  Motivated by the dynamical reasons for the hierarchical structure of the
Yukawa sector of the Standard Model (SM), we consider an extension of the SM
with a complex scalar field, known as `flavon', based on the Froggatt-Nielsen
mechanism. In an effective theory approach, the SM fermion masses and mixing
patterns are generated in orders of the parameter related to the vacuum
expectation value of the flavon field and the cut-off of the effective theory.
By introducing right-handed neutrinos, we study the viability of the lightest
right-handed neutrino as a dark matter candidate, where the same flavon field
acts as a mediator between the dark and the SM sectors. We find that dark
matter genesis is achieved both through freeze-out and freeze-in mechanisms
encompassing the $\mathcal{O}(\text{GeV})$ -- $\mathcal{O}(\text{TeV})$ mass
range of the mediator and the dark matter particle. In addition to tree-level
spin-dependent cross section, the model gives rise to tree- and loop-level
contributions to spin-independent scattering cross section at the direct
detection experiments such as XENON and LUX-ZEPLIN which can be probed in their
future upgrades. By choosing suitable Froggatt-Nielsen charges for the
fermions, we also generate the mass spectrum of the SM neutrinos via the Type-I
seesaw mechanism. Flavor-changing neutral current processes, such as radiative
lepton decay, meson mixing, and top-quark decay remain the most constraining
channels and provide testability for this minimal setup that addresses several
major shortcomings of the SM.
