Papa Murphy's sole restaurant location in Fort Smith mysteriously closed overnight this past month. I was headed there to grab some take-and-bake pizza for the kids only to find out that the doors were locked and the signs had been removed from the exterior. Papa Murphy's location on Zero Street had been relocated from Van Buren a few years back. The location always generated a steady stream of business and it increased during the pandemic as well thanks to the take-and-bake business model.
There have been several restaurant closures in the area recently, Tei Pei Chinese Food will be closing soon and the Wagon Wheel has been closed for a while. YW Poke was another spot that mysteriously closed overnight as well. The local community has been growing at a rapid pace, so there is no reason why the restaurant couldn't have made it. The customer service at this Papa Murphy's location was always more than satisfactory. The food was prepared with excellent care and I never had a long wait time.
The great thing about Papa Murphy's was the fact that you could custom tailor a pizza, whereas the fresh pizzas at Walmart never seem to have enough sauce. The best part is that you can pick and choose your toppings, so you get exactly what you want. Plus, you don't have to wait around for delivery or worry about your pizza getting cold on the way to your house. It's all fresh and ready to go as soon as you pop it in your oven. Trust me, you won't be disappointed with a Papa Murphy's take-and-bake pizza.
But now there isn't a true take-and-bake alternative in Fort Smith anymore. I was already disappointed when Papa Murphy's left Van Buren, but now the chain has left the River Valley altogether. The fact that you can still get a great take-and-bake pizza was a wonderful concept and I am disappointed to see such a great restaurant vanish overnight.
We can always find some other options. Maybe try checking out some other pizza places nearby, or even try making your take-and-bake pizza at home! It could be a fun activity to do with friends or family, and you can customize it just the way you like it. Plus, you'll have the bonus of the delicious aroma of homemade pizza filling your home. Don't let the lack of Papa Murphy's get you down - there are plenty of other ways to satisfy your pizza cravings!
Nevertheless, time will tell if Papa Murphy's will make a comeback to the Fort Smith area. With the rapid growth that we have been seeing in Fort Smith alone, I can only imagine that the chain will make some kind of overture in the future. There has to be a serious reason why a franchise would suddenly disappear from the area overnight. There is a definite void in the area without Papa Murphy's being right there on Zero Street anymore.