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Argenta, Argenta Coffee Co., Argenta Historical District, Arkansas Times, Best Coffee Shop, Editor's Choice award, Edward Haddock, Jeri Warlick, Little Rock Free Press, Ludwik Koszlowski, North Little Rock
North Little Rock ’s newest buzz percolates on Main Street.
Argenta Coffee Co. hides behind a purple façade and a street lamp next to Cornerstone Grill & Pub at 318 Main St . A tent-shaped billboard on the sidewalk promotes upcoming events, while pink construction paper posters promising $5 Salsa lessons frame the storefront window. Occasionally, belly dancers, performers and visual artists spill onto the sidewalk, beckoning those looking for more than the average cup of Joe.
“At first people were afraid to get off the trolleys, now they’re parking,” owner Jeri Warlick says, noting the Argenta Historical District is garnering comparisons to New York’s Greenwich Village and San Francisco. “People are interested in coming to see what we’re doing. We’re going to give the other side of the river a run for its money.”
With the recent approval to serve beer and wine, Warlick needs more room for the Salsa lessons, which caused her to turn people away Thursday night after 40 crammed inside to learn new moves. Yet coffee and dancing only provide part of the allure.
“We’re doing something here,” Warlick says. “This is not just a coffee shop. This is a melting pot for art, culture, life.” Continue reading