Walk into Nola’s Pantry and you immediately feel like you are getting a warm hug. Lovingly named after owner Bill Rumsey’s mother Nola, this specialty food shop and café offers unique bulk spices, rubs and hot sauces, jams, coffee and tea plus gifts and pantry accessories.
The café features a menu of eclectic and original recipes made of unique ingredient combinations. Salads, sandwiches, soup, snacks, and breakfast smoothies are featured with selections of beer, wine, cider, and non-alcoholic drinks made with specialty syrups from Pink House Alchemy. One customer described Nola’s jalapeño-pimiento cheese with pineapple-hot pepper jelly bacon on jalapeño cornbread as “the most decadent sandwich I have ever had!”
Owners Bill and Alicen Rumsey dreamed of opening the business due to Bill’s artful cooking. He created wonderful meals and they joked between themselves that “this will go on the menu someday!” True foodies, each wanted to share the cuisine with Northwest Arkansas, bringing unique and different foods to the area and in support of small batch companies.
“We initially approached the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the University of Arkansas because we decided to open the business and needed financing,” said Alicen. Working with consultant Lori Lieblong, the Center assisted the Rumseys with financial projections. “This forced us to really analyze and determine what we needed to do to make it happen,” she emphasized.
Lieblong continued work with the Rumseys to construct their business plan, develop a financial workbook, and provide insightful market research.
“The ASBTDC offered strategic guidance that helped us make many startup decisions along the way,” Alicen noted. “We worked on a brand strategy and look forward to building our marketing strategy with Lori’s advice,” she added.
The couple also took advantage of the free training offered by ASBTDC. Attending a webinar, they learned to use a free online design tool, Canva, to construct and design menus.
Since opening Nola’s Pantry in Rogers, the Rumseys have been busier than they could have imagined. “The love we have had from the community of Rogers is incredible and there are so many cheerleaders who want you to succeed,” observes Alicen. “We came to downtown Rogers because of the community.”
As with many in the small business community post-pandemic, the biggest challenge for Bill and Alicen has been staffing.
“With all the moving parts relative to startups, we believe the struggle to make the right decisions, at the right time, would have been a real trial without the guidance of Lori and the ASBTDC,” says Alicen.
103 W. Chestnut Street, Suite 100
Rogers, AR 73756
nolaspantry.com