EATS & DRINKS
By Megan Blankenship | Photos courtesy of the Fayetteville Independent Restaurant Alliance
Fayetteville Independent Restaurant Alliance Helps the People Behind Our Food Scene
Fayetteville’s food and drink culture wouldn’t be what it is without a dedicated group of hospitality professionals who keep kitchens running, drinks flowing and tables full. However, many of them do it without traditional benefits such as health insurance, paid time off or a safety net when life goes sideways. The Fayetteville Independent Restaurant Alliance, also known as FIRA, was created to change that.
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When the alliance came together in March 2020, the founders were not thinking about long-term programming or future plans. They were thinking about the people they had just been forced to lay off due to the COVID-19 shutdown. Overnight, hundreds of hospitality workers across the city found themselves without a paycheck.
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Local business owner and founding board member Reese Roberts, along with fellow operators Elliot Hunt, Chrissy Sanderson and Hannah Withers, knew that without help, many of their colleagues could struggle to stay housed and stable. Within a week, they created the Hospitality Emergency Relief Opportunity, or HERO Fund, and began raising money for workers in crisis.
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Five years later, that early effort has grown into an organization with a far wider reach. FIRA still provides emergency financial assistance, but it also supports the region’s food community through training programs, professional resources and a growing network of member restaurants. Since 2020, the HERO Fund has provided more than $143,000 in aid to local workers. In 2020 alone, it dispersed about $43,000, and it surpassed that level in 2025.
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Much of the assistance goes toward housing support, which Roberts sees as the foundation for everything else. “If you are not housed, nothing else can stabilize,” she said. The fund can also help with medical bills, auto expenses and other urgent needs, such as when the group helped replace the heating system in a worker’s home.
The need for this safety net is rising again as life in Northwest Arkansas gets more expensive. Even small disruptions can cause workers to struggle. FIRA saw a spike in applications following the cold snap in January 2025 that closed businesses for only a few days. For workers whose income shifts with weather, seasons, tourism and the economy, a few missed shifts can have serious consequences.
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To stay relevant and diversify its support, FIRA has expanded beyond emergency aid to programs that strengthen the hospitality workforce. One of its biggest programs is Burning Through the Basics, a hands-on kitchen skills course held at the Fayetteville Public Library. Participants learn knife skills, kitchen safety and the basics of professional food preparation, making it easier for people with no prior kitchen experience to enter the field.
Burning Through the Basics also supports the broader community. Supplies come from St. James Community Food Pantry, and the meals prepared during the course are distributed through MayDay NWA. “We send out over a hundred meals each session,” Roberts said.
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Other FIRA programming includes ServSafe food and alcohol certification and monthly Coffee and Conversation events. These gatherings bring owners, operators and workers — along with local organizations focused on food recovery and food insecurity — into one room to share ideas.
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“It takes a lot of social labor to connect all the different pieces of the food industry, but it’s worth it,” Roberts said.
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By uniting restaurants, producers, farmers, food hubs and outreach organizations, FIRA hopes to strengthen the entire local food system.
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Job support is another focus area. The organization helps people prepare resumes, practice interviews and connect with businesses looking for qualified staff. Its website also offers a list of additional resources for anyone facing financial strain.
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Although FIRA began entirely on a volunteer basis (and all donations still go directly to supporting workers in need), it is now building an operating budget and securing partnerships for long-term stability. Member restaurants play a key role in this growth, helping ensure the HERO Fund remains strong and programs continue to develop.
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For residents, supporting FIRA can be as simple as visiting the restaurants they love during slower seasons, or by donating to the HERO Fund through the FIRA website. For hospitality workers, FIRA has opportunities for training, volunteering and networking. For restaurant owners, membership is an investment in a stable workforce and a way to further support their staff.
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Roberts puts it simply: “We want people to know we are here, and we want this industry to thrive.”