About Sweetwater

About SweetWater – Keet’s Retreat & the Keets 

The owners of the SweetWater cabin, Jake and Stephanie Keet are in the restaurant industry and live in Little Rock. As of this writing they are involved in thirty restaurants with Jake’s brother Tommy and his father Jim. The restaurants are in Arkansas, Florida, and Oklahoma (Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, Petit and Keet, Cypress Social, Waldo’s Chicken and Beer, Count Porkula BBQ, Mt. Fuji Japanese, Big Bad Breakfast, and Flyway Brewery.) Jake is in operations and Stephanie handles marketing. They were married in 2009 and have two lovely children, Holden & Dashiell. Stephanie and Jake have always enjoyed the outdoors together and were first introduced to Fat Possum Hollow six years ago through visits to Rusty’s Roost, a cabin owned by Ben E. Keith Foodservice. 

Jake and Stephanie fell in love with Fat Possum Hollow and discussed on numerous occasions how badly they wanted a place just like Fat Possum. After a couple of years of discussion, Stephanie brought up the idea of calling Fat Possum to see if any cabins were available for purchase. It turned out that Jim Boggan and Curtis Doss, who had owned the SweetWater cabin for fifteen years, had at one point entertained selling his cabin, but that deal fell through. Terms were met with Jim and Curtis to sell the cabin and SweetWater was purchased in February of 2022. 

The history of SweetWater dates back to 2005. It was the eighth cabin built on the property. It was constructed by Mike McClain who can be seen working on the property often. Mike has been instrumental in building the cabins at Fat Possum and is planning to build his own house on the grounds soon (this will be one of the last two cabins to be built on the grounds.) If you see him, make sure to tell him how much you love the craftsmanship he put into the place. The cabin was owned by Maurice and his family until 2006 or 2007. At that point it was sold to Jim and Curtis. The cabin at one point had a share rented to Ben E. Keith before they purchased their shares of Rusty’s Roost.

Jake and Stephanie were beyond excited to purchase SweetWater in 2022. Upon purchasing SweetWater, they got to work trying to make the place feel like everything they had dreamed of. They also added an additional name to the cabin – “Keet’s Retreat.” The name was actually coined by Rusty Mathis of Ben E. Keith. Jim and his partner had done an incredible job of making the upstairs portion feel exactly like a cabin should feel, so the upstairs was finished up fairly quickly. The downstairs garage and game room is a never ending work in progress. If you or your friends would like to donate any funky signage that they would like to see downstairs, it can be added to the eclectic collection that hangs on the wall. Every visit for the foreseeable future by Jake and his family will see Jake hanging additional signs on the concrete walls downstairs until the place feels just right. A pool table, ping pong table, and Street Fighter arcade machine live downstairs along with a mounted television so that you never need to miss a football game or the opportunity to listen to music while with your family.. The Keets aim to make SweetWater an incredible place to stay and are attentive owners who enjoy hearing from their tenants about improvements the tenants would like to see. We hope that you love SweetWater as much as we do!

With SweetWater, your family can experience the beauty of Heber Springs and all it has to offer. From hiking and fishing to exploring local attractions such as Bridal Veil Falls or the Greer’s Ferry Lake, there’s something for everyone. Our cabin provides a relaxing environment for you to unwind and create lasting memories with your family. Contact us to reserve your lease for six or twelve weeks of the year!

For more information – Contact: Jake Keet 501-517-4210

Fat Possum Hollow Cabin Community History

Nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, Fat Possum Hollow sits on 250 private acres near Heber Springs, Arkansas. The property is bordered on the north by the languid Little Red River. This world renowned river is famous for trout fishing year round. During most of the day the river can be waded across and fished with ease. However, when the Greers Ferry Dam is generating power, the water level rises rapidly and the river becomes quite swift…and very cold!

Maurice Lipsey, a Memphis native, first discovered the beauty of the Greers Ferry area at the age of 16. His SCUBA instructor brought a group to the lake for an “open water” certification course. Even at that young age, Maurice knew he wanted to make his home in the gentle rolling hills surrounding the Little Red River.

Many years passed. Maurice started a family and pursued his career. But in his heart, he knew he would someday return to the valley. That opportunity came when a local rancher was wanting to sell his farm. But it didn’t come easy. Negotiations for the land took over a year. Maurice says he learned a great deal about the so-called “art of the deal.” But his persistence paid off. In 1996, Maurice became the proud owner of what would become Fat Possum Hollow.

But the property was a far cry from “resort ready.” Much of the land was untouched and the land around the Little Red River was a dense thicket of trees and brush. Maurice cleared the land bordering the river and, with the help of a close friend, built the first three cabins. With his many contacts and friends in the Memphis area, Maurice quickly sold the cabins’ timeshares.

Soon, word-of-mouth brought more interest to the Hollow. Maurice continued to build and expand. But he never lost sight of the beauty around him and kept his promise to make Fat Possum Hollow a one of a kind retreat. Maurice had a vision of a luxury getaway that would appeal to people from all walks of life, while still preserving the feel of a wilderness get-away.

There are now 16 cabins on the property and the there will only be two more cabins built. A few are privately owned. Several are long term leases but the majority remain timeshare based. Don’t be surprised if you see additional construction during your visit. But Maurice’s goal is to always keep ample space between cabins and provide the best in rustic, yet luxurious accommodations.

Wildlife in the Hollow is abundant. It’s not uncommon to see deer, turkey, bobcats, raccoons and other indigenous critters. The Little Red River is also host to a family of American Bald Eagles, a truly magnificent sight to behold. There are also many horses that graze peacefully and frolic happily in the pastures near the entrance. If you stop along the gravel drive and roll down your car window, you just might get an up close and personal moment with one of the steeds!

On your drive in, you passed by the Main Barn. Don’t let it’s looks deceive you. These stables have been converted to offices on the south side, while the north side houses a great BYOB bar, complete with pool table, satellite TV and a host of colorful characters. Be sure to drop by, introduce yourselves, and swap “fish stories” with other guests.

Sadly, Maurice passed away in October of 2019 leaving behind his legacy which includes his family, thousands of friends, and Fat Possum Hollow. His son Parker has carried on the legacy of his family.