Bauxite is celebrating its expansion by opening its first restaurant and retail store in years

Bauxite, Arkansas – Saline County’s City of Bauxite was a well-known mining community during World War II. But those times are long gone, and the town’s people and activity have also vanished.

Recently, the city opened its first restaurant in more than 50 years, demonstrating its determination to change that.

The Whistle Stop Café is located directly across the street from Bauxite High School, the alma mater of its owner, Kirstie Hudson.

Hudson explained, “I started kind of talking to my husband about different ideas, different things to do here.” “And since my great-grandparents all had cafes in Saline County at various points in time, we decided to open one.”

The restaurant is located in The Bauxite Depot, a strip the city is building off Highway 183.
The Emi Claire Smock Co., a children’s store that has been selling online since 2021 and is scheduled to launch a physical location on Saturday, is located just four doors down from the café.

Bauxite’s first retail location in years will be the boutique. We were working on a police officer’s income three years ago after I gave birth to my daughter Emi. Holly Crookham, one of the boutique’s co-owners, stated, “I really wanted to dress her in a bunch of cutesy clothing.”
Crookham so started creating her own and started selling it online.

Her husband Zachary, a native of Bauxite and a graduate of Bauxite High, learned about the opportunity to assist build the city he never had and contribute to the town’s development with a physical site.

Zachary Crookham remarked, “There was nothing when I grew up in Bauxite.” We had a high school, an elementary school, and a post office. There weren’t any shops, convenience stores, eateries, or even a boutique for babies.

However, that won’t last for very long. For those who have lived in Bauxite for a long time, it’s an exhilarating time that the town has rarely experienced.

“Doing something like this and contributing to the positive growth for Bauxite has been incredibly heartwarming,” Hudson remarked. “In terms of dining options and retail shopping, we haven’t had anything in a very long time.”

The depot houses two photographic studios, a hair salon, and the Whistle Stop Café and Emi Claire Smock Co.

A recreation of the town’s former train depot, an ice cream shop, a pavilion for farmers markets and holiday events, and more are planned.