HORSESHOE BEND, Ark. — After nearly a year of closure due to a devastating fire, Our Neighborhood Fresh Market in Horseshoe Bend has reopened its doors to the community.
The fire, which occurred in September 2025, destroyed the Diamond B Mall, where the market is housed. While several businesses in the mall were completely lost, the grocery store suffered severe smoke damage that forced its temporary closure.
For much of its closure, Horseshoe Bend residents relied solely on a nearby Dollar General Market for groceries. For more extensive shopping needs, many were left with no choice but to make longer trips to Batesville or Ash Flat.
Calvin Wilson Jr., a manager at the reopened store, emphasized the importance of the market to the local community. “Right down the street at Dollar General Fresh is the only option for a grocery store here,” Wilson said. “Otherwise, you have to drive to Batesville or Ash Flat, Walmart.”
The return of Our Neighborhood Fresh Market brings back convenient access to fresh produce, meats, and sliced deli items—staples that residents were previously forced to leave town to buy.
Wilson expressed his gratitude for the community’s return to the store. “The fact that we’re back and able to see people again,” he said. “During the whole time that we were off, I missed everyone so much. Just being able to see everybody again puts a big smile on my face alone.”
Residents have now been shopping in the reopened store for about a week, renewing a connection that Wilson and others say extends beyond groceries to a sense of shared community.