Local restaurants prepare for increase in customers from Bikes, Blues, and BBQ Rally

ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Restaurants will soon be filled with hungry bikers visiting from all over the country for the annual Bikes, Blues, and BBQ Rally in Rogers.

Workers at Smokin’ Joe’s Ribhouse in Bentonville are prepared to serve everyone.

“We’ve already doubled the staff for server wise and our kitchens and Outback and this location and Rogers of course,” Kaitlyn Melick, server and manager at Smokin’ Joe’s Ribhouse, said.

Melick had the chance to see how busy the restaurant gets during last year’s rally.

“We saw a double increase in everyone, like the sales, so we had to pull people over from Rogers and get them our people as well so they could bartend to help each other out,” Melick said.

Bikers can also try Tusk & Trotter, a farm-to-table restaurant that opened two weeks ago in Rogers.

“We do hog, we do bison, we do beef. Our fish right now is like walleye,” Rob Nelson, chef and owner of Tusk & Trotter, said.

Nelson is expecting a heavy influx of business this week.

“We’re going to be set up not only inside, but we’ll have an outside presence as well, beer gardens and serving food on our patio,” Nelson said.

This is their first time serving people from the rally so, other restaurants in the area gave them some tips on how to prepare.

“One of the main pointers given is don’t run out so that they literally say, you know, thousands of people are going to be coming down here. So we’re treating it pretty much like it’s a festival,” Nelson said.

Bikers will not only bring their big appetites to Northwest Arkansas, but also their stories of traveling the country,  something Melick enjoys listening to.

“I remember one of our people last year, he came and told us that he came all the way down from up in Canada. He came through, he was just traveling through when he heard about Bikes Blues. And so he ended up stopping by,” Melick said. “So people don’t even know that we’re having it. And it’s so fun that they just end up stopping by and seeing that we had it going on. So it’s fun and hopefully he’ll come back next this year.”

Bikes, Blues, and BBQ begins on Wednesday and will end on Saturday.

For a list of the full schedule, click here .

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