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It’s official! Cotter Bridge Market celebrated its first birthday in downtown Cotter this weekend.
To mark the event, owners Nicole and Jane Hatchet held a small event that included fresh coffee, face painting and massages.
Cotter Bridge Market got its start after Dallas-based teacher Nicole Hatchet returned home to the rural Arkansas town.
Hatchet hails from a family with close ties to Cotter. Her aunt, Caroline Gill, has lived in the small community for 35 years. Her mother, Jane Hatchet, is the previous owner of three Cotter standout businesses: The Cotter Trout Lodge, White Sands Café, and the Natural State Fly Shop.
Both Nicole and Jane decided to open a new business together after Jane noticed a for sale sign at Warrior Cafe, which resided in what would become the market’s home.
Nicole jumped at the opportunity to open a new business in Cotter and left Dallas, Texas, five months later. While Nicole was wrapping up her affairs in Texas, Jane was hard at work, ripping down walls and getting the structure ready for the remodeling.
With her daughter finally home, the pair began scouring Pinterest and other design sites to come with inspiration for their markets design.
The mother-daughter combo settled on creating a downtown market that focused on healthily serving its community.
The market’s food, milk, and cheese are organic and locally sourced. Its coffee comes from Norfork’s Ozark Mountain Mushrooms. Fresh soup and sandwiches are made daily.
A new coffee bar for making latte’s has also been added to the market since it first opened its doors.
The small market also sells organic hygiene products, bath salts, essential oils, organic laundry detergents, and more.
The Cotter Bridge Market sells locally made and produced foods and items. Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
The Cotter Bridge Market also brought a small ice cream parlor to the small city’s downtown area. Jane Hatchet, co-owner of the market, calls it her ‘happy place.’ Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
The Cotter Bridge Market also features a small ice cream parlor in the back for those wanting to get something sweet after visiting Cotter’s park.
The ice cream parlor is Jane Hatchet’s “happy place” and features five flavors of ice cream, including Fly Fishing Fudge, vanilla bean, coffee, strawberry shortcake, and blueberry.
The Hatchet’s have also worked outside the building, adding a new deck that overlooks the park. A fire pit sits off to the side for those wishing to get warm and talk around a fire.
The bottom floor of the building has been renovated into a community space that is used to host local massage therapists, community events and yoga sessions.
The Cotter Bridge Market is open Tuesday – Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Sunday they close at 3 p.m.
Nicole Hatchet has been visiting Cotter all of her life. After years of living in big cities, she decided to make it her home after visiting during the holidays. Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
Nicole and Jane Hatchet smile for the camera. Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
Nicole and Jane Hatchet show off the mural on the back of the Cotter Bridge Market. Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
Jane Hatchet has a long history of running businesses in Cotter. She’s the former owner of the Cotter Trout Lodge, White Sands Cafe, and the Natural State Fly Shop. Photo by Chris Fulton/MHO.
