Mojo’s Records at 123 Spring St. has been open downtown next to the post office for three years now. Old-fashioned vinyl records have made a comeback with people who have memories of the music of their youth, and young people just discovering iconic musicians of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s who prefer vinyl, said Mojo’s Records owner Morgan Haney.
“Vinyl is forever,” Morgan said. “If you keep it out of the sun, it lasts a long time. I think people want to hold something in their hands. They want something tangible.”
These days most people download music from online. But there is also new vinyl being pressed by currently popular recording stars such Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Cold Play. Vinyl records are expected to outsell CD’s this year for the first time since 1986.
“We do carry a selection of new pressings from small, independent companies, but most of the store is vintage,” Morgan said. “There is a hunt involved for true collectors. Mojo’s is always looking to buy large, personal collections of albums. New reissues can now be bought at big box stores and Amazon.”
Two months ago, Mojo’s Records became an even more interesting place to hang out when a restaurant was added by Morgan’s partner, Blaire Devine. The restaurant has a focus on meals made from scratch from local, fresh and healthy ingredients.
Blaire, previously the chef at Local Flavor, cooks in a small kitchen overlooking Spring Street across from Sweet Spring and Rogue’s Manor.
“The menu is small as the kitchen is tiny,” Blaire said. “This keeps everything as fresh as possible. Eureka Sweets provides fresh-baked breads such as our focaccia and sesame buns. Local micro greens and other veggies from the Eureka Springs Farmer’s Market are used for our sandwiches and soups. We have daily specials, and our menu will change seasonally based on what is available locally.”
Sausage is made in house. Menu items made with Blaire’s jalapeño garlic sausage are particularly popular, and they are planning to make pasta in-house soon.
From the start, Blaire wanted all of their grains to be from War Eagle Mill.
“In previous kitchens in other states I worked, we ordered their products,” she said. “I felt restaurants in Eureka really were not utilizing a historic mill in the area with quality products.”
The businesses are located in a roomy historic building. In addition to indoor dining, there is one of the most scenic and private decks in town out back bathed in early morning sunshine. Latigo Treuer, a neighbor at Rogue’s Manor, and his construction crew helped with renovating the deck building wooden tables and a bar overlooking the woods and the stream below. With all the recent rain, Sweet Spring creek has been flowing like a river making natural music for outdoor diners.
There are metal chairs in a rainbow of colors outside in front of the bar, in addition to tables and chairs. There is seating for 25 outside, which is where most guests prefer to eat, weather permitting.
“Many of our friends know Blaire’s work so we have some regular customers and reviewers such as Leisurlist, an app that gives people information about where to go and things to do in Northwest Arkansas,” Morgan said. “We also want customers ordering food to go and being able to have picnic lunches at some of the small parks with springs. Most everything is ready in 10 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time to flip through some records while waiting.”
One local fan is Mark Hughes, owner or Regalia Handmade Clothing on White Street.
“I love it when someone has an idea that is practical, and the business is actually useful in the landscape of a town like Eureka,” Mark said. “It’s not very often that a business opens that hits the mark with quality and originality, especially when it couples with another business. I’ve always loved Mojo’s Records, and now you can shop for vintage vinyl while you wait for a delicious, inexpensive lunch, and eat it in a wonderful environment. These women have hit the target!”
Each day the menu has a selection of five or six meals. One that is popular is Fandango, a pimento cheese sandwich on rosemary-onion focaccia bread served with tomato and bacon bits. Sides include either potato chips or soup, with soups generally being far more popular. Soups of the day recently were creamy mushroom sage, curried sweet potato and chili.
The eating utensils are made of biodegradable materials, as are the to-go containers.
Information about daily specials and seasonal menu changes are available at the B-Side Café’s Facebook page. They are planning on staying open all winter except for a week or so. They are open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays through Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday brunch features biscuits and gravy and an Elvis waffle with Nutella, bananas and whipped cream.