel, from in-season trends to game-day looks. Shopping for the man in your life? Check out sister store True Gentlemen (501-303-0302) in Benton for fleeces, quarter-zips, formalwear, and more. For a selection of fine jewelry and gifts, visit Sparks Fine Jewelry and Gifts (sparksfinejewelry.com), which has the reputation as Benton’s “hometown jeweler.” In Bryant, treat yourself with an appointment at Flawless Med Spa (flawlessmedspa.info), which offers hydrafacials, dermaplaning, laser treatments, injectables, and other med spa services.

DINE
For inspired Mexi-Cali, head to Baja Grill (eatbajagrill.com) in downtown Benton and order one of their famous margaritas with your choice of tacos, nachos, quesadillas, a burrito, or a naked bowl. Next door, the same restaurant group is behind RŌber (eatrober.com), which offers elevated drinks and dishes in an intimate atmosphere. Copper Mule Table & Tap (coppermuletableandtap.com) in Bryant is Saline County’s go-to for Cajun eats; be sure to ask for a cocktail menu and daily specials. Also in Bryant, Rookh (rookhknight.com) offers a unique fusion of Italian and Indian cuisine—think Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza and Spaghetti Vindaloo.

VISIT
Just in time to celebrate the season, The Royal Theatre (theroyaltheatre.org) in Benton presents Silver Belles: A Christmas Comedy. Sponsored by Everett Buick GMC, the show runs December 5-15 with evening performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and a matinee showing on Sundays. The City of Bryant hosts its first Christmas in the Park holiday celebration on December 14. Follow Bryant City Hall on Facebook (facebook.com/BryantCityHall) for more information regarding the festivities, which take place 1-6 p.m. in Mills Park.

Copper Mule Table & Tap