122WINTER STUDENT LIFE Have A TASTE Warehouse 4 gives a sneak peek with hopes to open in early 2022. HARDING’S CAMPUS and surrounding town was home to a number of coffee shops. Adding to the variety was Warehouse 4, a coffee and bakeshop owned by alumnus Ben Neely, with two other locations in Ohio. “They wanted to put in the new Legacy area a coffee shop, deli, bake shop,” Neely said. “They found out that we had one and, as alumni, were interested. Dr. Burks reached out to us, and he flew to Ohio. We talked it through, and it sounded like a good opportunity for both of us, so here we are.” Warehouse 4 conducted an initial open house in October 2021 during Harding’s Homecoming. The business’ goal was to have a soft launch in early January 2022 and a grand opening shortly after. Warehouse 4 was set apart due to its use of local roasters to make its coffee and their focus on food in addition to coffee, such as cookies, brownies, salads and sandwiches. There was an emphasis on creating a new atmosphere and giving back to the community. “In Ohio we’ve done a really good job of supporting local schools, so we’ll get involved with Searcy High School [and] Harding Academy,” Neely said. “Trying to sponsor teams and really give back to them is what we try to do, and I fully plan on doing that here too.” Director of Architecture Mike Steelman designed the building with the needs of Warehouse 4, Harding students and customers in the surrounding area in mind. One building feature new to campus was the drive-thru. “The drive-thru definitely is a big component of any restaurant business in this day and time, more so now than two years ago,” Steelman said. “The importance of drive-thrus has been demonstrated over the last couple of years.” Warehouse 4 was located near the edge of campus, surrounded by the Ulrey Performing Arts Center and several women’s residence halls. Junior Maia Bennett appreciated the convenient location on campus. “Having a coffee shop that’s closer to my dorm is great,” Bennett said. “It’ll be nice to have another option in close proximity. I volunteer at the Ulrey on Friday afternoons, so it will be nice to walk by there and treat myself to a coffee or something after working in the shop”. Places like Warehouse 4 were for more than drinking coffee and eating baked goods. They were places for connection and conversations, especially in bringing Harding closer to the community. “For students, it’s great,” Steelman said. “I hope it’s going to be a place where the Harding community and the Searcy community as a whole can come together.” WRITTEN BY CAROLINE SLATER INTRO TO THE MENU Alumnus Ben Neely talks to customers in Warehouse 4 during the sneak peek Oct. 22, 2021. There were plans for a soft launch in January 2022 and a grand opening soon after. Photo by: Kaitlyn Cutshall
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