A Cup of Coffee Goes A Long Way

Mama Carmen’s announced May 1 that they will be making big changes to their coffee shop on College Avenue. 

Some of these changes include the name of their shop, menu items, purpose and the interior space. 

Heather Bennett, co-owner of Mama Carmen’s, and her husband took the shop over last May. Their vision is to include their passion for the outdoors and Fayetteville in the new coffee shop and to honor and expand the impact that Mama Carmen’s has had in the local community, she said. 

“The biggest thing is a new name.” Bennett said. “Our name is going to be Basecamp Coffee Company.”

Coffee and prices will stay relatively the same. We take pride in being the cheapest coffee in town, Bennett said.

“We are still using Airship Coffee, but we are working with them closer this summer to have a few blends and flavors that are specifically for us– that you can’t get anywhere else.” She said. 

They have been adding new food items, including waffles, to their menu as well, she said. Basecamp will continue having seasonal menus, and is in the process of getting a beer and wine license.

With the rebrand, there will be a lot of decoration changes in the shop, most of which will be happening in the summer months, she said. 

“We are going to be doing a lot of painting, and we are getting new stuff.” Bennett said. 

Bennett also mentioned looking for another location in the future.

The purpose behind Basecamp is changing too. 

The Bennetts hope to provide a place for community to be built, and a place that challenges community members that adventures can be so much more than just a camping trip, she said. Adventures are anything from business ventures, relationships or anything else like that.

They hope to showcase a different organization every three months in their shop and move their profits toward them with the intentions of giving the community an opportunity to get involved in serving other organizations, she said. 

“Fayetteville has always been a basecamp for us. It’s been like a home away from home, and so we wanted to encompass and incorporate that for the people of Northwest Arkansas.” Bennett said. 

The atmosphere of Basecamp will be a little different as they provide information to customers about on where their money is going, who Basecamp is supporting that quarter and how patrons can do more if they feel inclined, Bennett said. 

Bennett hopes that this will shift a focus in the narrative of the story behind Mama Carmen’s while honoring her legacy. 

“Anybody can be that. Anybody can have that impact, so we want to challenge people to do that here and to do that wherever they are.” Bennett said. 

At Basecamp, patrons can expect to find a place that continues cultivating community, like Mama Carmen’s, Bennett said. They can expect coffee to be constantly getting better, and they can expect to be challenged to have the mindset of impacting their community, she said.