Arkansas travel writer and food historian Kat Robinson logged over 8,900 miles visiting the state’s 94 dairy bars, some more than once, researching her new book “Arkansas Dairy Bars: Neat Eats & Cool Treats.”
Released in November of this year, Robinson said the idea for the book came to her in January after an ice cream craving on the road made her wonder whether Mel’s Dairy Bar in Malvern was still in operation. It wasn’t just operating, it was packed, she said.
“It occurred to me: This is the best business model for the pandemic right here,” Robinson said in an interview earlier this year.
Dairy bars, popular spots for drive up or window service in the mid-century, are thriving right now, Robinson said. She found in her research that there were 95 dairy bars in the state in December of 2019, and that only one has closed since the pandemic began.
“Our rural communities grasp onto that concept hard,” Robinson said. “These restaurants are usually the hub of activity. They’re named after the local high school mascot or the original owner. They’re one or two-name entities to locals — heading down to the Umbrella, or the Den, or the Shack. They’re ingrained in the fabric of their locale to a point that, when they do close, they leave a hole — like those here in Central Arkansas, with the closure and disappearances of the Asher Dairy Bar, The Hop and The Spot,” she said.
Robinson’s book offers descriptions of all 94 dairy bars. Some summaries are brief, some feature-length and detailed in a documentary of the same name that debuted on Arkansas PBS in August of this year. Robinson interviews owners of several of the restaurants. She talks to customers and regulars and highlights some of the unique offerings that are offered at dairy bars like the beans and cornbread at Dari-Delite in Paris and the deep-fried bean-and-beef burrito at Bonnie’s Dairy Freeze in Fort Smith, the onion burger from Hamburger Station in Paragould, pizza burgers (essentially a steak sandwich seasoned to taste like pizza) which are sold in two-thirds of the state’s dairy bars.
Some of the highlights: Bailey’s Dairy Treat in Hot Springs, owned and operated by Lien Morphew, who came to the U.S. from Vietnam in 1975 and purchased Bailey’s in 1995. He runs the dairy bar located on Park Avenue with his wife, and one of their specialties is beef steak fried rice. One of the ice cream specialties offered is a delightful-looking sundae constructed in a clear cup rather than a bowl.
Robinson also gets a lesson from The Original ScoopDog owner Joe Yanosick on the frozen custard used to make the specialty concretes and sundaes that are served along with specialty hot dogs out of the popular location on JFK Boulevard in North Little Rock.
In an email exchange with Robinson, I asked what she learned making the book that surprised her.
“The surprise to me was how fiercely loyal and passionate customers are to these spots — like the family in Stamps I chatted with who were waiting for barbecue at Jimmy’s [Drive In in Stamps], who scoffed at the idea of going across the street to the newer Sonic restaurant. It’s all the people who came out of the woodwork to share their memories of Betty’s Old Fashion, with more than 1,200 post shares and 144k impressions when I posted a couple of photos to Facebook. It’s the folks who drive way out of their way to go to The Bulldog in Bald Knob when they’re heading anywhere in Northeast Arkansas. These places matter, and they’re valued by their communities. That’s how places like Moore’s Dairy Creme in Newark and the Hughes Drive In in Hughes manage to survive in places where there’s not much else happening. It’s the epitome of what’s now pushed as brand loyalty, and it’s why we still have more than 90 mom-and-pop locally run dairy bars today.”
Robinson said that she has sold out of her copies of “Arkansas Dairy Bars.” If you’d like to gift someone the book for Christmas, there are still copies available at The Bookstore at Library Square, Green Corner Store and Wordsworth Books in Little Rock, at All Things Arkansas and Hot Springs Souvenirs in Hot Springs, Terra Studios near Fayetteville and Chapters on Main in Van Buren.