The coffee gods have smiled upon downtown Little Rock.
Nexus Coffee & Creative, the latest in the local java boom, recently announced plans to open in the River Market this summer. Located at 301B President Clinton Ave. between Ernie Biggs and the former Ten Thousand Villages shop, Nexus looks to bring an uncommon environment for guests.
“We’re focused on coffee, community and creativity,” owner Amy Moorehead said. “We want to be a unique and comfortable environment for people to come in and enjoy whether they’re an entrepreneur, a downtown resident, a tourist or whatever.”
Nexus will serve up breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a menu consisting of waffles, crepes, sandwiches, soups, cheese boards and more, including, of course, coffee and loose leaf tea. The goal is to keep items fresh and local, partnering with the Little Rock Farmers Market next door, shops like Honey Pies and Cocoa Belle Chocolates and Arkansas breweries to serve craft beer and wine.
That’s where the community aspect comes in. These partnerships — including Leiva’s Coffee, Rishi Tea and Raimondo Winery — are a key aspect of Nexus. Moorehead wants the shop to serve as a road map pointing guests to other local businesses, something the Little Rock native is passionate about.
The family-owned and operated shop is designed with a coworking/creative environment, an idea jotted down on a napkin last fall stemming from Moorehead’s natural propensity for connecting people.
“I love watching that light bulb go off when someone’s sharing a story or idea, and I really want to create a hub where that can happen,” she said.
To foster that creativity, the Nexus layout will include a stage, exhibit space and a private meeting room with tech services.
“We just want to share our space and let people come be a part of what we’re doing, to connect and share a cup of coffee,” Moorehead said. “We realize that we can’t be everything to everybody, but we can definitely be everything to somebody — someone who says, ‘Oh, that’s my place.'”
As for the downtown coffee boom (with Blue Sail and Zetêo Coffee opening this spring), Nexus is already developing partnerships with area coffee shops to help promote shared causes in the community.
Long term, Moorehead would like to see Nexus expand to multiple locations across the state, sharing the entrepreneurial spirit that inspired her and encouraging the representation of female business owners in Arkansas.
But for now, she’s focused on building relationships in the River Market.
“I’m most excited about being a place where sometimes that cup of coffee encounter is the only smile or positive conversation someone has that day. If we can start someone’s day off right or end it right, I’ll take it,” Moorehead said. “It’s about making people feel welcomed and appreciated and valued.”
Nexus Coffee & Creative is slated to open this summer, though an exact date is not yet set. The shop will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday with later hours on Friday and Saturday. The shop will be closed on Sunday, but that could change in the future.
Stay updated with Nexus progress by following along on Facebook and Instagram, and keep an eye out for their website launching soon.