One of Springdale's most iconic restaurants will shut down later this month, though its owner hopes someone will resurrect the brand in the future.
After more than 75 years, AQ Chicken House's last day of business at 1207 N. Thompson St. will be March 18. The restaurant's equipment will be auctioned off on March 22.
Large-scale development plans to destroy the building and replace it with a Club Car Wash at the site have been submitted, according to documents acquired by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. The plans have been approved, Rick Barry with the Springdale Planning Department said Thursday.
A contract is still pending for the sale of the restaurant property, owner Dick Bradley said on Wednesday.
Bradley, who has owned the restaurant since 1998 and plans to retire, said the AQ Chicken House name and brand is not included in the deal. He said he would love for somebody to buy the AQ brand and open the restaurant again.
Roy Ritter opened AQ, which stands for Arkansas Quality, in 1947. He later became the mayor of Springdale, according to Angie Albright, director of the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History.
The story of the restaurant and its founder represents the way "things all end up tied together" in a growing community like Springdale, from local businesses to city leadership to the poultry industry, she said.
"I don't think iconic is too strong of a word," Albright said of the restaurant.
When Thompson Avenue was still a dirt road, chickens were raised, killed, cleaned and processed right behind the restaurant.
According to Kat Robinson's book "Classic Eateries of the Ozarks and Arkansas River Valley," the business was sold to Frank Hickingbotham -- the founder of TCBY -- and Ron Palmer in the early 1980s, then to Dick Bradley in the late 1990s. Bradley sold his Lincoln chicken farm to buy the business, Robinson writes.
Additional locations opened and closed in Fayetteville and Bentonville over the years, including at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The restaurant was a finalist for the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame in 2019, 2020 and 2021, but it was never chosen for induction.
There have been momentous occasions at AQ. Some have been documented on the restaurant's website: President Clinton's 47th birthday celebration and George W. Bush's takeout order from Air Force One. Undoubtedly, many Arkansans have celebrated their own milestones, graduation dinners, family get-togethers and other occasions, enjoying AQ's famous Chicken Over the Coals and Pickle Os.
Northwest Arkansas has been changing for years, a subject that continues to be widely discussed and felt. The loss of certain trademark eateries may inevitably be a part of that change, but some restaurants will live on in our collective memory for the simple fact that they served customers for so long.
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Finally, here are a few crumbs of recent food news from the broader Northwest Arkansas region:
Uncommon Egg Rolls is serving both savory and sweet egg rolls as well as waffle fries with nacho-style toppings outside Fossil Cove Brewing Co. in Fayetteville. The food truck is open at 1946 N. Birch Ave. from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Sandi Sue's Gluten Free Bakery in Bentonville recently closed at 8th Street Market, but plans to open a bigger store at 2500 S.W. 14th St.
Steve & Tori's Bar-B-Q Plus in Springdale is temporarily closed for remodeling at 1102 Backus Ave.
Ozark Cafe in Jasper, Bulldog Restaurant in Bald Knob and Kream Kastle in Blytheville are 2023's inductees into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame. Fayetteville favorite Hugo's was the only finalist from Benton and Washington counties this year, but it was not chosen for induction.
We'll be back next week with more restaurant news across Northwest Arkansas and the River Valley. Has one recently opened or closed near you? Does your favorite spot have a new menu? Let us know. Email [email protected].
Diners have lunch Wednesday Nov. 30, 2022 at the AQ Chicken House in Springdale. The legendary restaurant opened in 1947. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler)