BY GRACIE GOODMAN
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Chef David Bancroft, owner of Acre and Bow and Arrow, is opening a new Bow and Arrow location in Auburn this summer. The new location will take over the former Vintage 2298 space at 2298 E. University Drive.
The new restaurant is not just a second location, but a space carefully crafted to better suit a full-service environment. Its design features a grab-and-go market attached to the building called Bluebonnet Market. There, guests on the waitlist can browse items for sale or order margaritas, ranch waters and local craft beers from the market’s bar.
The market will offer vacuum-sealed whole briskets and bacon, a pit smoked beef jerky cabinet with custom old-fashioned smoked jerky, grab-and-go enchiladas, taco kits and other popular items from Bow and Arrow. The market will also carry products from regional farmers including honey, grits and jams while featuring several favorites from Acre.
“Top things [we’ll have from Acre] for sure are the Acre Peanut Butter Pie, our pimento cheese and our butterbean orzo salad with green goddess dressing,” said Bancroft.
The response from the community is what motivated Bancroft to open a second location. The support proved how much customers enjoyed Bow and Arrow’s flavorful blend of barbeque and Mexican influences.
Bancroft said guests will likely be impressed with the size of the parking lot and the unique atmosphere of the new space. The restaurant’s second floor will feature a mezzanine that guests can rent for private events, complete with a full bar and elevator chairlift to ensure accessibility for everyone wanting to enjoy the space.
“It’s going to look like a real gunfighter saloon,” Bancroft said.
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Bancroft discovered his passion for cooking and farm-to-table dining at an early age, an experience that later shaped his focus on locally-sourced ingredients and creating spaces centered around gathering and community.
“I love when food is intentional and fresh, and I especially love when I get to go out and catch it or hunt it, forage it or farm it,” Bancroft said.
Bancroft said he refined his culinary skills as the executive chef at Amsterdam Café, where he was pivotal in introducing farm-to-table dining in East Alabama.
“That kitchen provided every opportunity for me to learn how to cook, because I never went to culinary school,” Bancroft said. “I was very grateful that the owners had enough trust in me to allow me to branch the menus out and start shopping from local farmers and supporting the local community.”
Bancroft opened Acre in 2013, then Bow and Arrow in 2018 as his second concept, its intention to blend the traditions of a South Texas smokehouse with Mexican influences and flavors.
Bancroft also praised the contributions of his general managers JD Hammond and Blake Field, at Acre and Bow and Arrow, respectively, highlighting their evolving roles within the restaurants.
“They are now stepping into more executive roles and helping oversee all the locations, but they have been integral into the design of this new location,” Bancroft said.
Reflecting on the deeper purpose behind his restaurants, Bancroft shared his vision for creating spaces that showcase his passion and resonate with guests on multiple levels.
“I think the most rewarding part is to build every corner of each restaurant with the ability to story tell with intention so that the restaurants begin to have a pulse and a heartbeat and start to come to life when guests get in there,” Bancroft said.
The restaurant is expected to open in July, giving residents in the area another opportunity to experience Bancroft’s vision of community-centered dining rooted in Southern hospitality and locally sourced ingredients.
