Sharons' Half Day Cafe soft-opened in late July in the former Townsend Pizza Hut, on the same strip as Peaceful Side Social. Within a couple of weeks it was open to the public, Teknovation reported in August. A breakfast cafe moving into a former fast-food building is the clearest example of how Townsend changed in 2026. The new places in town are mostly old places with new owners and new menus. The holiday season works the same way, because its main event takes place inside a village of historic buildings.
The Building Came First, Then the Menu
The cafe is the fourth Townsend concept from Oldham Hospitality, the family company behind Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Bistro, the red-roofed Apple Valley Mountain Village and the patio with string lights at Peaceful Side Social. Houston Oldham, the company's vice president of operations, described the strategy plainly in the Teknovation profile:
"What we've been trying to do is rehab all the old buildings that are already in Townsend and bring new life into old spaces. We want to give people a reason to spend a couple of hours on this side of the Smokies."
That explains the location. The idea behind the menu came from a gap Oldham saw in town. "There are plenty of coffee shops, but none that serve a full food menu," he told Teknovation. The partner is the Benton family, the name behind Benton's Bacon. The two families started talking about a shared restaurant a couple of years ago. Each family has a Sharon at the head of the table, which is how the apostrophe ended up after the "s."
The menu features a Sunrise Hash, Smash Biscuits, house-made sourdough, a short list of sandwiches and table biscuits. The cafe's own site describes it as a fast-casual breakfast and lunch spot between the Townsend IGA and Peaceful Side Social. As the name says, it serves the first half of the day.
The Mini-Golf Course That Sat Unused
The cafe isn't the only old site back in use. Cades Cove Golf, at 7761 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, is a mini-golf course that had been sitting unused. The Simmerly family renovated it before a May 15 soft opening and a May 22 grand opening, The Daily Times reported.
The pattern holds on both sides of the parkway. Recent business news on Townsend's main road has mostly been about existing properties coming back into use. A lot of it lines up along a few miles of East Lamar Alexander Parkway, the stretch of US-321 that runs through town:
| Stop | What it is | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro | Seasonal farm-to-table menu, patio fire pit with s'mores | 7140 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy |
| Cades Cove Golf | Renovated mini-golf course, reopened in May | 7761 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy |
| Peaceful Side Social | Craft kitchen, restaurant and beer garden with a children's playscape | 7967 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy |
| Sharons' Half Day Cafe | Breakfast and lunch in the former Pizza Hut | Between the Townsend IGA and Peaceful Side Social |
Dancing Bean, the coffee shop in the Oldham group, rounds out the morning options. It roasts its own coffee, bakes pastries every day, and has fireside seating indoors and on an outdoor deck. For people who don't drink coffee, it pours kombucha, craft sodas, smoothies and bubble tea. Hours at these places change with the season, so check each business's site before you make the drive on a weekday.
Thanksgiving Moves to the Bistro
The first date on the late-fall calendar comes from the same group of restaurants. Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro is serving Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 26, from noon to 5 p.m. at 7140 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway. Reservations are required. The Bistro labels its posted menu as a sample, and says its offerings change with the season and with what's available. For a holiday meal, that means the dishes on the table may differ from the list online.
Where the Holiday Season Actually Happens
From the weekend before Thanksgiving through mid-December, most of Townsend's holiday calendar happens at one address: the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center, 123 Cromwell Drive. Its main event is held among historic cabins, farm buildings, workshops and churches.
It starts with the Holiday Handcrafters Fair on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, and the marketplace is made up of local artisans selling handmade goods. If you're still finishing a gift list, this is the earliest holiday date on the Townsend calendar.
The day after Thanksgiving, the Heritage Center starts Christmas in the Village, which runs on select evenings through the week before Christmas:
- Friday, Nov. 27
- Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5
- Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11 and 12
- Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18 and 19
Each evening runs from 5:30 to 8 p.m., with last admission at 7. Standard tickets are $20 for adults and $17 for children 12 and under. Children 4 and under get in for $5. A "Sweets & Treats" upgrade costs $30 for adults and $27 for children, and adds two premium cookies, a hot drink and a keepsake mug filled with candy. Every ticket includes a visit with Santa.
The program is the village itself. The paths are lantern-lit and the historic buildings are decorated. Living historians demonstrate hearth cooking, blacksmithing, weaving, spinning and hand sewing. Children can do holiday crafts and help decorate the community Christmas tree. Last entry is at 7, so for an early dinner beforehand, the Bistro's patio and Peaceful Side Social are both on the same parkway.
One Afternoon in the Middle of It
The one holiday date the town itself hosts falls in the middle of the Heritage Center's run. The City of Townsend lists the 2026 Townsend Christmas Parade for Sunday, Dec. 6, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. That's the day after the Dec. 5 Christmas in the Village evening. Anyone who wants both can take in the village Saturday night and the parade Sunday afternoon, with breakfast at the cafe in the old Pizza Hut in between.
Here's how the season lays out:
| Date | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Holiday Handcrafters Fair, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center | Free |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving at the Bistro, noon to 5 p.m. | Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro | Reservations required |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Christmas in the Village opens, 5:30 to 8 p.m. | Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center | $20 adults, $17 children |
| Dec. 4 and 5 | Christmas in the Village | Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center | $20 adults, $17 children |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Townsend Christmas Parade, 2:30 to 4 p.m. | Hosted by the City of Townsend | See city calendar |
| Dec. 11 and 12 | Christmas in the Village | Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center | $20 adults, $17 children |
| Dec. 18 and 19 | Christmas in the Village, final weekend | Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center | $20 adults, $17 children |
The Handcrafters Fair is free and the village charges at the gate. Both put Townsend's older buildings and traditions front and center, which is what the Oldham group and the Simmerly family are doing on the parkway. Oldham said he wants visitors to "come up through the side of the Smokies where you can actually relax and take a breath," according to Teknovation. This December, that pitch is backed by a breakfast spot, a renovated mini-golf course and four weekends of lantern-lit evenings at the Heritage Center.
If your Townsend Saturdays have you thinking about the foothills side of Blount County, Nancy Keith knows the towns along US-321 and the homes that sit near them, from Maryville to the edge of the park. Schedule a free consultation and we'll talk about what the peaceful side of the Smokies looks like as a place to call home.
