GoodTimes, sits down with Chef Matt Cooper—the visionary behind Bentonville’s 100% gluten-free restaurant Conifer and its newly opened, farm-driven tasting experience, RŶN. A second-time James Beard Award nominee, Matt isn’t just cooking great food—he’s rewriting what hospitality, leadership, and community nourishment look like in Northwest Arkansas. 

Diagnosed with celiac disease after years in the kitchen, Matt decided his next restaurant would be a place where anyone could eat every single thing on the menu. Conifer was born from that vow—and quickly became one of Bentonville’s most beloved restaurants. More than a kitchen, it’s a mission: to serve seasonal, farmer-supported food in a space built on empathy, transparency, and care—for guests, team, and community alike.

 Now with RŶN, Matt’s mission goes deeper. Set on his own land just outside of town, RŶN offers a single-seating, 10-course tasting experience served inside a restored 1800s farmhouse surrounded by the very soil that feeds it. And it’s deeply personal—named after a phrase his grandmother used to sign letters: “Remember Your Name.” 

We talk about everything: what it means to lead a healthy kitchen culture, how trauma shaped his style, why Bentonville is the perfect creative lab, and how his mother—a food technologist—helped lay the groundwork for his life in food. For Matt, ingredients matter. But people matter more.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.