Town Hall East is all in for East Knoxville businesses. Formed by homeowners, THE has never projected the anti-development bent that sometimes defines similar groups. “There’s a lot of positive action going on (in East Knoxville) and people just don’t know about it,” said THE president Sandra Korbelik.
So, the March 8 virtual meeting was a celebration of five East Knoxville businesses – big and small. Let’s take a look:
Archers BBQ was represented by owner Archer Bagley. He praised the East Knox location, opened in August 2019 at 5200 Rutledge Pike. “It’s one of my strongest stores,” he said. “I’ve got a 20-year lease. We’re not going anywhere.” Bagley said the East Knox Archers has a full kitchen and more menu items than some other stores. “Our lunch business is really strong.” Info: 865-722-1989 or here.
Perk City, 3229 E Magnolia Ave., was represented by owner Sherene Jacobs. The coffee house with homemade pastries and lunch sandwiches opened in late 2019. It closed for Covid and reopened very slowly – with Jacobs taking curbside orders and delivering to the cars. Jacobs told Town Hall that soon she plans a trivia night and a karaoke night; she does not charge for meeting space (57-person capacity). Info: 865-247-5917 or here.
Kickstand Bicycle Collective was represented by Paul Laudeman, community outreach director. He said a second location will open in mid-May at Macedonia United Methodist Church, 4630 Holston Drive, in conjunction with a Friends of Literacy outreach. “We are non-profit, all volunteers,” he said. The group will retain its current location. “We do not repair bikes for people. We teach people how to repair their bike.” The group takes donations of cash, bicycles and bike parts. It works through schools and social service programs to give bicycles to those who could not afford them. Info: 1323 N Broadway by appointment or here.
Emma’s Kitchen/The Gathering Spot was represented by owner Terri Cade Hill, an A-E and MTSU graduate who now lives in Atlanta where she is a State Farm agent. Talk about timing. Hill opened Emma’s in March 2020. “Covid hit us like a tsunami.” She shut down for six months. Now she’s back, open for breakfast and lunch with rental options after 3 p.m. “We’ve got a fully functional bar and menu items like peach cobbler on French toast. We’re feeling our way along.” Info: 3906 Martin Luther King Avenue or video here.
Burlington Commons was represented by David Varner and Jake Varner of Southeast Capital. The affordable housing community will bring 26 2-bedroom/1-bath units, 20 3-bedroom/2-bath units, two 1-bedroom/1 bath units and two studio units to 4530 Holston Drive. The city of Knoxville invested $1.47 million from its Affordable Rental Development Fund (ARDF) to the project. “Knoxville has a waiting list of people with housing vouchers who can’t find a place to live,” said David Varner. “These are modern, nice units.” He expects a May or June opening. Info here.
Nick Della Volpe said it best in a previous column: “Fellow Knoxvillians, we need to patronize all our small businesses as they reopen. Our patronage is the key to their survival. And, in a real way, ours.”
Sandra Clark is editor/CEO of Knox TN Today.