Get to know this Arkansas destination through the eyes of a couple of local business owners who call the city home

Carey Thompson and Josh Palmer found the perfect blend of old and new when they opened a gift shop in a 110-year-old potato barn. The property became available as the two were hoping to start their own coffee-roasting business, The Black Bison Company. They purchased the piece of history with the intention of basing operations there; however, it quickly became clear that roasting coffee in a century-old wooden structure would not be advisable. Shifting gears, they moved production off-site while making the barn the face of the company. To fill the space, they opened a retail shop in the location, selling a range of gifts, jewelry, and home décor along with Black Bison coffee by the cup. “Carey had gotten started helping out in a business a few years ago that was coffee-oriented, but it was more of an online business,” Josh says. “With us both being from Fort Smith and having ties here, we wanted to do something a little more local.”
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