08/13/2025
Get to Know Our Founders:
Owners and friends Paul Esterer and Chef Matthew Cooper have poured their talent and passion into Sun Painted Farm’s evolution. Their lifelong dedication to building community runs deep in the project’s DNA. Esterer and Cooper agreed to first build their family homes on the land, then carefully breathe life back into the property by developing a sustainable farmstead, culinary project, and incredible guest experience.
For over 30 years, Paul has focused on adaptive restoration real estate. In 2020, the opportunity arose for Paul to invest in another heritage project—the original Schell/Coffee homestead on former Route 4—tucked away just minutes outside of downtown Bentonville. This property is now home to Sun Painted Farm and , Chef Cooper’s new farm-to-table Tasting Menu restaurant.
And Chef Cooper has been pushing the limits of what a restaurant can and should be within its community for decades. In 2022, Chef Cooper launched , and it has now been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards.
Ryn, Chef Cooper’s new establishment, sits tucked inside Sun Painted Farm’s restored, historic farmhouse and mirrors Chef Cooper’s commitment to people, food origin, and a more sustainable future for food.