From late July to mid-September, three long-running Bearden businesses closed their doors on Kingston Pike. Over the same months, a Knoxville coffee brand opened its third shop on Old Kingston Pike, and a furniture family in business since 1956 signed on for the soda-fountain storefront that also dates to 1956. An Italian market announced plans for Homberg Drive. Most of the turnover this year has been Knoxville names leaving and Knoxville names arriving. The restaurant at the center of the most-discussed closure says the decision to leave was not its own.
The Ledger Since July
Here are the addresses that changed hands or changed plans between July and October 2026, based on Knox News reporting and the businesses' own announcements.
| Address | What was there | What's happening now |
|---|---|---|
| 7052 Kingston Pike | Plum Tree Chinese Restaurant | Closed July 31 |
| 4520 Old Kingston Pike | New space beside Bearden Beer Market | Honeybee Coffee opened July 11 |
| 5201 Kingston Pike | Intrepid Nitro Coffee and Tea Bar | Closed Aug. 16 |
| 5716 Kingston Pike | Nixon's Deli #11 | Closed Sept. 10 after 35 years |
| 4604 Kingston Pike | Long's Drug Store, closed 2024 | Restwell plans to open Nov. 1 |
| 5440 Homberg Drive | Future Il Mercato | Opening targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 |
| 6903 Kingston Pike | Hawaiian Bros Island Grill | Listed as open with daily hours |
The closing reports did not name a next tenant for either the former Intrepid shop at 5201 Kingston Pike or the former Nixon's building at 5716 Kingston Pike. Intrepid closed only its Bearden shop and is still operating in Hardin Valley, according to Knox News.
Why Nixon's Left
Nixon's Deli #11 sat between Buddy's Bar-b-q and Calloway's Lamp & Shade for 35 years and served Knoxville-style steamed sandwiches until 5 p.m. on Sept. 10. As Knox News reported, the restaurant explained the closing in a social media post:
"Under the current ownership, that relationship is ending, and our tenancy at this address will conclude in mid-September. We want you to know that this decision was not ours. We would have preferred to remain in this location and continue serving you here."
The post said the property had recently changed hands. When Knox News checked on Aug. 4, though, the Knox County Register of Deeds had no record of a sale. Nixon's said it was looking for a new place to reopen. Its other two shops are still running, Nixon's Deli #4 at 230 N. Peters Road and Nixon's Deli #6 at 508 Merchant Drive. The brand has been part of Knoxville dining since the early 1970s, and Matt Brooks and his father bought it in 2003.
Nixon's ended its Bearden run by thanking customers for "the countless meals and conversations we have shared here," and it said it was looking for a place to reopen. The August report did not name a new address.
Plum Tree, known for its sign at 7052 Kingston Pike near Swig and Taqueria La Herradura, closed July 31. It gave no reason beyond a Facebook thank-you to customers for "all the supports and loves you all had given the restaurant in all its years," according to Knox News.
A 1956 Storefront Goes to a 1956 Name
Long's Drug Store at 4604 Kingston Pike opened in 1956, combining a pharmacy with a soda fountain that served burgers and milkshakes. Pharmacists Clarence Long and John Benson founded it. Jim Peck bought it in the 1960s, and the Peck family, including Hank Peck, ran it until it closed in 2024. The storefront has now sat empty for more than two years.
The next tenant has roots almost exactly as old. Alexander Braden, who grew up eating at Long's, is opening Restwell in the space. Restwell is a sleep-wellness store from Bradens Furniture, which has been in Knoxville since 1956. Braden told Knox News the store will open Nov. 1. It will sell mattresses along with products for bedroom air quality, lighting and sound. "Your bedroom should be focused around natural materials," Braden said. "Sleep impacts so much of your life."
Knoxville firm Smee + Busby Architects is designing the storefront. Braden described the goal as "an anti mattress store." The brand's website says, "We design sleep environments. Not showrooms. Not warehouses."
Long's served lunch, and Restwell will be a retail showroom, so the address changes uses. A local family business is taking over a local family business's building, and the people designing the new storefront are local too.
Morning Coffee Moves a Block Over
The Intrepid closure and the Honeybee opening happened about five weeks apart, a short walk from each other. Honeybee announced its 4520 Old Kingston Pike shop on July 11, after teasing it for months under the brand's beehive sign. Intrepid's last day at 5201 Kingston Pike was Aug. 16.
The Honeybee shop is Bearden's newest coffee option. It is the brand's third location, after Sevier Avenue in South Knoxville and Kingston Pike in Farragut, and it is right next to Bearden Beer Market. Owner Norris Hill opened his first Honeybee in 2017, according to Knox News.
The hours are as reported in July:
- Tuesday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Closed Monday, since no Monday hours were listed
Honeybee closes at 2 p.m., and Bearden Beer Market next door serves drinks later in the day. One stretch of Old Kingston Pike now covers both a morning stop and an evening one.
Homberg Gets an Italian Market, and Papermill Gets a Chain
Il Mercato is a 3,000-square-foot Italian restaurant and market planned for 5440 Homberg Drive by Annette Morejon and co-owner Eddy Perez. The plans include a pasta station, a pizza station, a cannoli bar, a gelato cart and a deli. Morejon told Knox News she wants it to be a "little piece of Italy." The August report targeted an opening in late 2026 or early 2027.
At the west end of the corridor, Hawaiian Bros Island Grill is the one national brand in this year's Bearden changes. A January WVLT report spotted construction and a signage permit at 6903 Kingston Pike near Papermill Drive. The company's Knoxville location page now lists dine-in, pickup and delivery, with hours of 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Since July, Plum Tree, Intrepid's Bearden shop and Nixon's #11 have closed, while Honeybee, Restwell and Il Mercato have opened or announced plans, with Hawaiian Bros as the lone national name near Papermill. The two businesses that left but are still running elsewhere, Nixon's and Intrepid, are Knoxville brands too.
What's on the Calendar Before Year-End
Only a few dates are set, and they fall in this order:
- Oct. 25, 4 to 6 p.m. Central Bearden at 6300 Deane Hill Drive lists a Churchwide Fall Fellowship on its online calendar. The listing includes a BBQ meal, s'mores at a firepit, bluegrass, games, a hayride and pumpkins.
- Nov. 1. Restwell's planned opening at 4604 Kingston Pike, the first new business in the Long's storefront since 2024.
- Late 2026 or early 2027. Il Mercato's targeted opening on Homberg Drive.
- Not yet named in local coverage. New tenants for 5201 and 5716 Kingston Pike, and Nixon's next location.
You can walk part of this corridor on the Bearden Greenway. Visit Knoxville describes it as about two miles long, running from the Sutherland Avenue connector to Bearden Elementary on Kingston Pike.
The next lease signed at 5716 Kingston Pike will show whether this year's pattern of Knoxville businesses replacing Knoxville businesses holds.
Storefronts like 4604 and 5716 Kingston Pike are part of what buyers see when they tour the streets around Bearden homes. If you own nearby and want to know how corridor changes like these show up when you sell, Nancy Keith can walk you through it. Schedule a free consultation.
