The Spark Café

101 N Main St, Bentonville, AR 72712, United States
+1 479-277-8490
$$$ Cafe
(42 Reviews)
Price Range $1–10

The Spark Café sits right on Bentonville’s bustling town square, making it a natural stop if you’re exploring the Walmart Museum nearby or just wandering downtown. This casual spot focuses on ice cream and old-fashioned soda fountain treats, attracting families, locals, and visitors looking for a sweet, affordable refresher.

The atmosphere carries a subtle vintage vibe reminiscent of classic soda fountains without feeling staged — it’s lively but laid-back, with space for groups and kids. You’ll often find it busy on weekends or warm afternoons when families and friends drop in after a day of downtown activities or outdoor adventures.

What stands out here are the generous portions and wallet-friendly prices, especially for the ice cream. The menu offers a solid variety of flavors, including local favorites like the “F150” red velvet and a well-praised butter pecan. Kids have the option of tiny cones, a thoughtful touch appreciated by parents. Toppings run the gamut from cookie dough and rainbow sprinkles to hot fudge and mini M&M’s, allowing for plenty of customization.

Besides scoops and cones, you can choose from shakes, floats, sundaes, and old-school ice cream sodas, many built with hand-dipped ice cream that holds its creamy texture well. Gluten-free options and some vegan/dairy-free flavors show a clear effort to accommodate different diets.

Though modest in size, The Spark Café balances the old-time soda fountain charm with practical touches — it manages to be a welcoming pit stop for post-bike ride treats, a casual family outing, or simply a way to cool down on a warm afternoon. Its spot on Main Street means it’s accessible and easy to include as part of a downtown stroll or visit to Bentonville’s local attractions.

Highlights
Serves great coffee
Serves great dessert
Popular for
Good for solo dining
What they serve
Serves coffee
Serves comfort food
Quick bite
Best for
Serves dessert
Accessibility
Has wheelchair-accessible car park
Has wheelchair-accessible entrance
Parking
Free of charge street parking
Free parking lot

Openings Hours

Checking

Monday

Closed

Tuesday

10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Wednesday

10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Thursday

10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Friday

10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Saturday

10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Sunday

12:00 AM - 6:00 PM

42 Reviews
Gigi

07 Jan 2026

I loved this place! It is the last stop of the Walmart museum but you can also enter from the street. They have many ice cream flavors, my top ones were F-150 (red velvet) and salted caramel. You can choose from different cone and cup size and they have a tiny cone for kids, that’s cute! The prices were a surprise for me, I paid $1.30 for the single. The place has a great atmosphere, a vintage dinner.

Noel Fjk

03 Jan 2026

I stopped by Spark Café in Bentonville and absolutely loved it! This little ice cream and soda fountain spot is full of charm and nostalgia. Located right next to the Walmart Museum, it’s the perfect place to cool off and relax. You seriously can’t beat the prices either. The menu has a great selection of hand-dipped ice cream, sundaes, malts, and old-fashioned sodas. They even had gluten free and dairy free options for people in my party. Personally, I tried one of the special flavors called F-150 (not gluten free)and it was delicious, rich, and generously portioned. Because it’s such a popular spot, especially on weekends and afternoons, it can get a little busy, but the line moves quickly and the staff is friendly and efficient. Whether you’re with family, on a date, or just treating yourself, Spark Café is a sweet little stop that’s definitely worth a visit.

Lucinda Dunbar

18 Dec 2025

This place has the best ice cream that I have tasted in quite a while. My favorite flavor is butter pecan. One scoop in a waffle cone was huge and only $1.89. You can't beat the price and the quality. You can get a one dip sundae with coolwhip, cherry and the works for $3.30. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do that because by the time we got done mountain biking on Sunday the cafe had already closed. Definitely will get a sundae the next time.

Maggie J

02 Dec 2025

Stopped by The Spark food truck for some ice cream after dinner on Saturday night. I was bummed that the cafe was undergoing renovation but was happy that we were still able to get a scoop. The price of ice cream here vs other places in town is honestly astounding. The gentleman helping us said that they keep the prices down because they want everyone to be able to bring the whole family. Flavor and quality were both great as was the service, and it was nice being able to enjoy our ice cream in the square. I personally really love that they offer a cutie cup/cone because I generally want just a little bite of ice cream and this really hit the spot!

Ali

13 Nov 2025

It was busy inside but it had a nice atmosphere. I ordered cookie dough as a topping to my ice cream and I was shocked to see how much they put on there. The ice cream was good and the location right on the square is wonderful.

Heather White

10 Oct 2025

This is a fun stop if you’re looking for an incredible ice cream value. In my experience, two people can eat here for the price of one, in comparison to other ice cream parlors. I know that it reopened after renovations not too terribly long ago; I wish that I could have seen it when it favored a soda fountain, honestly. I do appreciate that they don’t have a lot of menu offerings, as that keeps the line moving. If there’s no room inside and the weather is favorable, the square makes a picturesque dining venue.

Jennifer Houser

02 Oct 2025

We have lived in the area for almost a year and finally went to check this iconic cafe out. It has a true diner feel inside and the women working were all very friendly despite being so busy. We had the F-150 (red velvet cake), salted caramel and mint chip. All were wonderful. The ice cream is fresh. Prices are purposely inexpensive, we spent under $5 for all of us. This is a must stop in Bentonville while checking out downtown and the museum.

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