In the two years it has been open, Cafe USA has developed a following, manager Michaela Breedlove confirmed. The restaurant, located in Town Center, is known for serving breakfast all day and for its very large portion sizes.
Some regulars come in as a couple and spilt a meal, she said. Others bring home a substantial doggy bag.
"We're very affordable," she said, "a family can eat here for under 40 bucks and you can't get that anywhere else."
The "American" theme is carried through the red, white and blue decor and some of the names on the menu, which include the "Davy Crockett Patty Melt" and a turkey sandwich called "The First Lady."
The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch -- closing at 3 p.m. every day. They tried to stay open for dinner for a while, Breedlove said, but there wasn't enough business to make it worthwhile. Some people probably order to go and eat it for dinner at home, she suggested. There is also a patio, but food isn't served outside. Some customers place to-go orders and eat them on the patio.
All kinds of breakfasts are available -- everything from omelets to Belgian waffles. They also have a popular country fried steak that is on both the breakfast and the lunch menus. The country fried steaks and chicken are hand breaded, not frozen, she said.
The restaurant's lunch menu includes classic sandwiches like Reubens and Philly cheese steaks, salads and burgers.
"A lot of people really like the burgers," she said.
There are plates that are "like home cooked meals," she said. Plates range from a roast beef dinner to liver and onions. There is a grilled salmon dinner and on Fridays the special is fried catfish, she added.
Although the restaurant industry is known to have a high turnover, Breedlove said her staff has been fairly stable. It might have helped that they opened just as the pandemic was winding down and people were needing to get back to work. Since they don't serve alcohol, teens can work in the restaurant during the summer when they aren't in school.
They never advertised, she said. Many of their customers were shopping at the nearby Harp's when they saw the new place open across the parking lot. They probably told their friends about it, she said. It didn't talk long to develop regular customers.
"We are also known for our pies," she said. Although the pies aren't made on the premises they are displayed in a cooler behind a glass door so customers can see what's available. Sometimes the cook makes cobbler, but that's more likely in the fall, she said.
Cafe USA started in Sapulpa, Okla. There is another one in Bentonville, but it's no longer owned by the same company, Breedlove said. She doesn't know of plans to change anything at the Bella Vista location in the near future.
Lynn Atkins/Special to The Weekly Vista Manager Michaela Breedlove poses in front of the wall of presidents at Cafe USA. She said her customers often comment on the patriotic theme in the dining room.