Walking inside The Front Porch, customers are instantly struck with a feeling of home as they take in the shop’s warm atmosphere, delectable smells and southern charm. The two-story vintage home is a three-in-one shop, including an antique store, bakery, and the Violet Fields boutique.
Joan Buck, owner of The Front Porch, opened the antique shop in 2013 out of a love for old-fashioned, rustic décor and a love for people. Each nook and crevice of the building is filled with old treasures, from wood-stained furniture to antique pictures and metal fixtures.
“We sell a lot of rustic furniture and shabby-chic décor,” Buck said. “We’re different from other stores because we offer unique things that people can’t find everywhere else.”
The Front Porch is also known for its fresh, home-baked goods. Coconut pies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes and pastries are just a few of the desserts available to customers. It is Buck’s famous fried pies, however, that continue to draw people back in.
“You can’t get a true fried pie very many places these days,” Michelle Thornton, owner of The Front Porch boutique, said. “Our pies are made fresh every day by a woman who has been making pies for decades.”
Buck was first inspired to open the bakery by her granddaughter, Sara Huneycutt, a 2014 Ouachita graduate. Huneycutt, who grew up baking, took a year off school to help Buck start up the business before attending grad school this year.
“We had such a wonderful time baking together,” Buck recalls. “I wouldn’t take a million dollars for the last year.
Violet Fields boutique, the most recent addition to The Front Porch, opened this past April. Located on the second floor of the shop, the boutique adds a fresh, modern flair to the old-fashioned establishment. Its unique jewelry, fashion-forward clothing and modest pricing make it the perfect place for college students to indulge in some retail therapy.
“One reason our store is unique is because we are continually getting new things,” Thornton said. “We get new inventory at least once a week, so you will always find something different.”
The Front Porch is generational, appealing to all age demographics. From young to old, the store has a little something for everyone. “Our customers range in age, from early twenties to mid-forties,” Thornton noted. “We try not to be single-minded with our customers, so we work hard to have a good mix of items.”
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday-Saturday. Those wishing to pre-order from the bakery should call within two days of pickup. For more information, stop by the store at 190 Valley Street in Caddo Valley (across from Cracker Barrel), call (870) 245-7029. For more information on Violet Fields, call (870) 520-9767 or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/violetfields.
By Cimber Winfrey
