Tupelo Honey Cafe opening in Knoxville

1/25/2012

Tupelo Honey Cafe, a restaurant long considered one of Asheville's signature dining establishments, is opening a location in downtown Knoxville.

The cafe will be on the first floor of The Oliver Hotel at 407 Union Avenue. Owner Steve Frabitore hopes to have it open this summer.

The Knoxville Tupelo Honey Cafe will offer the same fare as its two Asheville locations.

The restaurant will have 150 seats. Its signature bar, The Sweet Spot, will feature house-infused specialty moonshine cocktails along with regional micro-brews and wine.

"We are excited to partner with The Oliver Hotel and have a presence in historic Market Square," Frabitore said in a press release. "The Square is also home to a Knoxville farmers' market, which will be an extremely convenient way for us to get to know the local East Tennessee farming community."

"We look forward to partnering with Tupelo Honey to offer hotel guests, visitors and Knoxville residents unique, flavorful and creative Southern cuisine," said Knoxville developer Ethan Orley.

Tupelo Honey Cafe has been featured in Southern Living Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and on the Food Network's "Rachael Ray" show.

The restaurant will be managed by Frabitore and his executive team with Executive Chef Brian Sonoskus.

Alan Wolf has also joined the company as director of store operations. He was previously operating partner and founding partner of Frankie Bones Restaurant in Asheville, which opened in 2007.

Wolf had worked as a manager with Southeast Entertainment & Restaurant Group since 2001.

The newly-renovated Oliver Hotel has 28 guest rooms and a lounge in the re-purposed Peter Kern Library.

The building housing the Oliver Hotel was originally the Peter Kern Bakery. It was built in 1876, and recently renovated and re-opened in 2011 as a hotel.

Source: WATE