From more pizza to a mysterious downtown bar, 17 restaurant and shopping nuggets to know
With the snow out of the way and the warm weather nearly here, Knoxville's restaurant, bar and retail scene is as busy as ever.
A few restaurants have made waves since joining Knoxville's restaurant scene, like an Afghan restaurant in the Marble City Market food hall and a Jewish deli receiving a spot on a national best restaurants list. There's also retail news with a fashion designer closing its shop and a big chain opening a new location nearby.
Here are 17 pieces of food, drink and retail news you need to know. Visit knoxnews.com for all the latest restaurant news.
Honeymouth closes Old City storefront, but it's still in business
Honeymouth has closed its storefront at 125 S. Central St., but not all is lost! The boutique fashion brand will keep the online store at shophoneymouth.com up and running.
"It has been a wild journey, y'all. We opened our brick-and-mortar shop during the pandemic and never dreamed where it would take us. We have been surrounded by the sweetest community here in Knoxville, and you all are the reason we made it to Paris Fashion Week ... and beyond," the caption on the Instagram announcement read.
Sam & Andy's Bexhill opens in West Knoxville
Sam & Andy's Bexhill at 1403 Bexhill Drive is open. This location is related to the Sam & Andy's restaurant in Fountain City, but it's separate from the restaurant in Farragut.
The Bexhill restaurant features the classic burgers and steamed sandwiches the restaurant is known for, but customers can try the new milkshake bar and enjoy sweet flavors like cookie dough, peanut butter and strawberry cheesecake.
The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Rom's House opens in Marble City Market
Marble City Market added new Afghan restaurant Rom's House to its list of food vendors.
Receiving an endorsement from Yassin's Falafel House, the restaurant is funded by Seeds and Bridges, a nonprofit organization run by Yassin Terou. The new restaurant's owner, Mohammad Hamdard, is a refugee from Afghanistan.
The menu includes Rom's Fast Fix with rice and a choice of meat or Rom's Bowl with rice, meat, vegetables and a side.
It's open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
Bear Den Books in Sequoyah Hills is closing
One of Knoxville's independent bookstores, Bear Den Books, will close March 3.
The bookstore at 1200 Kenesaw Ave. opened in 2022 in the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood.
"After much thoughtful deliberation, we’ve decided to end operations this spring as our lease expires. It’s been an extremely tough decision, but we are moving on to new opportunities that made this the right thing to do," the post read.
The store is now only open on the weekends until the last day.
Potchke named one of the best restaurants in the US
Downtown deli Potchke was named one of USA Today's Restaurants of the Year.
Joining 46 other restaurants across the country, Potchke was picked for its elevated deli experience, friendly atmosphere and excellent food. The restaurant started as a pop-up in 2022 operating out of the former Vienna Coffee shop at 318 N. Gay St.
Sevierville opening new Target location
Over in Sevierville, a new Target location is coming.
Located at 830 Winfield Dunn Parkway, the location is under construction and the Sevier County Economic Development Council hopes the 147,000-square-foot store will open by the end of the year.
Bistro by the Tracks reopens in Bearden, keeping Happy Holler, too
With renovations finally complete, Bistro by the Tracks returned to Bearden at 5448 Homberg Drive.
Fortunately, the temporary location on Central Street isn't going away and has been rebranded as Bistro by the Tracks Happy Holler.
The menu at each restaurant will be different based on the chef's preferences, but both will serve "New American" cuisine.
K Brew opens University of Tennessee campus coffee shop
The UT-alumni-owned K Brew opened a new location on campus.
K Brew Express can be found in the Haslam College of Business where Einstein Bros. Bagels was at 1000 Volunteer Blvd. The new express model focuses on "speed and efficiency" to serve students coffee quickly.
"This is a big win for campus and a huge win for K Brew," co-owner Pierce LaMacchia said.
Albright Grove plans to build a full kitchen
Albright Grove Brewing Company is partnering with chef Drew McDonald of The Plaid Apron to build a full kitchen at the 2924 Sutherland Ave. tasting room.
"Our owner/brewmaster Nick Barron and Drew have been friends for years, sharing the same passions for beer, food and support for local farmers, and will be creating a unique culinary experience here at Albright with fresh, local and seasonal menus to reflect the diverse combinations of food and beer," according to an announcement post on Facebook.
There's no date yet for when the kitchen will begin serving.
It's All So Yummy Café in West Knoxville closing
The popular It's All So Yummy Café at 124 S. Peters Road in West Knoxville is closing Feb. 29 after more than 12 years.
Owner Kim Wilcox posted a farewell announcement in a Facebook post earlier this month.
"I feel like I’m running on fumes, digging deep, and trudging through, but I’ve maxed out," she wrote. "It’s important for me to know when to call it quits, but it’s also so hard when something has been the center of your world for so long."
Wilcox said she is taking time off and perhaps writing a third cookbook.
William & Wylie Custom Menswear moves
William & Wylie Custom Menswear moved to 310 W. Jackson Ave.
The new space is bigger and allows for more space to display products.
The store is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Knoxville movie theater Halls Cinema 7 closes
In a blow for movie lovers, Halls Cinema 7 closed in Halls.
The theater at 3800 Neal Drive closed Feb. 20. The seven-screen theater cited economic reasons for the closure.
Mighty Mud is moving to South Knoxville
Ceramic studio and retail shop Mighty Mud announced on Facebook that it will move to South Knoxville.
Mighty Mud operates at 126 and 127 Jennings Ave. right now, but a moving date hasn't been announced.
Nearly every Marco's Pizza location has reopened
Late last year, several Marco's Pizza locations closed without a word. Now, all but one have reopened.
The only remaining store still closed is at 7327 Clinton Highway. It's not featured on the Marco's Pizza website and Google still lists it as temporarily closed.
These Marco's locations have reopened:
8667 Middlebrook Pike
3018 Tazewell Pike
10190 Spring Bluff Way
12552 Kingston Pike
1541 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge
1762 W. Broadway Ave. in Maryville
Amber Restaurant reopening with new owners
Amber Restaurant in Halls is planning to reopen soon after a brother and sister duo bought the restaurant at 6715 Maynardville Pike. The announcement was made on Facebook on Feb. 20, but the post was removed.
John Dycus and Lana Hughes are the new owners and are keeping the name, menu and staff, according to the deleted post.
The Facebook page for Amber Restaurant says the restaurant is reopening soon.
Pizza Hoss expands, takes over a former Archer's BBQ
Pizza Hoss is opening its third location at the closed Archer's BBQ site at 1301 E. Emory Road between Powell and Halls.
Some work needs to be done, such as installing a new grease trap and hood in the kitchen, but Holmes is planning to open it by March 1.
Fiori Bar & Lounge is coming to the Old City
Taking over the former spot of Vidl, Fiori Bar & Lounge is a new experience in the works within the Old City.
The bar at 111 E. Jackson Ave. doesn't have an opening date yet, but the bar is hiring now.
Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville restaurant news includes Sam & Andy's, K Brew
