Botanical at 8th and A
713 SW A St.
Bentonville, Ark.
Fern bars — those 1980s-era drinking establishments decorated with potted plants, green carpeting, fake Tiffany lamps, and plenty of brass fixtures — are nearly extinct today, but a new beer-and-wine pub named Botanical at 8th and A has boosted their DNA through an evolutionary leap. The eco-themed bar in downtown Bentonville features more than 180 plants – living breathing organisms unlike the plastic ones in fern bars. The interior is a lovely re-imagining of the earlier decorative style.
“It’s an international sports pub with a greenhouse aesthetic,” says co-founder Alex Thaley. He and partners Alan Gooding and Raj Suresh opened the bar in September in a remodeled industrial building at 713 SW A St. in Bentonville. The location is next door to Heroes coffee at the corner of SE 8th Street.
On a recent weekday, the mood inside the Botanical was tranquil, almost museum-like. The eco-chic decor includes wall-hung vertical planters, floral wallpaper, and plant cuttings growing in test tubes along the bar.
The back wall showcases an abstract topographical map constructed from textiles by a local artisan. Other textiles include plant-themed seat covers for stools. High-definition televisions displayed nature scenes and animal shows from Africa and the South Pacific.
Solar-tube ceiling fixtures transmit natural light from the sky. The lush plant themes complement wooden beams and the industrial bones of the old brick lawnmower shop that houses the bar.
Interior designer Robert J. Panko of the Bentonville firm PS Spaces helped the Botanical owners with the decor. He says it incorporates the principle of biophilia, which says that humans innately seek connections with nature. In addition, the interior includes a British influence through the use of rich colors, patterned wall coverings, and classic finishes.
The new establishment’s drink menu includes wines and beers, bottled and on tap. Creative wine cocktails and cask beers add variety and color. A limited food menu emphasizes sandwiches and sides.
However, as often happens in Bentonville, the pub shares outdoor space with other businesses — here a shawarma truck and the bustling eatery Crepes Paulette. Botanical guests may bring in food from elsewhere, including the Witching Hour food truck across the street.
At high noon on a warm day in Bentonville, the hard cider on tap at Botanical tasted tart and refreshing. One of the cask beers, a strawberry rhubarb cream ale made by nearby Bike Rack Brewing was something special. Fruity, effervescent and easy to drink, it was a welcome change from the area’s ubiquitous India pale ales.
This small, charming barroom would be a chill space for remote work at times when not too many other customers are around. Thaley, a self-described “Walmart expat,” says the owners hope it will be a place where customers talk to each other. But later in the day, the contemplative atmosphere may yield to the raucous atmosphere of rugby and soccer games.
Even today, the vestiges of fern-bar decor are seen in chain restaurants. In fact, one of the companies credited with originating the fern bar, TGI Fridays, is still in business, though the interiors have been modernized somewhat.
Botanical and its highly evolved decor are a fascinating addition to the Bentonville ecosystem. It will be fun to study what sort of crowd migrates there. If nothing else, Botanical at 8th and A may go down in history for the rather daring combination of rugby fans and potted plants.
