12
ON THE
COVER
The Local Coffee Revolution
- Adam Cherepski | Photography by C. Neumann
Approximately two years ago, I had the
opportunity to meet the team at Argenta’s
Mugs Café. Before and since then, I have been
a huge fan of everything they do, from the
incredible coffee to the eclectic and delightful
menu offerings. In that article, I referenced
the number of coffee shops that had opened
around that time, and what set Mugs apart. The
theme that came out of that conversation was,
and still is, quality. The quality of the goods
being produced, the quality of the customer
service, and the quality of the team, all play an
integral part in the success of Mugs.
As with most, if not all businesses, quality
is at the forefront, but sometimes our quest
for quality leaves us searching for that elusive
convenience. An excellent cup of coffee is
of coffee via drive-thru at multiple locations
across the Central Arkansas area, and through
this ubiquity and clever marketing, we are even
convinced that this might even be a good cup
of coffee, but I feel it is time that we are honest
with ourselves. This is an ok cup of coffee that
is incredibly convenient. Michael Hickmon, the
owner, and his partners have spent the last two
years hunting down this union of quality and
convenience as it relates to their coffee business.
Alas, they are on the right path.
Just a few months ago, Michael and his
business partner, Randy Preslar, acquired MYLO
Coffee Co. in the Hillcrest neighborhood,
another well-established gourmet café and
eatery that falls directly in line with the team’s
dedication to quality. I asked Michael about
what has transpired and what the future hold
for MYLO since the purchase. His response
was that they only hope to enhance the brand
without making too many sweeping changes.
The staff at MYLO is established and their
attention to detail has been top-notch. Their
experience and ideas will only serve as a catalyst
for the impending embellishments.
Around the same time that they attained
MYLO, a certain Seattle-based coffee shop was
leaving their location in Little Rock’s Heights
neighborhood. This was an opportunity that
was too good to pass up, and the genesis of
Mugs in the Heights took shape. This leads
this article – why did this multi-billion dollar
corporation leave such an ideal location that had
an established customer base? Convenience. The
Heights location did not have a drive-thru, and
Quality to the rescue. Mugs in the Heights is in
the process of completing their build-out, and
will be open very soon. For those of you that
have not crossed the river to Argenta to sample
what Mugs has to offer, you are in luck; the new
location will practically mirror everything that
the Argenta location does.
The team is not stopping here. Additional
locations are on the horizon. While multiple
locations is one of the approaches to make
quality convenient, we can gladly report that the
next installment of Mugs Café, which will open
in West Little Rock in the next 3 to 6 months,
will have a drive-thru. However convenient this
will be, the team vehemently assures me, and
you, that the quality will remain the primary goal
for Mugs. Surrounding communities should
also keep eyes peeled and ears to the ground,
Josh Brown, Matt Britt, Michael Hickmon, Randy Preslar, Hayden Harrington