Pedal Park NWA provides space for the community and small businesses to come together, grow and create

FARMINGTON – As the saying goes, “If you have more than you need, build a longer table, not a higher fence.”

The owners of Pedal Pops decided to add a porch and host some gatherings to support small businesses and foster community spirit.

Pedal Park NWA, located just off U.S. 62 in Farmington, not only sells frozen popsicles, but was also based on the founders’ childhood dreams and the couple’s shared passion for entrepreneurship and community.

“We believe in entrepreneurship,” said Lynn Wong, sitting on the patio of Pedal Park NWA on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Farmington. Cars pulled up to grab tacos next to Taquería El Jefe’s food truck in the park. Under the porch, tables around Pedal Pops’ pickup window stayed dry and cool.

“Every food truck and vendor we bring, and even the musicians we’re bringing in soon, are small business owners themselves,” she said. “We wanted a place that would help them and share them with the community. Coming together, growing and creating is the essence of what we want to bring together. And what we want to do for customers is give them a reason to eat, drink and play whenever they want to come by.”

Since April, Wong and her husband, Mike Thompson, have opened their space at 169 W. Main St. for regular cornhole tournaments, bingo nights, trivia nights and occasional impromptu events for church groups. On the first Monday of every month, they host a “Theology on Tap” event with a local church group.

Volunteer yoga teachers from Day By Day have been offering free classes in their fenced-in backyard, which they call the “Pedal Park Retreat.” Those classes will pause in August to introduce a music series and give people a break from the heat.

“We don’t turn anyone away. We just want everyone to feel welcome,” Thompson said. “We also have seating for a date night if that’s what people are looking for.”

Wong also dreams of bringing free dance classes to the park, something the two have been looking forward to since they met at a salsa class 21 years ago while living in Atlanta, Georgia. They are originally from Singapore, and she said they bonded over a love of global culture and travel.

She said the idea for Pedal Park was based on Thompson’s childhood dream of owning an ice cream shop. He grew up making ice cream at family gatherings with his mother’s extended family. As an adult, Thompson continued that tradition with his own family and showed his love by mixing ice cream.

“I’ve always expressed myself through fruit and I’ve always enjoyed it,” Thompson said.

In his professional life, he worked as a corporate accountant, but when they moved to northwest Arkansas in 2011, Thompson traded in his suit and tie for an apron and three tricycles to start Pedal Pops. Then, due to a “coding issue with the health department,” he started making popsicles instead of ice cream.

Pedal Pops was a hit on three wheels at local farmers markets and built a loyal following in Northwest Arkansas over the years. In 2018, Thompson bought two buildings at 169 W. Main St. in Farmington with the intention of making his popsicles, but he and Wong dreamed of expanding the space so people could come together.

They had already tried a cafe/dog park, but it wasn’t quite what they wanted in terms of human interaction.

Instead, when they learned how much it would cost to create the first meeting space of their dreams, they were shocked at the high cost.

“The price tag for realizing our original dream and intention was nearly a million dollars,” Wong said.

Then Covid came and prevented all in-person gatherings. During that time, she says her desire to form a community only grew stronger.

“As I looked around and saw the division, hatred and anger that was coming out of Covid, I realized we had to do something,” she said. “So we pooled our energy and resources, including money and experience, and decided to basically create Pedal Park by just adding a porch, an extension to this building that’s been here for a long time.”

Creating the space required working with neighbors and local government. Thompson took the necessary steps with the Farmington Planning Commission to convert the residential area at the corner of Main and Bois D Arc Streets into a commercial zone that would accommodate at least four food trucks.

Near the Pedal Pops production area, they can comfortably seat 40 under their awning. Then there is an open area in the front yard between two food trucks – where there is room for cornhole or a pop-up market and the “retreat” in the back where they have held yoga classes.

“We knew we wanted a place where people could gather,” Wong said. “We knew we didn’t want to run a restaurant,” so they invited food trucks instead. They built out the porch and installed heaters in the ceiling and screens around the seating area to reduce street noise on the side where the property borders the highway.

They also thought about what should be offered at Pedal Park NWA.

“What sets us apart from other food truck parks is our commitment to not only encouraging the community… (but) changing the way they think (as) entrepreneurs,” Wong said.

For their local craft beers, they visit the breweries, drink the beer, and then bring both the beer and the brand’s stories back to their customers.

“This gives customers the opportunity to come here and drink a local craft beer and tour the brewery,” Wong said. “These are entrepreneurs supporting entrepreneurs.”

Their canned wines and non-alcoholic products come from small, independent companies like their own brand Pedal Pops. At the park, they make sure there is no product overlap with that of neighbors like BloomingGayle’s Florist next door when they host pop-ups or consider food trucks or others for open spots.

Thompson added that there are regular church groups that meet there and special meetings for business groups or anyone who wants to get together, network or just be with others.

“This is a place for anyone who wants to go offline,” Wong said. While there is Wi-Fi, there are no TV screens. Instead, it’s a place where you can “sit and chat with another human being (even if it’s just a smile).”

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