Newk’s Eatery, a rapidly growing fast-casual restauran, is expanding its geographic footprint from the Southeast into the Lower Midwest with four new restaurants planned for Northwest Arkansas over the next couple of years. Longtime Arkansas business partners Jim Lynch and Jim White will open their first Newk’s Eatery restaurant in Fayetteville in December 2014, with openings in Bentonville, Rodger, and Fort Smith to follow. When their development agreement is fully achieved in 2016, there will be a total of eight Newk’s restaurants in Arkansas, including four existing Newk’s Eatery locations in the Little Rock and Jonesboro areas.

Lynch and White, who have owned grocery stores and developed and operated branded eateries in convenience stores throughout Arkansas, will open their first Newk’s Eatery restaurant at 637 E. Joyce Blvd. across from Northwest Arkansas Mall in Fayetteville’s Spring Creek Center. The 5,000 square-foot restaurant will include indoor dining for up to 144 guests and will provide job opportunities for more than 50 applicants within the area.

“Newk’s is passionate about creating flavorful food experiences in an atmosphere that is both casual and friendly—a model that has already been well received in Central and Northeastern Arkansas,” Jim Lynch says. “We look forward to extending Newk’s hospitality to folks in Fayetteville and the Northwestern part of the state, engaging a new community of diners around Newk’s tables and our flavorful, handcrafted dishes.”

At Newk’s, there is something for everyone to enjoy on the restaurant’s diverse menu of tossed salads, California-style pizzas, hot toasted sandwiches, and made-from-scratch soups and desserts  Newk’s signature menu items are handcrafted in an open kitchen and served tableside.

The Jackson, Mississippi-based Newk’s Eatery currently has 70 locations across 13 states and plans to open 14 additional locations by March 2015