Oven & Tap is a welcomed addition to the already vibrant culinary scene in Bentonville, and furthermore on a regional level for all of NW Arkansas. Located on S. Main St within walking distance of the Bentonville downtown square, this new establishment occupies an existing commercial storefront on Main as well as rear access to an existing alley for pedestrian thoroughfare. The dual entry sequence of the restaurant allows the design to provide secondary entry off of Main, while establishing a primary entry point and exterior deck at the pedestrian alley. Just as the name suggests, the Oven and the Tap are the primary elements of the space that provide the wood fire cuisine along with the craft beer selection. Both elements are prominent in the layout off the space with the oven centered on the primary axis. A full-service commercial kitchen is split between back of house components and a front of house “exhibit” kitchen for diners to observe portions of the food prep. The tap wall flanks the open kitchen arrangement and runs parallel with the direction of patron traffic until it wraps around and becomes the seating for the exhibit area.
The menu is based on local, rustic, no frills cuisine and the intent is for the interior space to reflect the idea of simple, non ornamental design. The existing shell of the space is stripped down to bare CMU walls, exposed wood framed trusses, and a patched and sealed existing concrete slab. Instead of trying to cover the age of the space, the scars of building’s past are left exposed for all to see. All public horizontal surfaces for both dining and prep are either white maple or dark mahogany. Most new vertical surfaces are clad in tile for food prep areas, or a custom wood screen wall in public areas. The screen wall is comprised of various sizes and species of woods that are typically used in a wood fired oven.
