Northwest Arkansas is home to numerous businesses, and many people are coming to the region to patronize these businesses in which they are interested. It’s worth knowing the companies which seem weird to most people but are interesting and fun to hang out at.
The five weird businesses in Northwest Arkansas include The Anime Cafe in Rogers, Block Street Records, which has branches in Bentonville and Fayetteville, Arkadia Retrocade, The Grid, and Terra Studios, which are all located in Fayetteville.
This article will feature five weird, interesting businesses in Northwest Arkansas. If you want to learn more about them, keep reading.
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1. The Anime Cafe
The first business we will talk about is located in Rogers, and it is called The Anime Cafe.
Anime has substantially grown in popularity over the last ten years or so. It has become more mainstream thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Funimation. These streaming platforms made anime more accessible from the Japanese culture to American culture.
As the popularity of anime grows, these anime cafes have exploded all around America. And one of them landed here in Rogers.
If you are coming down to Northwest Arkansas and you or your kids or students are into anime, check out The Anime Cafe. They have all sorts of anime things, and they serve great food. They also make a lot of bubbly tea and all kinds of things from Japanese culture.
It’s amusing to see all your favorite anime shows on the walls, shirts, and different things around the cafe. The people who hang around the place talk about anime and other related things.
Also, if you happen to be in Bentonville with your children, you can check out my article about the best things for kids to explore and other activities you can do while in the city.
2. Block Street Records
The following business we will feature is called Block Street Records. It has two locations: one in Bentonville, located right next to the Onyx Coffee Shop off the City Square, and one in Fayetteville, which is right off Block Avenue. Both locations are so fun to hang out at.
If you are into music, whether oldies or new stuff, you need to check out Block Street Records because it’s just a blast from the past to go on.
I find it fascinating that records have made a massive comeback over the last five years because of audio fidelity and the unique sound that records hold compared to a digital audio format. So it’s cool to go into these record stores and see all the older records and some of the newer ones. This is because many contemporary artists produce records, and people buy them and use them on their record players.
Who would have thought we’d be going back in time with different technologies? You need to check out Block Street Records because you might find that little gem you used to know back in the past or grew up with.
Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
What To Do: 5 Outdoor Things NOT Hiking and Biking (Northwest Arkansas, Bentonville, and Fayetteville)
3. Arkadia Retrocade
The third business we’ll discuss is Arkadia Retrocade, located in Fayetteville. This business is a part of my three-day itinerary. You need to check it out, as it gives a back-to-the-past vibe. It also has hundreds of arcade games.
If you are coming to Fayetteville and want to drop your kids off, hang out with your kids, or just go yourself, all you need is $5 to get into the door. And you can hang out there all day. There are hundreds of arcade games all across, like basically two buildings.
They’re so fun because it’s a throwback, and maybe these are arcade games you’ve never heard of. There will be some old ones you do know and some new ones you may have missed. They also have couches, N64s, and different gaming systems that you or your children might like. You may also want to show your kids and tell them, “hey, look at what I grew up on.”
Apart from the Arkadia Retrocade, I have listed five more destinations in Fayetteville that you can include in your itinerary that children will enjoy.
4. The Grid
The fourth business on our list is called The Grid in Fayetteville. If you don’t know what e-sports is, it is electronic or online video gaming. It’s a lot of games that people compete in online. Maybe you’re thinking about games like Fortnite. Fortnite is an e-sports game where people fight and destroy each other on a game.
If you go to The Grid, there are all sorts of computers in their shop. What happens essentially is that you can go there and play any video game you want to. On top of that, you can play all sorts of tournaments and games, such as Fortnite and Super Smash Bros. They also hold all kinds of matches all the time.
If you or your children are into gaming or sports, you need to go to The Grid because it is the e-sports place to check out in Fayetteville.
Please check out my article to learn more about my perfect weekend in Fayetteville.
5. Terra Studios
Terra Studios in Fayetteville is the last unique, interesting, fun, and weird business around Northwest Arkansas. With a size of six acres (24,281 square meters), it’s a fun place.
On its website, it is a non-profit organization that puts its resources through art to create a better world. They also aim to promote art and inspire creativity.
It’s like an art studio dedicated between garden sculptures and everything else. It also has murals, sparkling glass, and fantasy creatures made by numerous artists. There is also a snack bar and different places to hang out. They also serve great food.
If you want to have classes there, go into the art and culture scene, experience art, or walk around the whole garden, you must check it out.
Check out my article about why people love Fayetteville, especially its melting pot of culture.