Your Hometown Grocer

Harps is your hometown grocer. When you're here, you'll always be treated like a neighbor, because that's exactly what you are. Hometown is as much about values as it is convenience. We still believe in doing the right thing - offering a friendly smile, a helpful hand, and personal service. In short, we treat you the way we'd want to be treated. Harps is employee-owned, and strives to create the best grocery shopping experience in town. At Harps, you'll always find the variety you need, at competitive hometown prices.

Our History

Harvard and Floy Harp founded Harps in 1930. They started the first store with $500 in cash that Harvard had saved while working in the citrus industry in California. The first store was Harps Cash Grocery and was located in Springdale, AR. Over the next 34 years they remodeled, expanded, and moved to bigger buildings as their business continued to grow.

By the early 1950's, Harvard and Floy's oldest son, Don, had joined them in the business. In 1964 Harps became a small chain when the second store was opened in North Springdale.

By the mid 1960's, Don's brothers, Gerald and Reland, were also very involved in managing the Company with Reland handling the accounting duties and Gerald the operations. Don became CEO and President in 1968 at the death of his father and continued to guide Harps with the help of his brothers. In the early 80's, Reland retired, and in 1995, Don retired, and Gerald Harp assumed the duties of CEO and President. In 2000, Gerald retired as Chairman and CEO and Roger Collins was named CEO. In 2016, Roger stepped down as CEO and was replaced by Kim Eskew, the President, but continued to serve as Chairman of the Board. In 2018, Roger retired and Kim accepted the role as Chairman in addition to President and CEO. In 2022, J.Max Van Hoose was promoted to President. Kim Eskew remains in the role of Chairman and CEO.

In 2001, the Company did a leveraged buy-out with the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) purchasing outstanding stock from the family and management. Harps is the largest employee-owned company headquartered in Arkansas and the 16th largest in the United States. In 2022, Newsweek Magazine ranked Harps Food Stores the 3rd best supermarket retailer in the nation based on their consumer poll.