Gone but not forgotten: Knoxville area restaurants and retailers we miss.

[Thunder Good-Oil]

View attachment 524847

I ate lunch right there many times. Usually from Sbarro.

 

[Ted]

Hotel Monday

Where was the Hotel Monday? It probably isn't there now, no. Let's get a location.

I did a web search, which turned up nothing. It had to have been a property of Gene Monday's.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Where was the Hotel Monday? It probably isn't there now, no. Let's get a location.

I did a web search, which turned up nothing. It had to have been a property of Gene Monday's.

Probably 1721 Cumberland. Robert Monday owns it now.

 

[MAD]

Probably 1721 Cumberland. Robert Monday owns it now.

Where was the Hotel Monday? It probably isn't there now, no. Let's get a location.

I did a web search, which turned up nothing. It had to have been a property of Gene Monday's.

Found this from a 1953 clipping.

 

[82_VOL_83]

Stefanos Pizza closes original Cumberland Avenue location after 45 years

Sad. This is only progress if you are Core Knoxville Cumberland LLC and are going to profit hugely., or if you are a student who is able to get into one of these and live reasonably near campus.

Otherwise, there is nothing good about forcing established, beloved businesses like Stefano's out for this damned student housing.

UT needs to cap enrollment if the students can't find housing. UT, along with the City, is destroying the strip and more and more areas around downtown where these monster, ugly, mostly 5-over-1 buildings are taking over.

If you do Facebook, stop by Stefano's page there and read the outraged comments people are making!

This struck a nerve. One more reason that I won't ever move home.

 

[Go aeiou]

This struck a nerve. One more reason that I won't ever move home.

Old saying, "you can't go home"
Basically things change. It's not gonna be the same.

 

[82_VOL_83]

Old saying, "you can't go home"
Basically things change. It's not gonna be the same.

Knoxville has turned into a completely different place in about 10 years or so. Liberal attitudes are more pervasive, infrastructure is worse than it was during the malfunction junction days. Too many "ain't from around here" folks moving in. It's not that it's not the same, it's completely different.

 

[Ted]

This is a fond recollection thread for the way Knoxville used to be. It's hard to look back at places and people we've lost in our lifetimes. Knoxville has changed a lot, just since I've been here - 1998 - but hey, it's still a good place mostly, just very different now. Obviously business owners and corporations and developers make the decisions they do, and they invariably change things for the worse, compared to say, 1982 to pick a year. But I still enjoy living here. It's been quite a ride for this SE Kentucky boy who always wanted to live in Knoxville.

I have enjoyed being a part of this thread for the past few years and sharing memories of Knoxville. Let's keep this conversation going, we are capturing a lot of pictures and information and memories that need to be preserved. Thanks again to @mad4vols for starting it.

I wanted to take a moment tonight to wish all of you who follow this thread happy holidays and merry Christmas.

 

[feathersax]

Guess I should visit Ye Ole Steak House. Never dined there, but I've heard some many good things.

 

[MAD]

Guess I should visit Ye Ole Steak House. Never dined there, but I've heard some many good things.

It was really good the last time I was there, back on the late 70’s.

 

[PandamoniumReigns]

Didn't there used to be an Edward's steak house in West Knoxville? Close to Walker Springs?
If I remember correctly, it was turned into a Joe's Crab Shack.

 

[Wireless1]

Didn't there used to be an Edward's steak house in West Knoxville? Close to Walker Springs?
If I remember correctly, it was turned into a Joe's Crab Shack.

Yes, Edwards burned down under mysterious circumstances, every restaurant that went in afterwards failed, I think it’s a car lot now

 

[MAD]

Knoxville restaurants and businesses that closed in 2022 - deleciousfood

KNOXVILLE RESTAURANTS AND BUSINESSES THAT CLOSED IN 2022

Knoxville and the surrounding area saw several restaurants and other businesses, some of them longtime local fixtures, close their doors for good in 2022.

In some cases, new restaurants or shops have quickly taken over these newly vacant spaces, and those shuttered kitchens and storefronts could have left our memories just as quickly.

That’s why Knox News has compiled a list of Knoxville restaurants and businesses that closed in 2022. That’s not counting businesses that moved locations, like Pioneer House or Bistro by the Tracks.

THE BALL GENTLEMAN’S CLUB
A different type of establishment, The Ball was a strip club located on Alcoa Road. It closed in June 2022 after Knox County District Attorney Charme Allen cited it as a “public nuisance” and was permanently closed in September. A new strip club with a different name has opened in the same location.

THE CASUAL PINT IN HARDIN VALLEY

After closing the original location in Bearden, The Casual Pint in Hardin Valley closed in November.

CENTRAL DEPOSITORY


At the corner of Central Street and Depot Avenue, Central Depot closed on Halloween. The Old City venue is being converted into a new bar called Monkey’s Bar, which is expected to open soon.

THAI CUISINE FAI

Originally a food truck, Fai Thai Kitchen made the jump to a restaurant space on Gay Street. Unfortunately, the downtown kitchen closed in June 2022. The restaurant has become a member of Real Good Kitchen since closing.

THE FRONT PORCH RESTAURANT


A Powell favorite, The Front Porch closed in August 2022. Owner Bart Elkins opened the old part, but left the restaurant part closed.

CHICKEN+HOC DELI AND BUTCHER


Part of Olibea, the Hen+Hoc butcher shop closed its doors in April 2022. The butcher shop at 123 S. Central St. now houses a grocery store.

HOPS AND HOLLERS

After nine years, award-winning bar Hops and Hollers closed its doors in November 2022. Located at 937 N. Central St., the neighborhood bar combined beer with outdoor recreation.

KING TUT’S GRILL




Earlier this year, King Tut’s Grill closed. The South Knoxville restaurant at 4132 Martin Mill Pike cited COVID-19 as the reason for its closing on New Year’s Eve 2021.

KNOX MASON


After operating on Gay Street for 10 years, Knox Mason closed its doors in July 2022. Chef Matt Gallaher cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason, saying the restaurant was unable to regain its post-pandemic success after moving to Embassy Suites. hotel

K TOWN TAVERN

At 320 N. Peters Road, K Town Tavern closed in July 2022. Eat Out, Inc. and K Town Tavern had been using it for 17 years. The space is now the location of Abridged Beer Company: World Headquarters.

PO’ RICHARD’S

One of Marble City Market’s original food vendors, Po’ Richards’, served its last sandwich in April 2022. Po’ Richards’ Facebook page has no update on whether the restaurant will reopen in a capacity or different space

RANKIN RESTAURANT


Originally opened in 1953, Rankin’s Restaurant closed its doors in February 2022. It claimed to be the oldest restaurant in Knoxville. The building at 2200 N. Central St. it was sold in March.

RITA’S BAKERY
Rita’s Bakery closed in May 2023. It served baked goods from its location at 3023 Tazewell Pike since 1993.

RENAISSANCE TERRACE

Renaissance Terrace, an assisted living facility, closed in January 2022. The closing was due to a lack of state funding, according to management at the time. The closure displaced 45 seniors in the Quart and Gill neighborhood.

S&S CAFETERIA


Another longtime Knoxville restaurant, S&S Cafeteria, served Knoxville from 1975 until August 2022. Part of a franchise, the Knoxville location at 4808 Kingston Pike closed after failing to fully recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.


STEFANOS PIZZA

While the Hardin Valley location is still open, Stefanos Pizza’s original location on “the Strip” at 1937 Cumberland Ave. closed December 2022. Open since 1977.

TIME WARP TEA ROOM

After 20 years, the Time Warp Tea Room motorcycle club is shutting down its engines in early July 2022. The space at 1209 N Central St. it was sold and is now used by a natural wine bar that will open in January 2023 and a steam room.

EVIL CHICKEN

Hot chicken concept Wicked Chicken closed at 141 S. Gay St. in January 2022. As part of the Nama Hospitality Group, the concept’s menu items were made available at 35 North in Farragut.

 

[ArdentVol]

think Dad and I ate more than our share of suppers in SS from 2002-2012

 

[Ernest T. Vol]

Guess I should visit Ye Ole Steak House. Never dined there, but I've heard some many good things.

Went there this past Wednesday night. It's the kind of unique place that grows on you. Dangerous place to drive and park, sort of plain and rustic, but the steak is really good. I think the 8 oz filet is the best cut there.

 

[Ted]

Went there this past Wednesday night. It's the kind of unique place that grows on you. Dangerous place to drive and park, sort of plain and rustic, but the steak is really good. I think the 8 oz filet is the best cut there.

It's seriously good! You'd rather pay local owners for a good steak meal than Ruth's Chris. Ye Olde Steak House feels like east Tennessee. So many local people have worked there over the decades.

I'm so glad they survived the fire of a few years ago, reopened, and are thriving 50 years later! Read this.

Website: Ye Olde Steak House

 

[Ted]

Knoxville restaurants and businesses that closed in 2022 .

Thanks for posting that list. Gosh, there are some old names there.

King Tut, Stefanos, S&S, Rankin? Knoxville is changing too fast..

 

[MAD]

 

[Ted]

Mad posted the first closing of 2023, I'll go next.

From WBIR: Blackhorse Pub Closing

Blackhorse website

They were located for a time in Western Plaza in the 90's before moving to Gay Street. Good beer and food! They still have the original Clarksville location, and the one in Alcoa on Hall Rd.

 

[Ted]

This isn't either restaurant or retail related, but I thought I'd mention while I'm on here today that a landmark old church in Knoxville was torn down this past fall. It was the home of Euclid Ave. Baptist Church for many years. It sat right next to the onramp from Alcoa Hwy onto I-40 east, adjacent to the old Rohm and Haas plant. When the interstates were built through Knoxville in the early 60's, somehow the church was able to get the route changed to spare the church property.

A developer bought the property in 2021. Nobody's quite sure why he was interested in that property, or what he is going to build in that spot, on a deadend street off Sutherland Avenue. At any rate, down it came for his purposes. Probably another 5-over-1 student housing building. There are a number of them nearby across the tracks.

Here are some links for more info if you're interested:

Euclid Avenue Baptist Church has rich history with unclear future

Euclid Ave. Baptist Church through the years in photos

Then:



and now:



Isn't that just like Knoxville in the 2020's?

(Gotta love that G3 billboard on the left.)

 

[Vjcvette]

Hey you look like the "Mad Chef" now!!

 

[Ted]

Taste of Thai had been around for a few years, I want to say since the late 00's. The original location was 213 N. Peters Rd. where Viet Taste is located now. They moved across to Town and Country Cir. down from Best Buy. Good food! Nothing online about why they closed.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Taste of Thai had been around for a few years, I want to say since the late 00's. The original location was 213 N. Peters Rd. where Viet Taste is located now. They moved across to Town and Country Cir. down from Best Buy. Good food! Nothing online about why they closed.

The owner lady is rich and didn’t want the headache of running a restaurant anymore. But you’d think that she’d sell it instead. Maybe that’s still and option unless she gave up the lease.

 

[EricStratton]

Taste of Thai had been around for a few years, I want to say since the late 00's. The original location was 213 N. Peters Rd. where Viet Taste is located now. They moved across to Town and Country Cir. down from Best Buy. Good food! Nothing online about why they closed.

They are retiring. Japanese/Thai fusion place going in. They own the building.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

They are retiring. Japanese/Thai fusion place going in. They own the building.

They probably own a long term lease. A bank owns ALL of the acres of commercial property in that area.