Big Bad Breakfast’s arrival in Conway marks another step in the brand’s Arkansas expansion. Market partner Ben Brainard, who leads operations in the state, emphasizes a model rooted in quality, flexibility, and responsiveness to local demand. In the Q&A below, Brainard shares insight into guest experience, kitchen standards, and why Conway represents an important market for the brand’s continued growth.

What stood out to you when you first walked into the Oak Street space?

[Operating Partner] Dragana [Miteva] and I first walked in here, we looked at each other and smiled because it felt like a Big Bad Breakfast. When [Chef and Founder] John Currence approached me about taking Big Bad Breakfast into Arkansas, there was no template. There are a few things that attach each store to the next, but there’s no package graphic.

He really allows and encourages each space to fit the community that it’s in and be reverent of the space that you’re in. We leaned on the help of my friend and colleague, Shelby Cotton, to figure out what the space was in its original intent. When we found out its original purpose was a mercantile, it made complete sense. The brickwork and general layout already fit, so we just tidied it up. The main thing we wanted was for the Conway community to walk in and see something unique. This one just belongs to y’all.

How do you balance being recognizably Big Bad Breakfast while still making each location feel local?

Our partner, Todd Ross, is a proud Conway resident, so we talked to him ad nauseam when we were trying to figure out direction. Shelby did the research and looked at what the space had been over time, and then the last thing we did was talk to Conway residents. I cannot tell you how many times I heard, “We don’t have anywhere to have a Bloody Mary.”

We really lean into our weekends. We don’t do reservations because once the table is yours, it’s yours. We want you to stay, have that next round, order the bottle of bubbles instead of the glass, and let us take care of you. Brunch is important to us, and Saturdays and Sundays really allow us to spread our wings.

How do you think about guest experience during the week versus the weekend?

We can fit two personalities, and we have to. If somebody comes in for breakfast on a weekday, we need to get your food out in under 10 minutes and get you off to work. While we’re never lackadaisical on the weekends, we understand people are going to lean a little further back in their chairs and be less uptight about their schedule. We’re equally proficient in both spaces.

Why was Big Bad Breakfast the right concept for this space?

I am involved in a few other projects that we did consider for this space. Everything I heard from Conway and its residents was that we really want a brunch space. More than anything else, we just listened.

How do you describe Big Bad Breakfast to someone who’s never been?

We’re a breakfast diner at our roots. Everything that we make is fresh. We don’t open any bags. We make all of our own jellies, biscuits, and gravies daily. We do our own butchering. We take painstaking detail to make sure the quality of the ingredients and the techniques we use are done right. We’re not the cheapest game in town, but we’re also not the most expensive.

What we are is the most consistent.

Why was Conway the right market?

Conway was the very first place we looked outside of Little Rock, and we didn’t look anywhere else. It’s the fastest-growing city in the state, but it’s also 25 minutes door-to-door from our home. Dragana and I are both very hands-on, so access was a big part of it. When we saw how genuinely excited people were about having Big Bad Breakfast here, it was the easiest decision ever.